Month you start feeding hay

[Stocker Steve]

I starting haying central MN heifers this weekend on the home place. Blizzard conditions out on the stockpiled grass so they were brought home to the yard. They would not come home for a drink - - just laid out there and ate snow after it got cold.

I have some other heifers on a different farm that have been on hay and Richie water for about 5 weeks. They do not look as good as the grass and snow fed heifers... :shock:

 

[cfpinz]

Out of the four groups of cows, started feeding one group Saturday, one has another two or three weeks grazing, and the other two have at least another month's grazing. That is, unless it's covered by 3' of snow by the 18th of December like last year!

We're calving now, usually stop feeding hay sometime in April. Of course all of those dates are based on an average year, can't really remember the last time we had an average year.

 

[Dave]

Being this close to the Pacific my weather is pretty reliable. I start feeding about November 1 because that is when the rains become serious. Any cows left out in the pasture after that will tear the field to shreds. I stop feeding about April 1 because the pasture is up enough and will grow enough after that to stay ahead of the cows. Of course that will vary some from year to year but generally not by much more than a week.

 

[Galloways1]

We typically don't start feeding hay to the cowherd until the end of January. We start calving in February. Our cows graze cornstalks until calving. If cornstalks are not available, we would have to start feeding hay in mid December. The snow has to be over 2 ft deep before I worry about the cows not being able to forage, and even then, I let them tell me. If the old girls go out grazing, the young ones better follow. If there is feed out there, I make them find it. After all, they are working for me.

 

[TexasBred]

We typically don't start feeding hay to the cowherd until the end of January. We start calving in February. Our cows graze cornstalks until calving. If cornstalks are not available, we would have to start feeding hay in mid December. The snow has to be over 2 ft deep before I worry about the cows not being able to forage, and even then, I let them tell me. If the old girls go out grazing, the young ones better follow. If there is feed out there, I make them find it. After all, they are working for me.

Do they all survive every winter?

 

[Galloways1]

We typically don't start feeding hay to the cowherd until the end of January. We start calving in February. Our cows graze cornstalks until calving. If cornstalks are not available, we would have to start feeding hay in mid December. The snow has to be over 2 ft deep before I worry about the cows not being able to forage, and even then, I let them tell me. If the old girls go out grazing, the young ones better follow. If there is feed out there, I make them find it. After all, they are working for me.

Do they all survive every winter?

Yes, Galloway cattle are extremely hardy. When we do feed hay, we feed grass hay only, usually slough grass. We usually have to sort off and start feeding some of our purebred Angus, and the bred heifers in early Jan. If the winter is tough, with weeks of sub zero weather, and after calving we will feed some alfalfa or supplement with lick tubs. It all depends on the extremes. We feed hay up until the middle of May.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Dry down here and a couple of hard frosts early. Put first hay out about mid November. Should be able to quit by mid March.

I am with you this year normally I don't start to put out hay till Thanksgiving.
But we don't live where you need white camo to go hunting. I have a 40 deg rule on that if it is below 40 I don't need to go.

 

[TexasBred]

Amen on the below 40 CB.

 

[canoetrpr]

First full year with the cows is almost up. We put out hay mid November as the pastures looked wanting about then. In the spring we feed till early to mid May.

The cows want out by the end of April when they see the lush green grass but we try to keep them in the barnyard with hay anyway as our land is somewhat wet. We found delaying spring grazing helped us keep the general condition of pastures in goods shape.

I am very close to Toronto and am paying RIDICULOUS horse prices for a 4x5 round bale (~800lb). We are talking $55 a bale. Excellent, excellent horse quality hay but a pretty penny none the less. I have not yet been able to find a reliable supplier for much less than mine so if anyone knows of one around here, let me know.

My 4 Galloway cows and 1 Galloway bull are going through 1 bale every 5 days. Seem pretty efficient. Might start going through it quicker once the temperature drops. That works out to ~8 bales per mature animal - keeping some in reserve, or $440 at my ridiculous prices!. The 4 calves - 3 steers, 1 heifer take 2 weeks to go through a bale. So about $200 or so in hay per calf. I thought they would be going through more.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have a 40 deg rule on that if it is below 40 I don't need to go.

I don't like to go out if its more than 30 below zero. I have done chores and then gone hunting at that temp, but it is not a lot of fun when the gun does not go bang.

 

[Suzie Q]

We are feeding hay out again now. Not because of winter or drought. Because of floods, so fences are down and they haven't got as much area to graze. Also because when there is water over the paddocks, they cannot graze there either.

 

[johndeerefarmer]

North Texas. We usually start feeding after the first killing frost or freeze. Usually by mid March their is enough rescue grass, ryegrass and other winter grasses that we stop.

I have considered trying stockpiling a field of coastal and feeding that before I start on the hay but think that waste would be too high. Now if I was gung ho enough to go out and lay out a small strip every few days and make them stay on that it might be ok. Also applying fertilizer in late August to get forage by November is a big gamble around here- as August is usually hot and dry. I feel more comfortable having a barn and pen full of hay and knowing that it there when I need it.