This year has been a year of un normals for me as im sure it has been for the everyone else. Ive tried some different hay types this year and that leads me to my question. I done a spring cutting of a grazing rye, grazing rye/ochard mixed and gr/redclover mix. This summer i done several cuttings of hybird pearl millet. I know my cuttings were late due to weather so the hay was a tad mature. I started feeding the millet first and the cows ate it and were going through approximately 3 rolls a day. When i swioto the rye they have slowed down on consumption. I know that there is usually a "change over" period in switching hay as far as their digestive tract adapts to the new stuff. My main question is if the rye is a better quality will that reduce intake? If its nutritionally better will they fill up on less? I know this is prolly a dumb question but its interesting to me to see the difference and im curious as to the probable cause. I also know testing hay would be the true tell tell but I didn't get to do that this year.
Hay consumption
- Thread starter Sd1030
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
crimsoncrazy
Well-known member
Cattle will actually eat more of a better quality hay than poor quality because they can digest the good hay faster.
Palatability would come in to play. Palatability is probably also tied to digestablity. If I have sudex cut right, I just about won't feed it to my cows. They go through it too fast. I usually reserve it for feeder calves. I figure I'm trying to grow them any way. Increased intake is not a big deal on them.
Thats what i was thinking that they would consume more of a better quality bc they could digest it better. It just got me to wondering bc yesterday when i went to feed they hadn't gont through it like they were the millet bjt they weren't hollering or following me to the fed bunks while i went to get tge tractor like they have been. They seemed full and content which hasn't been the case the past few weeks. Just got me curious as to what was happening.
skyhightree1
Well-known member
My cows get crappy hay as I sell the better quality of hay. I feed tons of grain and silage so I guess that evens things out
