I know we are not as bad as some places in Oklahoma and texas but we have had rain for about 2 weeks and haven't seen the sun in weeks. It has been 5-7 weeks since I have seen anyone cutting hay around me. The grass that is out in the pastures is so mature I wonder how the quality will be. I know the drought is far worse but hay will be hard to find because nobody has been able to cut because it has rained so much lately. We are still getting rain and have more coming. I know it will knock some folks out of 1 cutting and the next cutting will probably be very poor quality and full of weeds. What's your opinion. My point is that good hay is still going to be a premiem even though we have been bombarded with water.
is all this rain as bad as a drought for hay
- Thread starter plbcattle
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
mnmtranching
Well-known member
We haven't had rain up here for six weeks. I think if I were you I'd be happy for the rain. 
S&S Farms
Well-known member
I would like somewhere in the middle. Sedan grass was planted a month late and then replanted because of excess water. My fields that look the best are usaually not the best and my best ground the crop is yellowing some from being water logged.. Second cutting of Alfalfa is just getting cut. rain chances everyday this week. Another flood warning for our county tonite. The heavy rain rain was east of us.
I wish I could share with others that need it.
Jeff
I wish I could share with others that need it.
Jeff
Poor quality hay can be supplemented with a cheap protein and work out. Non-existant hay because of drought doesn;t provide much feed value.
If the hay fields are basically a monoculture and the seed is still present when it drys, you could combine it and sell the seed then follow along behind and mow it and bale it. We've fed hay made that way over the winter to dry cows and they did fine on it. No suplement, just all of the hay they would eat. In the third period we provided a little corn gluten every couple of days.
If the hay fields are basically a monoculture and the seed is still present when it drys, you could combine it and sell the seed then follow along behind and mow it and bale it. We've fed hay made that way over the winter to dry cows and they did fine on it. No suplement, just all of the hay they would eat. In the third period we provided a little corn gluten every couple of days.
blackangusdude
Member
hey dun- can you tell me more about the corn gluten? How much and what the benefits are? I might be interested in using it too but nobody around here knows much about it. thx.
blackangusdude":2fwlqccr said:
Search heese boards and you'll find tons of information. It's high in protein and is classified as a bypass protein. Cows get the squirts like they're on fresh grass and there may be palabiilty issues. It's also low in siomething, phosphorous maybe, don;t recall. We fed the pelleed stuff a couple of pounds every other day or so.
The year we used it the most we were basically feeding straw, the CG saw us through the winter. We have a buncg of 55 gallon drums with lids that are held on with a ring. Every week or 2 I'ld go to the mill and have them bill the drums. If I recall (somtimes doubtful) there was 255 lbs per drum. The following spring we had a normal healthy calf crop. Calves were in the normal BW range of previous years but the cows bred back a lot earlier then they had in other drought years. They claved around BCS 6-6.5. Before we started feeding the CG they were in roughly 4-4.5 BCS.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
The ground is too wet to cut hay and let it dry. This prevents me from cutting at the optimum time. But I have hay and I am not having to go through irrigation expense to get it.
blackangusdude
Member
Thanks for the information. I'm now to the board so I'll do like you said and search around here more too. I think there's a place for its use in my program. :cboy:
I totally understand what you are saying here. We still have an 80 acre pasture that looked great about two months ago, but now with all the rain and flooding, dont know if we will be able to get out of it what we expected. All the fesque is shot, and alot of Johnson grass coming up, even though the lespedeza grass is still looking good. But the way it is now, we will need about 2 weeks of pure sunshine to dry that bottom land out, in order to cut/ bale it. Frustrating to say the least.plbcattle":17i7hh5b said:
Jogeephus
Well-known member
I know wet weather will ruin your day but I'll take it any day over a severe or exceptional drought. There is no way you can raise anything without water.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Its mid July and still can't get in the hayfields and pastures they are so wet. I have grass waist high, hay will be poor quality this year but lots of it. Will have lots of stockpiled grass as well. I will still take wet over dry any day. Just getting behind in upkeep work normally this time of year I am cleaning out my drainage systems and repairing roads through the pastures.
C HOLLAND
Well-known member
CB,,,,I think you have sent lower Alabama that rain too, we haven't missed a day of rain here in almost 3 weeks. We got another 3 inches last night and my pastures are growing like crazy. I am rotating my cows every 10-14 days and the pastures recover very fast this way.
My cows are really putting on the weight too, it's good to see them have plenty to eat, the hay situation here is still bad though. I will probally feed mostly peanut hay and grow winter rye and oats for mine. I just hope we get the fall and winter rains.
My cows are really putting on the weight too, it's good to see them have plenty to eat, the hay situation here is still bad though. I will probally feed mostly peanut hay and grow winter rye and oats for mine. I just hope we get the fall and winter rains.
VZCR
Well-known member
In South Texas where I grew up many years ago, there were kids 9 years of age and younger in town that had never seen rain........ :shock: When it finally did rain..........chaos in the streets!!!! :lol: :lol: :shock:cowgirl08":2mvmebwb said:i'd love a little bit of rain. i'm up here in ohio and i cant remember the last time it rained.
