Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Forums
Cattle Boards
Grasses, Pastures & Hay
How many can get through a winter with only pasture grazing
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Help Support CattleToday:
Message
<blockquote data-quote="rmcva" data-source="post: 323959" data-attributes="member: 5473"><p>In 03 I fed hay 28 days and 04/ 18 days so I got close. I use mainly fescue. Run 42 cows and two bulls on 118 acres. It's crossed fenced with well water. Hay comes off the fenced land so it's grazed after haying and then use 42 acres for stockpile for winter. I can't make this work without the water and cross fencing. </p><p></p><p> Once I got this all set up I went from rolling 300-350 bales per year to 150 bales per year. At the end of the second year I had over 400 rolls of hay in sheds and under a tarp. Then came the dry summer/fall of 05 and dry spring of 06. Was feeding hay this past May and June. Glad i didn't sell any of that hay. </p><p></p><p> To graze year round it takes a bit of planning. Weather has to work for it too. A dry fall or spring can throw it all out of whack. The stockpile fields have to have some extra care as well. You can only get so much tonage from an acre. Grass has to have a rest too. The stockpile fields produce slightly less hay than normal. Grazing after haying is cut short from the rest of the farm. But grazed down by August and apply 150 of 34% nitrogen before mid Sept. it turns out some of the best grass of the year from Dec. 1st on in to March. This year we have some of the best stockpile in years. But we also have had plenty of rain since Sept. </p><p></p><p> The price of nitrogen is very high as we all know. But even with the high price it looks good this year. No hay to be found local and to have it shipped in is expensive. The 42 acres has about $1,250 of nitrogen on it. Cows have been on it grazing since the day before Thanksgiving. As of right now I see no reason not to be able to graze to the 15th of March. If I had to buy hay to feed that many days I think it would cost more than the nitrogen. Plus the grass keeps the cows in far better condition than hay would.</p><p></p><p> Been stockpiling fescue since the 50's here. Was done on a smaller scale then. Mainly because of ponds freezing. I was pretty much forced in to putting well water in for the cows. Had 5 drought years in a row. It turns out that it was money well spent. It gives a lot more control to grazing. </p><p></p><p> Like the other gentleman said. Tractors cost less to operate sitting under the shed. The cows can do it so much better. They were born to eat grass. I let them do it.</p><p></p><p> :lol:</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="rmcva, post: 323959, member: 5473"] In 03 I fed hay 28 days and 04/ 18 days so I got close. I use mainly fescue. Run 42 cows and two bulls on 118 acres. It's crossed fenced with well water. Hay comes off the fenced land so it's grazed after haying and then use 42 acres for stockpile for winter. I can't make this work without the water and cross fencing. Once I got this all set up I went from rolling 300-350 bales per year to 150 bales per year. At the end of the second year I had over 400 rolls of hay in sheds and under a tarp. Then came the dry summer/fall of 05 and dry spring of 06. Was feeding hay this past May and June. Glad i didn't sell any of that hay. To graze year round it takes a bit of planning. Weather has to work for it too. A dry fall or spring can throw it all out of whack. The stockpile fields have to have some extra care as well. You can only get so much tonage from an acre. Grass has to have a rest too. The stockpile fields produce slightly less hay than normal. Grazing after haying is cut short from the rest of the farm. But grazed down by August and apply 150 of 34% nitrogen before mid Sept. it turns out some of the best grass of the year from Dec. 1st on in to March. This year we have some of the best stockpile in years. But we also have had plenty of rain since Sept. The price of nitrogen is very high as we all know. But even with the high price it looks good this year. No hay to be found local and to have it shipped in is expensive. The 42 acres has about $1,250 of nitrogen on it. Cows have been on it grazing since the day before Thanksgiving. As of right now I see no reason not to be able to graze to the 15th of March. If I had to buy hay to feed that many days I think it would cost more than the nitrogen. Plus the grass keeps the cows in far better condition than hay would. Been stockpiling fescue since the 50's here. Was done on a smaller scale then. Mainly because of ponds freezing. I was pretty much forced in to putting well water in for the cows. Had 5 drought years in a row. It turns out that it was money well spent. It gives a lot more control to grazing. Like the other gentleman said. Tractors cost less to operate sitting under the shed. The cows can do it so much better. They were born to eat grass. I let them do it. :lol: [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Cattle Boards
Grasses, Pastures & Hay
How many can get through a winter with only pasture grazing
Top