Happy Day!!

[cmf1]

Just turned them out on some rye grass for the first time this season.
They've been on hay only in a mud paddock for the last 40-45 days.
Rye looked ready and they're gonna have to work to keep up, but they were more than willing to try.
I love seeing fat happy cows dance.

 

[inyati13]

You're that fellar that makes spoons.

Nice. They are fat.

 

[Nesikep]

You ever have a problem with those low clearance bellies getting high centered on rocks and stuff?

They look happy for sure!

 

[torogmc81]

what I would give to see some green grass like that on a day like today ....

 

[fitz]

That rye looks great. Appears those girls may have been flush before they got started. They look nice.

 

[cmf1]

No such thing as rocks down here Nesi. Unless you truck them in from somewhere else.
Believe it or not we have rock stores down here where you can buy them.
The only belly scratchers here are shrubs and such.
Inyati, strange that you would know such things. Thanks.
Toro, rye grass is well looked forward to here.
Fitz, I've been culling for easy keeping and hopefully easy gaining for a while now. Till today they have been on nothing but hay for a while.
I like my hay guy. Bahaia rolls, and some crabgrass rolls.

 

[mojaxcow]

A little different here in Indiana. I have -8 degrees this morning. The grass is not growing real well right now! My greys are huddled together on the south side of a hill.
Not a Happy day here!

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Inyati, these gals make yours look svelte.

 

[Deepsouth]

Cmf1, your grass looks good. That dry spell through fall sure set the ryegrass back. I fed half my hay before I was able to turn them on the rye a few days before Christmas. I did put out protien tubs when they were on the hay. Grass has been doing pretty good since we started getting rain in mid December. Your place and cows both look great. Which parish are you in?

 

[Bigfoot]

I like seeing the green. If fat easy keepin cattle is your goal congradualations

 

[cmf1]

Cmf1, your grass looks good. That dry spell through fall sure set the ryegrass back. I fed half my hay before I was able to turn them on the rye a few days before Christmas. I did put out protien tubs when they were on the hay. Grass has been doing pretty good since we started getting rain in mid December. Your place and cows both look great. Which parish are you in?

I broadcast 150# 13-13-13 with a little over 50# of mixed Gulf and Prine on Oct. 27.
Then clipped most of it fairly low.
Didn't think it was going to take well at all because the rain shut down completely.
I'm pretty much sold now on spreading, then clipping.
I guess the mulching helps it hold whatever moisture it can get.
The areas I clipped then spread have been much slower to come on and not as thick.
I did hit it with 120# of ammonia mid december. I'm hoping that will carry it through to spring green.
I'm just south of I-12 in the free state of Livingston Parish. Way to close to Baton Rouge.

Thanks for the comments.

 

[cmf1]

A little different here in Indiana. I have -8 degrees this morning. The grass is not growing real well right now! My greys are huddled together on the south side of a hill.
Not a Happy day here!

Dave, I know it's like anything else. You adapt, get used to it, learn to live with it, but man...
I have a hard time imagining functioning in that kind of weather.
When do you start calving, and what will the temps be?

We did get to 19 deg last night and I think that's just wrong.

 

[TexasBred]

Looks like you wasted a lot of money. Those cows don't need ryegrass...they need a "diet". ;-) Appears the hay was more than adequate. Would be a great place for some under conditioned cows though.

 

[tistis]

Inyati, these gals make yours look svelte.

For sure

 

[Deepsouth]

Cmf1, your grass looks good. That dry spell through fall sure set the ryegrass back. I fed half my hay before I was able to turn them on the rye a few days before Christmas. I did put out protien tubs when they were on the hay. Grass has been doing pretty good since we started getting rain in mid December. Your place and cows both look great. Which parish are you in?

I broadcast 150# 13-13-13 with a little over 50# of mixed Gulf and Prine on Oct. 27.
Then clipped most of it fairly low.
Didn't think it was going to take well at all because the rain shut down completely.
I'm pretty much sold now on spreading, then clipping.
I guess the mulching helps it hold whatever moisture it can get.
The areas I clipped then spread have been much slower to come on and not as thick.
I did hit it with 120# of ammonia mid december. I'm hoping that will carry it through to spring green.
I'm just south of I-12 in the free state of Livingston Parish. Way to close to Baton Rouge.

Thanks for the comments.

That's over seeded ryegrass! Wow, it does look good. I can't get a stand like that over seeding. I hit mine with 200# of ammonia in mid December and got the rain and mild temperatures so its looking pretty good right now.
I work over in the Florida Parishes alot but haven't been in Livingston parish in a few years, other than going over to the Bass Pro shop. Just finished a job in Tangipahoa though. You got it looking good though!

 

[Bigfoot]

Am I reading your post correctly--------Is that 50 pounds of seed to the acre?

 

[Deepsouth]

Am I reading your post correctly--------Is that 50 pounds of seed to the acre?

Thats right. Thats pretty much the recommened rate for over seeding. You can get by with less in a disked seed bed and much less if you drill it in.

 

[Williamsv]

Turned first group of cows in on their rye grass today. About three weeks late, as it was so dry here in the fall we were late planting and getting it up. Then all the days of rain came.
They were very happy, but all as fat as can be. Next group goes in theirs tomorrow. They were not happy to see the others go in today, but they headed on back to their hay.
It was a cold night and day on them and another one tonight.

 

[mojaxcow]

Fortunately we don't start calving here in SE Indiana until early April. Should be 40-50 degrees on most days. We do get some snow and bad weather but it doesn't last long by then. MGs are pretty tough though and handle the extremes very well.

Best wishes,
Mojaxcow

 

[cmf1]

Looks like you wasted a lot of money. Those cows don't need ryegrass...they need a "diet". ;-) Appears the hay was more than adequate. Would be a great place for some under conditioned cows though.

Never a waste in my mind. Every mouth full of live grass is a saved mouthful of hay that keeps pretty well under the barn. I buy less hay each year and feed the old stuff first.
I prefer to think of the rye grass as a fixed expense every year and the hay as a floating expense because I feel like I get more from the rye grass per dollar in.
Opening gates and letting them graze rather than standing knee deep at a bale is a factor too, although I do both I'd rather do more of the grazing.
Just me.