Feeding hay

[Travlr]

I've heard guys say it works. Always wanted to try it but my system doesn't lend itself to it. I bring my cows up to the barn at night to pen them and feed them. Then I turn them out into a larger area in the morning and feed them again. I like them to have enough they are bedded in it a certain way amount.
Did you find you needed to start your night feeding quite awhile prior to calving to get best effect or could you start when calving was upon you?

It works on a daily basis. Having a stomach full of feed delays labor.

 

[Silver]

It works on a daily basis. Having a stomach full of feed delays labor.

So they say. But when I feed my cows at 8:00am I always seem to get a bunch of cows at about 10:00-noon so I don't know. It is interesting though.

 

[kenny thomas]

When i used to feed all winter i fed after dark. But it was because it was almost dark when i got off work.
Now that i stockpile fescue they can eat day or night. Not sure how that effects calving.

 

[GoWyo]

So they say. But when I feed my cows at 8:00am I always seem to get a bunch of cows at about 10:00-noon so I don't know. It is interesting though.

I feed first thing in the morning. We start calving in March, so if it's muddy, I prefer to feed when the ground is frozen in the morning so not tearing up the pasture. Seems quite a few cows hold off calving until they get morning feed then go off and calve. They seem to calve all hours otherwise. I check more frequently when weather is bad and just 2-3 times a day if weather isn't a big factor.

 

[4hfarms]

Feed 2xs/day in winter, extra food at evening feeding when it's cold.

Water supplied by creeks in both back pastures.

Calf comes when its ready, both day and night.

 

[RDFF]

Need more storage/water tanks in summer. What happens if your water supply goes down? Should have a day or two worth of water in reserve.

For the custom herd on the bigger acreage, I've got a creek that I can put them on if I need to, but they damage the banks so much there, so I don't really want them on it. If the water supply goes down, I'd have to get it up and working anyway... my wife wouldn't be happy without water, and that's much more important than the cows!

 

[Stonewall Joe]

It would be nice to make them clean it up. But honestly i Have to feed hay when i can. Alot of days i may have time today none tomorrow. So when I can if they run out and need it then I may not have time. Just easier this time year to keep it out. We will be done with tobacco in couple 3 weeks life will slow way down then.

my starter wife's dad grew tobacco in Southern Md (Charles County) I doesn't seem that they were ever finished with the tobacco.

 

[Stonewall Joe]

Anyone tried this? He calls it a Thermal Sweep. They cost about $90

pretty good idea, doesn't get too cold for too long down here bt things will occasionally freeze and cause problems. More trouble with horse waterers in the stalls with the few we keep up

 

[Brute 23]

It all sound good if you have power and clean water. mm holes tend to get clogged with sand or other trash. Our wells and lines are not that clean.

Anyone tried this? He calls it a Thermal Sweep. They cost about $90

 

[AmandaQ]

That shows me 2 things,
You had very good hay
You feed the correct amount.

Kenny, will you explain how you know this? I feed hay twice a day to my two cows. I move the trough each time to distribute the poop in my 2.8 acre pasture and they leave very little waste. My 1,776 lb overweight cow needs to lose 200 lbs, I think she has lost some weight but how am I really going to know. I get worried I'm starving her. With the 28 degree weather coming, I have fresh straw in a 20x10 open stable and I supplement my yearling with grain still. I'm likely going to do that until the really cold weather is gone. I would love to know I'm feeding them the right amount.

 

[kenny thomas]

If she is weighing 1776 the weather will not bother her at all. Hot weather bothers a fat cow more than cold weather. Your not starving her.
I wouldn't think in Georgia it would ever get cold enough to bother her at all.
My cows get maybe 2 pound of feed a few times a year when i need to work them or sell some. Starting last week they went out on grass and will have no hay until March unless the snow gets deeper than 4" which is rare here.
Cows can handle cold lots better than the owners. Look at posts by gcreek, silver, rancher, chevytahoe5674. They have lots of snow and -20 weather. Their cows might get some woods to break the wind but other than good hay not a lot else.

 

[Travlr]

Kenny, will you explain how you know this? I feed hay twice a day to my two cows. I move the trough each time to distribute the poop in my 2.8 acre pasture and they leave very little waste. My 1,776 lb overweight cow needs to lose 200 lbs, I think she has lost some weight but how am I really going to know. I get worried I'm starving her. With the 28 degree weather coming, I have fresh straw in a 20x10 open stable and I supplement my yearling with grain still. I'm likely going to do that until the really cold weather is gone. I would love to know I'm feeding them the right amount.

LOL, 28 degrees is skinny dipping weather to a cow. Or it would be if they liked to swim...

Seriously, you'd understand better if you saw one of my cows nursing a calf in a -40 degree blizzard and chewing her cud as though it's just an every day thing.

A lot of people get caught up in the idea that food is love. And of course, it is NOT. Look around you at fat families with lots of health problems and it's likely that someone is encouraging the overweight people to eat instead of to lose weight.

 

[kenny thomas]

As i have stated my cows are out on stockpiled fescue. This morning we got enough snow to cover the roads. I felt kinda guilty and wondered if i should give them some hay. I went to my farm and the cows came running. I set out some hay on the snow but all they did was rub on it and walk away. Makes me feel they are fine with the stockpile fescue.

 

[AmandaQ]

I really want her to lose some weight so she can live a long life. Her hooves are jacked up because of her food obsession. I'd love to have her end up a regular sized cow that is healthy until she is 20. I don't think there is anything for them to eat on their pasture except the one two string bale of Bermuda I give them each day. (I do add a flake of orchard that I mistakenly bought for $50 a bale when the hay season started. That was a stupid $300 mistake and I'm finally down to my last $75 worth of it.)

 

[chaded]

I really want her to lose some weight so she can live a long life. Her hooves are jacked up because of her food obsession. I'd love to have her end up a regular sized cow that is healthy until she is 20. I don't think there is anything for them to eat on their pasture except the one two string bale of Bermuda I give them each day. (I do add a flake of orchard that I mistakenly bought for $50 a bale when the hay season started. That was a stupid $300 mistake and I'm finally down to my last $75 worth of it.)

I don't remember the story behind these cows so forgive me if this doesn't apply but is there anyway to get that cow bred? AI? Having calves on her regularly would be a good weight loss program.

 

[4hfarms]

I really want her to lose some weight so she can live a long life. Her hooves are jacked up because of her food obsession. I'd love to have her end up a regular sized cow that is healthy until she is 20. I don't think there is anything for them to eat on their pasture except the one two string bale of Bermuda I give them each day. (I do add a flake of orchard that I mistakenly bought for $50 a bale when the hay season started. That was a stupid $300 mistake and I'm finally down to my last $75 worth of it.)

I bought 3 rolls of "pasture grasses" a couple years ago. Still fighting the sedgeweed it deposited in my winter pasture. We all don't know what we don't know, until we do...If we learn it's called experience. If we do it again, well... we can all meet up in the end, when were livin in a van.... down by the river!