CanadianCowboy":30bfaog5 said:
Hey all!,
NEED SOME HELP Please.
How much hay should i get per head of cattle on my farm for our cold southwestern Ontario winters,
Is there a ratio that is used,Also which type is recommended, any help would be amazing,
P.s. I have 9 cows and 1 Bull. Limousin Cattle.
Thank you very much .
Budget about 7 five foot round bales for your part of the world - we do 9 - 10 where we live
That is per head
One or two extra bales per head is nice to have on hand for extremes that can happen in your area so do it if you can. Otherwise you get a tougher winter you could be scrambling for hay. You can always feed out any extra the next year.
That way you can also delay putting them on pasture in the spring if need be.
Stop feeding them and put them out too early in the spring and you can ruin your pasture. Get yourself a plan on how to keep that pasture healthy - fertilizer is always a nice touch and many do not do it - the carrying capacity will drop over the years and grass will fade away while weeds take over.
You may raise cattle but you actually farm grass - never forget that.
Decent mixed hay - orchard grass, timothy, brome and alfalfa hay and you will not have to supplement - you do not usually deal with extreme temperatures
Test it - if better than 8-9% you are good to go. Higher is better - much over 11-12% and they just pizz it out on the ground so do not worry about the dairy quality hay
Lots of info on hay here - all you have to do is look for it.
How far south west in Ontario - Guelph area? At 415,000 square miles it is a big province and larger than almost every state in the US - so a bit more info might help
Ask your neighbours what they do - they will be your best source of info
Winters are not all that bad there - lots have it tougher - your cows will be fine if you keep their bellies full.
Glad I am not paying your hay bill with the return cows are bringing right now. And I hope you have room for tractor trailer units when delivery starts - plus the front end loader to unload them.
Cheers
Bez+