Buying hay

[fm500]

I've never bought hay before, but I will need some to get through the winter once the pasture, although plenty tall, will freeze up.

What do you recommend I look for to feed a single ~5 mo old calf? I see a wide variety of hay on the market, and don't quite understand exactly what I need.

Would this be suitable?

http://boise.craigslist.org/grd/2595866510.html

 

[cross_7]

first of all i know nothing about your weather up there, but you going to need pretty good quality hay or your going to have to supplement.
you stated you have one calf(2 would be better)and a stock trailer for shelter.
i'm not sure the calf will go in it but it will help as a wind block so i would make sure it had plenty of bedding,
see if they have had an analysis done on the hay.
protein requirements are higher for calves than cows so your probably going to have to feed some protein.
there are some people on the board from your neck of the woods that will chime in.

http://msucares.com/livestock/beef/mca_apr2009.pdf

 

[Sir Loin]

Fm,
Go to your local co-op and see if they have 1st cut timothy hay, or as close to it as they have.
That add a pound a day of a premix 12% bag feed.
Feed both in the front of the trailer and you are good to go for the winter
SL

 

[fm500]

Thanks, I will take a look. I've seen both grass and alfalfa around here, but the most is the latter.

Currently, she is on both COBS (corn oats barley) mix and receives some calfmana supplement, based on what the previous person was giving her. I'm sure this helps her grow, but it's not the cheapest thing in the world (but neither is hay).

 

[cross_7]

good alfalfa hay would be best.

 

[chippie]

Fm,
Go to your local co-op and see if they have 1st cut timothy hay, or as close to it as they have.
That add a pound a day of a premix 12% bag feed.
Feed both in the front of the trailer and you are good to go for the winter
SL

:nod:

Alfalfa is good, but she will need a good grass hay too.

 

[suzorse]

I feed alfalfa to mine year around, grass is way more money as it is horse hay here, If I feed grass
I have to feed 2X as much or free choice it and all my cows lose weight on it (if they will even eat it ), stay away from any
late cuttings of alfalfa , as they can be powdery 3d or 4th, check to see, you could lose your heifer
to bloat caused by a wad of the fine stemmed powdery hay getting caught in the throut and causing a blockage, I had it happen to 1 cow but caught it in time , neighbor lost 2 from it , the COB with some calf manna is fine, my weaned calves are getting a small amount of allstock 1X aday and their alfalfa 2Xs a day ,and the other group of calves get pasture and allstock once a day, my heifers that will be calving never got grain at weaning just alfalfa and look great, I will start them on a small amount of COB 1 month before calving, these are also milk cows, and will get grain only in the stanchion Suzanne