Hay

Gather App
kenny thomas said:
So different in the fescue belt. I can stockpile much higher protein grass than I can produce in hay. In the past I have posted the test results for several years and for all months of the winter. I can get the fescue stockpile to test 19% but cant seem to get mixed grass hay to test over 12.5-13%. But green fescue in May wont test as high as stockpile fescue in January.
I do feed some hay but can pretty easily graze 330 days per year. But we dont have much snow.
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We mostly have fescue too Kenny . But we have about as much mixed grasses as straight fescue . We have a lot of crabgrass and common Bermuda . With all this rain we’ll carry over stockpile more grass this year than I can ever remember . .
 
farmerjan said:
@angus9259 ... there is a whole contingent of people who WON'T work because it is too hard, does not pay enough, they will lose this or that benefit from the gov't ... so don't work, just stay on the "dole"....
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I just don't think this mass contingent of people exists. I think it's an aberration created by people to turn us against each other. On the other spectrum there's a group of people being created who are the "selfish ones" who refuse to "pay their fair share". Creating one group of people for another group of people to be "against" is the surest way to gain popularity and support within our own group. It gets votes. Sure, we all know individuals for which this is true within our own context that supports the narrative. That doesn't make the narrative true. I just think it's time we stop being against mass groups of people because other people are telling us we should be against them and simply try to help as many people as well can even if some of the individuals in that group don't deserve it. I say all that knowing full well I take every tax loophole and dodge I possibly can to pay as little as I possibly can as well while my "neighbor" can't afford their rent, medicine or food for their kids. I have seen the problem and it is me. I have also seen the solution and, sadly, it too is me. I also know that I personally have kicked out a single mom and her kids from a home I was renting them for not paying their rent. The single mom was working full time as a nursing aid in a nursing home and simply had no money left. The irony, of course, would be if those kids end up in the foster care system somewhere and my taxes go toward their "welfare". We then argue that "those people" should stop having kids. I understand that argument until I look at my own kids (the kids their bio mom should not have been having) and realize the world is so much better off that they exist that if they hadn't. My daughters are amazing and gifted at nursing and teaching. Think of the impact those two lives will have on our world.

blah blah blah. I will stop now. apologies for the rant.
 
angus9259 said:
I just don't think this mass contingent of people exists. I think it's an aberration created by people to turn us against each other. On the other spectrum there's a group of people being created who are the "selfish ones" who refuse to "pay their fair share". Creating one group of people for another group of people to be "against" is the surest way to gain popularity and support within our own group. It gets votes. Sure, we all know individuals for which this is true within our own context that supports the narrative. That doesn't make the narrative true. I just think it's time we stop being against mass groups of people because other people are telling us we should be against them and simply try to help as many people as well can even if some of the individuals in that group don't deserve it. I say all that knowing full well I take every tax loophole and dodge I possibly can to pay as little as I possibly can as well while my "neighbor" can't afford their rent, medicine or food for their kids. I have seen the problem and it is me. I have also seen the solution and, sadly, it too is me. I also know that I personally have kicked out a single mom and her kids from a home I was renting them for not paying their rent. The single mom was working full time as a nursing aid in a nursing home and simply had no money left. The irony, of course, would be if those kids end up in the foster care system somewhere and my taxes go toward their "welfare". We then argue that "those people" should stop having kids. I understand that argument until I look at my own kids (the kids their bio mom should not have been having) and realize the world is so much better off that they exist that if they hadn't. My daughters are amazing and gifted at nursing and teaching. Think of the impact those two lives will have on our world.

blah blah blah. I will stop now. apologies for the rant.
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Lots of people in the world "looking" at the world through their ears and what people stuff their ears with... instead of actually seeing what is really in front of them through actual experience. I've traveled enough to know there are welfare families... and areas... but they are a small amount of the whole. There are larger targets that want us to ignore them.
 
TexasJerseyMilker said:
Search Assist
Around one in three Americans was enrolled in at least one government assistance program in 2022, which translates to approximately 30% of the U.S. population. In 2019, nearly 100 million Americans participated in various safety net programs.

https://www.theglobalstatistics.com/us-welfare-statistics-by-race/
https://theworlddata.com/welfare-statistics-in-us/
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Does that include Social Security and paid for health insurance? IMO, those are not welfare programs.
 
