Feed hay save grass?

[pricefarm]

So I have been thinking about feeding hay to my cows now in a dry lot and let the grass grow all it can until the first hard frost when it will stop growing. Then graze the stock piled grass. My cows currently are dry and want calve till Feb. I was just thinking it would be easier to feed hay now and not have to deal with mud and cold weather. Then start grazing in dec and have enough grass for a couple months. Think it would work?

 

[Bigfoot]

I don't know if any big gun has ever done a cost study on it, but i have had the same thought before. I made a 3rd cutting of hay, just for the regrowth on my fescue the month of September. I figure I've done paid for the nitrogen thats out there, it might be gone by next year. I actually do it with my horses from time to time in a dry year.

 

[greybeard]

So I have been thinking about feeding hay to my cows now in a dry lot and let the grass grow all it can until the first hard frost when it will stop growing. Then graze the stock piled grass. My cows currently are dry and want calve till Feb. I was just thinking it would be easier to feed hay now and not have to deal with mud and cold weather. Then start grazing in dec and have enough grass for a couple months. Think it would work?

Do you get much snow in Dec, Jan and Feb?

 

[Banjo]

Why would your grass stop growing at the first hard frost....unless you have no cool season grasses?

 

[Douglas]

It makes a lot of sense to me. At that time your cows need less nutrition than later. The stockpiled forage will be higher quality that dry hay normally.

 

[Brute 23]

Eat the grass while its growing and good quality.

 

[pricefarm]

So I have been thinking about feeding hay to my cows now in a dry lot and let the grass grow all it can until the first hard frost when it will stop growing. Then graze the stock piled grass. My cows currently are dry and want calve till Feb. I was just thinking it would be easier to feed hay now and not have to deal with mud and cold weather. Then start grazing in dec and have enough grass for a couple months. Think it would work?

Do you get much snow in Dec, Jan and Feb?

We don't normally get much snow if we do it doesn't stay long.

 

[1982vett]

I guess I'd start by asking about your pasture health.

That is one thing I understand better now than I did 10 years ago. Roots support the top growth and you don't get top growth without roots (and rainfall).

Another thing to think about is supplementation. Will you need to supplement your hay? I'd think in your weather you would need to supplement dry standing grass. Just something else to think about.

 

[Nesikep]

Around here it's a bit of a gamble because an early snowfall can cover the grass, then you've fed the hay already.. I sometimes feed a bit of hay for a week or two after the first grazing to let the second cut come up a little better.. it's worked pretty good for me so far, though I didn't do it this year. The way I look at it is if I have some poor quality hay, I feed it while they still have some scrub to pick through, and they'll be on good feed soon enough anyhow so it shouldn't drastically affect them.

 

[fenceman]

Eat the grass while its growing and good quality.

X2
hays like a savings account. You spend it when everything else is gone. :2cents:

 

[littletom]

If you have enough ground split it hot wire. Save grass and don't blow the hay. I think if everything went just right it would work. But if it don't rain the grass may not grow. You may have a long cold wet winter and feed a ton of hay. My late fall grazing I pulled those cows off 2 weeks ago. Hope to put back in oct. But they are on grass now.

 

[pricefarm]

I guess I'd start by asking about your pasture health.

That is one thing I understand better now than I did 10 years ago. Roots support the top growth and you don't get top growth without roots (and rainfall).

Another thing to think about is supplementation. Will you need to supplement your hay? I'd think in your weather you would need to supplement dry standing grass. Just something else to think about.

Pasture is in pretty good shape I have cross fencing and move the cows about every 5days or so. We haven't had any rain in almost two weeks and none really in the forcast so it's starting to get dry. I haven't tested my hay yet but it's fesque orchard grass and clover mixed all was cut on time and in the barn so I would assume it will test pretty good. I just figured that right now the cows don't need much as much nutrition as they will later so Iam sure the hay will meet there needs.

 

[regolith]

Depends on the grass and your climate.
The sort of grass I grow doesn't go through frosts well as standing pasture.

The primary benefit I can see for you is if you are saving the soil from significant treading damage by feeding hay now, then grazing in dry conditions.
Otherwise I'd third what Brute 23 wrote. Standing pasture is losing quality and potential growth; it's primary purpose is to provide bulk feed through the minimal growth period... and hay can do that too.

 

[Stocker Steve]

So I have been thinking about feeding hay to my cows now in a dry lot and let the grass grow all it can until the first hard frost when it will stop growing. Then graze the stock piled grass. Think it would work?

Yes
We do this every fall. Either feeding hay on a paddock we plan to renovate (I fed some 24% moisture hay today), or grazing a cover crop mix.
Lots of benefit if you have legumes that need to build up root reserves, or a grass that tillers.
Not as much benefit if you have grass that is not good for grazing after a killing frost.

 

[Chris H]

I wanted to agree with those who say, "it depends on your forages". Here, cows will root through 6 inches of wet snow to get to stockpiled fescue, more if it's drier. Ice will throw a wrench in the plans, but it's seldom been an issue for us. We fed hay in Sept last year, hay that was stored outside and would have just deteriorated if held until Jan. That allowed the fescue to continue growing. Our fescue will grow until Thanksgiving and sometimes until Christmas if it's not grazed too short. Last winter when we switched back over to grazing we didn't have to feed hay until the end of January. I'd rather feed hay in Sept than in Dec. Standing fescue doesn't lose much feed value through Jan in our area.

 

[pricefarm]

I wanted to agree with those who say, "it depends on your forages". Here, cows will root through 6 inches of wet snow to get to stockpiled fescue, more if it's drier. Ice will throw a wrench in the plans, but it's seldom been an issue for us. We fed hay in Sept last year, hay that was stored outside and would have just deteriorated if held until Jan. That allowed the fescue to continue growing. Our fescue will grow until Thanksgiving and sometimes until Christmas if it's not grazed too short. Last winter when we switched back over to grazing we didn't have to feed hay until the end of January. I'd rather feed hay in Sept than in Dec. Standing fescue doesn't lose much feed value through Jan in our area.

Thanks for the the info I think Iam going to try it I have around 30 rolls that I didn't have room for in the barn so I think I will feed them and let the grass grow.