Fat Cows

[Stocker Steve]

I am having my annual bout of fear over fat cows. Grass on the farm is extremely good. It got a slow start but is now about as good as I have seen.

Sounds like your herd intake is not balanced with the grass production.

The standard recommendation is to have a temporary or seasonal herd. Usually retained calves or yearlings. When to you wean?

The other approach is to park the mower and cross fence, so the cows can trample more grass. This will generate new soil much faster than mowing.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

With a registered herd, for bio security, I would never run stockers on my property.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I personally can't understand the way some folks think. If he's happy and his fat cows are happy what does it matter how he manages his property. But since he does use cost share money, maybe the government needs to conduct a study on obese cattle and it's effects on the health of the cattle.

 

[Banjo]

Getting fat on grass is different than fat on corn/soybean meal. My cows look good right now too with lots of grass, but not butterball fat.
Right now I am rotating my herd on 30% of the farm and letting the other 70% percent just grow....I will clip/bushhog it 2 or 3 times between now and Fall. and let it lay. This fall the fescue will come on and just about take them thru the winter. Last year I fed hay around 30 to 40 days.
In the meantime I keep more heifers and grow the herd.....shooting for 1.5 acres to 1 adult cow, right now I'm at about 2 to 1.

 

[Bright Raven]

I am having my annual bout of fear over fat cows. Grass on the farm is extremely good. It got a slow start but is now about as good as I have seen.

Sounds like your herd intake is not balanced with the grass production.

The standard recommendation is to have a temporary or seasonal herd. Usually retained calves or yearlings. When to you wean?

The other approach is to park the mower and cross fence, so the cows can trample more grass. This will generate new soil much faster than mowing.

My calves were born September and October. This year I weaned the third week of March.

 

[Stocker Steve]

My calves were born September and October. This year I weaned the third week of March.

What would happen if you left them on?

 

[ez14.]

My calves were born September and October. This year I weaned the third week of March.

What would happen if you left them on?

His calves would get bigger and his cows wouldn't get as fat

 

[kenny thomas]

No way I will ever go back to spring calving![/quote]
In fescue areas why would you be feeding hay at Thanksgiving. You need to manage your grass and feed hay in February and March.[/quote]

I have used that practice. The other practice I use is - starting hay at Thanksgiving. Feeding through February. Which allows me to have easy access to the cows for breeding. Then put them out on stockpiled grass to hold them until the grass takes off.[/quote]
Hard to argue with that plan.

 

[MtnCows93]

id say get more cows or section some pasture off and cut it for hay but thats just me, mo cows = mo money right?

 

[TexasBred]

id say get more cows or section some pasture off and cut it for hay but thats just me, mo cows = mo money right?

That was the belief of many former cattle owners who went broke