@angus9259 you may be right, but I know of 4 families right here in a small community that are on the gov't dollar and have been told to my face that they will not go to work at a job that they will lose this or that benefit. It doesn't "PAY THEM" enough to work for a living. They make more and get more free benefits from not working. They do side work for cash money they don't claim, have "disabilities" that make them eligible for all these gov't benefits, and other hard working families that have ETHICS, work their butts off to try to make a living and do it in an honest way. We have had a couple of them do some things for us on the farm, and then claimed that it was too hard or they weren't making enough on the side...
I have no use for those that won't work... and we have had way too many that think that farming is easy money they can do in a few hours... have had a couple up and quit in a few hours the first day because it is too hard or they had to sweat a little bit... and they can't spend time on their fancy phone doing all this texting when they are supposed to be working...
We have helped some along the way that needed it, and not expected anything back... some have bent over backwards to show their appreciation and some have not barely acknowledged the help.
A couple of these families here have 2nd and now 3rd generations coming up with the same lack of work ethic, same expectations that they are OWED something by the gov't. Sorry, my attitude might offend you or others, but if you are not willing to get out and work if you are able, I have little sympathy for you any more.
EVERYONE is capable of doing SOMETHING... if you have a brain, you can do something... even if you are not physically able to do some things.
And using that brain for ways to get more money out of the gov't programs is NOT a plus in my opinion.
 
TexasJerseyMilker said:
Yes, it includes social security. Isn't Medicare covered by Social Security?
SSI Recipients7.4 million individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income
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Then that 30% figure isn't legitimate.

I PAID for my SS and medicare... and I pay for my supplemental health insurance.
 
Education is the way out of poverty. I have never collected benefits but I worked my butt off working as a nurse aide in a nursing home. I worked my way through school and got a degree and RN license. Ended up making $100,000 a year. The girls in my class, many of them were impoverished and hard workers.
 
TexasJerseyMilker said:
Yes, it includes social security. Isn't Medicare covered by Social Security?
SSI Recipients7.4 million individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income
Click to expand...
Medicare might "be covered" by Social Security..... but I pay a premium every single month directly out of that SS to go towards it... and I paid SS taxes for over 60 years to help go towards it also.... so if I take every advantage of it now, I don't think that is "welfare" .....And I also pay a supplemental policy to cover over and above what Medicare covers.
 
It's not welfare. Of course it's not. It's all the other things. Now Trump has required that able bodied SNAP beneficiaries with no dependents have a part time job, are taking a class to learn skills or at least looking for work.
 
kenny thomas said:
So different in the fescue belt. I can stockpile much higher protein grass than I can produce in hay. In the past I have posted the test results for several years and for all months of the winter. I can get the fescue stockpile to test 19% but cant seem to get mixed grass hay to test over 12.5-13%. But green fescue in May wont test as high as stockpile fescue in January.
I do feed some hay but can pretty easily graze 330 days per year. But we dont have much snow.
Click to expand...
That does require precipitation in the fall. I also want to point out stocking rate. Most people are stocked to the gills for their land base, and that makes stockpiling difficult.

The day I met you and got to see your friend's stockpiled fescue was a game changer for me. Completely rewired my thinking on stored forages.

I sure hope this rain keeps up, im going to clip everything this next month in hopes of getting some high Q stockpile.

Do deer hit yours hard before cows get to it? Theyve been in mine pretty hard by time I get to it in January.
 
ClinchValley86 said:
That does require precipitation in the fall. I also want to point out stocking rate. Most people are stocked to the gills for their land base, and that makes stockpiling difficult.

I sure hope this rain keeps up, im going to clip everything this next month in hopes of getting some high Q stockpile.

Do deer hit yours hard before cows get to it? Theyve been in mine pretty hard by time I get to it in January.
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Yes it takes rain and the last 2 years hasn't been great. Now im hunting sunshine.
I see a deer occasionally but they aren't an issue enough to show up.
 
kenny thomas said:
Yes it takes rain and the last 2 years hasn't been great. Now im hunting sunshine.
I see a deer occasionally but they aren't an issue enough to show up.
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Same here. Im anxious to get 2nd cut on the ground. This year i need that 3rd to have enough without purchasing. 🤞 Cant get 4 days dry in the forecast.
 
ClinchValley86 said:
Same here. Im anxious to get 2nd cut on the ground. This year i need that 3rd to have enough without purchasing. 🤞 Cant get 4 days dry in the forecast.
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This is a clover year and without that 4th day it doesn't cure good. Also with so much clover can't turn the cattle in either as it will bloat them.
 
jltrent said:
This is a clover year and without that 4th day it doesn't cure good. Also with so much clover can't turn the cattle in either as it will bloat them.
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Have you ever had cattle bloat on clover?

Just curious, I have some pretty clover heavy pastures, but have not had an issue yet.

I keep a close eye on them when I turn them out and try to make sure they don't go into the pastures too hungry.
 

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