Extensive winter feeding

[Rydero]

Some discussion in another thread about feeding methods. Today happened to be feeding day so I kept track of times and took some pics.

Feeding over 80 dry bred cows. I place bales in three locations one day a week and open gates throughout the week to give additional feed.

Hay trailer is left at the hay yard. I start by loading up the trailer. I mix different qualities as I load

 

[Rydero]

15 mins to load the trailer w 12 bales. Approx 10 mins travel time from hay yard to feeding area.

 

[Rydero]

I place bales and if I'm lucky get someone to cut strings for me. I prefer to spread the hay but as winter progresses it gets harder to roll out bales.

 

[Rydero]

Just a shade under 1.5 hrs to feed about 80 cows for a week besides calling them and opening a couple of gates. Manure is spread out in areas I want it and I estimate yardage at .25/h/d with tractor time @ $75/h and labour for my helper cutting strings factored in.

 

[Nesikep]

I spend more time feeding my 20!
Then again I usually enjoy it too

 

[Nesikep]

Here's last winter.. I know 10C isn't cold by your standards but that wind was nasty

 

[Rydero]

I spend more time feeding my 20!
Then again I usually enjoy it too

It feels pretty efficient. The trailer was purchased when I made a bunch of hay far from home in a drought year. I knew I could pay to truck it but decided on the trailer and doing it myself. When I figured out to use it for feeding I shaved about an hour off my weekly feeding time.

 

[Nesikep]

It feels pretty efficient. The trailer was purchased when I made a bunch of hay far from home in a drought year. I knew I could pay to truck it but decided on the trailer and doing it myself. When I figured out to use it for feeding I shaved about an hour off my weekly feeding time.

What do you do with that hour?

 

[Rydero]

Anything I want. Over the week there's a good chance I waste it just driving around looking at the cows or puttering with the water. I made a solar pumphouse in the center of the feeding areas.

 

[Rydero]

Here's last winter.. I know 10C isn't cold by your standards but that wind was nasty

You can hear the wind in the vid and it makes me shiver. Humidity and wind make a huge difference.

 

[Nesikep]

You can hear the wind in the vid and it makes me shiver. Humidity and wind make a huge difference.

thankfully we aren't coastal and the cold is pretty dry, cows certainly need more food in that weather though

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

@Rydero you have a VERY efficient system. I could never be able to do that here. Couldn't get a trailer into our fields most of the winter - either too much mud or too much snow. You must get too much snow to haul a trailer throughout the winter also! You are doing it right. Give them only enough for 2-3 days at a time so they clean up. Great system.

 

[Rydero]

@Rydero you have a VERY efficient system. I could never be able to do that here. Couldn't get a trailer into our fields most of the winter - either too much mud or too much snow. You must get too much snow to haul a trailer throughout the winter also! You are doing it right. Give them only enough for 2-3 days at a time so they clean up. Great system.

We do get too much snow at times but since I like to drive a truck to deal with the water I'll plow it out a few times throughout the winter. One time a few winters ago I had to get a loader in to plow once - cost maybe $150. Well worth it. I'm in the process of buying a bigger tractor that should be capable of making it with the trailer when there's more snow. But I can also go back to bringing the bales in 2 at a time w the tractor if it's necessary. Because it's (mostly) open ground the snow generally doesn't get all that deep, it tends to drift by the bush or fencelines. If you're careful about where you make your trail minimal plowing is required.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

@Rydero - you would LOVE my snow blower!!! That would work perfect for making a trail! Didn't think about that!
If our weather would get cold and STAY cold/frozen, I would have more options, but I have to PLAN on not being able to get around without ruining lots of areas. Your system looks perfect with the right ground.

 

[Dave]

Neighbor has a wagon they pull with a tractor that hauls 6 3x4x8 big squares standing on edge. Drive into a field put the tractor in puts it in low. Hops off the tractor and on to the trailer. Cuts the strings and flakes off the hay as the tractor slowly goes across the field. One man starts feeding 7:30-8:00 and is done before noon. Feeds 23 bales to 1,000+/- cows in 6 or 7 fields a combination of grass hay and alfalfa.

 

[Silver]

One neighbour here feeds square bales and silage and runs two TMR's all day long. Ugh.

 

[RDFF]

Rydero, great pics... and thanks for posting. I haven't set out any bales yet here... still working on the winter stockpiled forage... 75 head of mixed age cattle this year. I've got the bales "stored" back by the woods, nearby to where I'll feed them as bale grazing. Supposed to get 12" this next week, so I might go put some out ahead of that while it's still nice going. I try to set out enough for a month or so, limit them with a polywire to no more than they'll clean up in 2-3 days. Only had to start a tractor to set out bales twice all winter last year. Daily chores amounts to moving a 200' long polywire every few days, and breaking open a Cobett style energy free waterer once a day as needed.... Cattle are 2 miles away from home at another farm (one reason I don't want to have to use a tractor every day). Usually spend maybe 30 minutes to get 'er done, unless there's trouble.

