Feed no hay through an Arkansas winter - Can it be done?

[Arkieman]

Facts:
As part of the USDA "Youth Loan Program" my son has 6 Angus Heifers (to calve Jan 08) and 1 Herf cow (to calve Jan 08). 7 head total. We have two small pastures. Pasture #1 is split into 2 sections (2 acres/4 acres) and Pasture #2 is at my house that is 4 acres. Around 10 total acres. The 2 acres of Pasture 1 has quite a bit of Fescue w/ Bermuda. The other 4 acres of Pasture #1 is Bahai. Pasture #2 is Bermuda.

Question:
In Arkansas, how best could I prepare for the winter depending very little on hay. We don't have a tractor so moving rolls around is tough. I've read a lot of stuff on this board and spoken w/ others. I figure if I can get a good stand of rye and/or wheat, I can rotate them between the pastures.

I can get rice bran from a local mill for $80/ton. We used a little of that last winter on the cow. Thinking of mixing it w/ Corn Gluten pellets for a low cost supplement.

What's your thoughts???

 

[novatech]

Use square bales suplimented with protein. Cattle have a rumen system that is primaraly designed for forage. Although they can be fed grain and other substitutes it costs more money and they must go through a transition because of the different microbes in the rumen system for breaking down the different types of feed. If you have a cheap source of feed that may be a different story, but remember to make the transition slowly. Doing this will allow the animal to develope the proper microbes necessary for the breakdown of whatever they are eating. You should do the same when going back to grass.

 

[Arkieman]

I didn't mean not have some type of forage. I meant could they make it on winter rye, wheat, ryegrass, etc?

 

[bigbull338]

I didn't mean not have some type of forage. I meant could they make it on winter rye, wheat, ryegrass, etc?

if you get the rain you can use winter pasture.an that will cut your hay needs very much.since you have 3 pastures.you can rotate graze them.you can move round bales with your truck if you have a hay dolley.can ever move them to pasture an put them out if its dry.

 

[dun]

With that number of head on that few acres, Ol Ma Nature would have to be exceptionally kind and you'ld have to very intensly manage the pastures.
Even then the odds are against it

 

[redangus]

It can be done with adequate winter pasture, stockpiling of grasses, proper fertilization, segmented pastures and adequate rain. I would reccomend moving your calving season to March-April to make sure calves are hitting the ground at green up.

Phrao cattle has done some research in mob grazing. (example:100 head of cattle on 10 acres until it's gone and then let it recover....move to the next small lot.

You need to have more acres of land per cattle than you would normally have though.

 

[Tod Dague]

You might sell one of them and use the money to lease some more land.

 

[msscamp]

I'm with dun.

 

[novatech]

I didn't mean not have some type of forage. I meant could they make it on winter rye, wheat, ryegrass, etc?

Yes they can make it on these grasses. The key element on this is timeing. It is tough to have forage to graze at the time other forage is being depleated. Standing forage is someimes used but it takes more land. So given this, in your case, I do beleive you will have to supliment with something during the in between stages of your forage.
Supliment to grass should be mostly hay and supliment that with protein. The higher quality hay the less suppliment you will have to use.

 

[Jogeephus]

I'd suggest fencing off a hay lot where the cows can stay most of the time. From here, you can let them onto the winter grazing for about two hours a day. Otherwise, they are just going to get their fill on your best grass, lay on it, poop on it and otherwise just waste it. I think it will be very hard to run this many cows on that many acres without hay.

 

[MikeC]

I'd suggest fencing off a hay lot where the cows can stay most of the time. From here, you can let them onto the winter grazing for about two hours a day. Otherwise, they are just going to get their fill on your best grass, lay on it, poop on it and otherwise just waste it. I think it will be very hard to run this many cows on that many acres without hay.

Yup. Me too. ;-) Good advice.

 

[Arkieman]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions. We've worked hard and were able to find some "free" squares. Father-in-law farms and had a guy bale some of his bermuda levees (50 bales). He was also able to get us probably about 200 bales of hay from a field the mill uses to spread waste-water from their parboil plant. This will give us a start. We still plan on planting something. What is the best winter forage crop to plant in Arkansas? - Winter rye, wheat? Anybody have any luck w/ clover?

 

[bigbull338]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions. We've worked hard and were able to find some "free" squares. Father-in-law farms and had a guy bale some of his bermuda levees (50 bales). He was also able to get us probably about 200 bales of hay from a field the mill uses to spread waste-water from their parboil plant. This will give us a start. We still plan on planting something. What is the best winter forage crop to plant in Arkansas? - Winter rye, wheat? Anybody have any luck w/ clover?

you can plant wheat rye grass clover an vetch.on the pasture that your talking about.but if you plant wheat make sure you feed your cows high mag minerals.an start them on the high mag 2wks before you turn cows in on the winter pasture.an feed high mag all winter.

 

[hillrancher]

Arkieman: You will have to have some hay. It does snow here and there has been some winters it will be 60 days before you can see the ground. Then the extreme cold winters when the wheat and rye will freeze out. These don't come often, but we are due one have had too many mild winter in the past. We no till rye about every year it does pay, but we have to buy more litter to support the extra drag on the soil also. I am giving you experince from the north part of arkansas.

 

[Arkieman]

Thanks Hill - We kindof have a unique situation. The fella that we bought the heifers from is a friend. He also bales a bunch of hay. He has told me that we can get whatever hay we need from him (a bale at a time if need be - since we have no storage). He keeps plenty enough - I've offered to pay upfront to insure it will be there but he says no - he will have it. Therefore, we're gonna try everything we can to make it w/ as little "purchased" hay as possible. Any particular variety of rye that you use. How many bushel to the acre, etc?