feeding cornstalks

[SRBeef]

My steers and bull are still grazing cornstalks only for maybe a month yet. The grain is pretty much gone. They are grazing husks and stalks now. They have plenty of good mineral, salt and water.

Question is do they need anything else as a supplement? If I put hay out they will mostly consume that rather than the stalks now that the grain is gone. I'd like to have them clean up the corn field more thoroughly since I am running out of good hay and also to make it easier to strip till corn on corn in early May.

I think I'll harvest a couple steers in the next couple weeks also before the corn "wears off". Supplement required?

jim

 

[dun]

If they are maintaining or gaining condition you shouldn;t need anything else. If they're falling off you might want to consider one of the tubs that are designed to promote better utilization of poor forage

 

[mnmtranching]

When do they calve?

 

[SRBeef]

When do they calve?

Mine will begin calving about April 15th.

However cows and hiefers are off of the corn stalks and on hay/mineral only since about Feb 1. The bull and steers are still on the stalks. However as Dun suggests looking by their condition they look good. They do have good mineral, salt and water so I am just going to leave them on stalks alone until I have to pull them off to fertilize, strip till and plant corn on corn.

Dun thanks for the reply. It does look like once you get them into condition it may be easier to maintain that condition than it was to get there in the first place.

Jim

 

[CattleHand]

Molasses will help them eat more corn stalks. We kept some cows on milo that had been harvested this winter to feed off the old leaves and such. Some molasses helps with their appetite or something, its sweet and keeps them eating the dull stuff they usually would just pass up.

 

[KNERSIE]

When do they calve?

Mine will begin calving about April 15th.

However cows and hiefers are off of the corn stalks and on hay/mineral only since about Feb 1. The bull and steers are still on the stalks. However as Dun suggests looking by their condition they look good. They do have good mineral, salt and water so I am just going to leave them on stalks alone until I have to pull them off to fertilize, strip till and plant corn on corn.

Dun thanks for the reply. It does look like once you get them into condition it may be easier to maintain that condition than it was to get there in the first place.

Jim

Jim, check your inbox, there should be a pm from me sitting there for a couple of days now.

 

[SRBeef]

When do they calve?

Mine will begin calving about April 15th.

However cows and hiefers are off of the corn stalks and on hay/mineral only since about Feb 1. The bull and steers are still on the stalks. However as Dun suggests looking by their condition they look good. They do have good mineral, salt and water so I am just going to leave them on stalks alone until I have to pull them off to fertilize, strip till and plant corn on corn.

Dun thanks for the reply. It does look like once you get them into condition it may be easier to maintain that condition than it was to get there in the first place.

Jim

Jim, check your inbox, there should be a pm from me sitting there for a couple of days now.

Done.