I had been running over with the dually pickup in past years. Got myself a "new" toy for cow chasing this fall........ Decided I wanted a SxS with a fully enclosed cab and heater for when it gets ugly. This came with power steering, AC, heat, AM/FM/CD/Sirius XM, wipers, 1600 cc engine, high/low transfer case, seats 4 (if you have the back seat up... not TOO bad getting into it or sitting in it either surprisingly... I generally have that folded down for a larger cargo area) AND it runs down the road decent when needed to get parts, etc. too! Cost less than 1/10th of what a new 2 row Polaris Ranger 1000cc would, and it actually comes in about 100# LIGHTER! Thinking that a GJ bale unroller might work decent behind it for alot of the winter, especially if the cattle keep the snow packed down for me... problem is, I've gotten used to the ease of bale grazing... so don't know if I want to add the extra labor of everyday unrolling..... And around here, no matter where you "store" your bales, they'll always be buried in a big snow drift through the winter, so picking them everyday with something like that could be pretty difficult. I generally stack them up double high to help keep some of them out of it at least, and then just use the tractor loader to pick 'em a couple times, like I said.

 

[Nesikep]

Rydero, great pics... and thanks for posting. I haven't set out any bales yet here... still working on the winter stockpiled forage... 75 head of mixed age cattle this year. I've got the bales "stored" back by the woods, nearby to where I'll feed them as bale grazing. Supposed to get 12" this next week, so I might go put some out ahead of that while it's still nice going. I try to set out enough for a month or so, limit them with a polywire to no more than they'll clean up in 2-3 days. Only had to start a tractor to set out bales twice all winter last year. Daily chores amounts to moving a 200' long polywire every few days, and breaking open a Cobett style energy free waterer once a day as needed.... Cattle are 2 miles away from home at another farm (one reason I don't want to have to use a tractor every day). Usually spend maybe 30 minutes to get 'er done, unless there's trouble.

I had been running over with the dually pickup in past years. Got myself a "new" toy for cow chasing this fall........ Decided I wanted a SxS with a fully enclosed cab and heater for when it gets ugly. This came with power steering, AC, heat, AM/FM/CD/Sirius XM, wipers, 1600 cc engine, high/low transfer case, seats 4 (if you have the back seat up... not TOO bad getting into it or sitting in it either surprisingly... I generally have that folded down for a larger cargo area) AND it runs down the road decent when needed to get parts, etc. too! Cost less than 1/10th of what a new 2 row Polaris Ranger 1000cc would, and it actually comes in about 100# LIGHTER! Thinking that a GJ bale unroller might work decent behind it for alot of the winter, especially if the cattle keep the snow packed down for me... problem is, I've gotten used to the ease of bale grazing... so don't know if I want to add the extra labor of everyday unrolling..... And around here, no matter where you "store" your bales, they'll always be buried in a big snow drift through the winter, so picking them everyday with something like that could be pretty difficult. I generally stack them up double high to help keep some of them out of it at least, and then just use the tractor loader to pick 'em a couple times, like I said.

View attachment 1414

yup, the cost of side by sides is stupid in comparison to what a good old pickup or SUV costs!

 

[RDFF]

Yeah... I was surprised to find that this was actually lighter than the Polaris Ranger. Then I got to looking into other rigs too... Jeep Wrangler was high on my list... but even the canvas top 2 door model comes in almost 1000# heavier (so ALMOST half again as much). Interesting that even on the Jeep forums, they kind of joke about what Jeep stands for........ Just Empty Every Pocket! Most other SUV's, like a Honda CRV, come in over 1000# heavier too. Even a little bitty 2 seater "smart car", the lightest "roadable" vehicle available, and with absolutely 0 "off-road capability", comes in only a couple hundred pounds less. This thing even has air bags (don't know if that's a plus or minus!). The old Ford Rangers are one of the lightest units out there, ...a 4WD 2 door with extended cab weighs right close to 3000#. Don't think that's anything like the new Ranger that they introduced last year though.... they're up at 3900-4400#. And the "Bronco"??? The "original square body" weighed about 2900#........... the new one............. 4300# - 5300#, depending on model and options. Might just as well be using my diesel dually!

Can't figure how Suzuki (maker of the Geo Tracker) can't find a way to be selling their very popular Jimny over here, to compete with the SxS's. I think they'd find a market pretty easily. Weighs 2300#, about the same as the Tracker. Hummer H1 vs Suzuki Jimny - DRAG RACE *USA vs Japan * - Bing video I expect it's all the safety and pollution regs that keep it off our shores.

 

[RDFF]

They need to market it here as an "off-road" vehicle, so it falls into the same "classification" as the Polaris Ranger.... then they'd get around some of those pesky regulations that Polaris doesn't have to meet. I doubt that they have to submit their vehicles to "crash tests", and likely very little emissions testing either.