My hay reserve, what do you think I can safely feed?

[hersh]

I have 230 bales of very rich alfalfa, 70 bales of even more potent red clover, 150 bales of just mix grass and 100 bales of timothy/red clover. These are all 50lb bales. How many young and what weight hefers can I safely feed til april? 4 600lb? They will be in a 1 acre lot that has itself alot of good grass left uncut, About 16" tall back in the fall.

By then I will have 30 acres fenced off split into 2 lots. By mid summer I will double that and will have 4 15 acres lots to move them around on. I also have 20 acres I square bale (with accumalator) so instead of selling I plan on feeding. I am going to have to drill in more grass in the alfalfa cause I think its too rich to feed by itself. But that is the bigger picture. I know its very area specific but am curious as to what you all think this situation can handle.

 

[backhoeboogie]

A even dozen should be safe if you have grass in April.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Unless I'm mistaken, cattle need about 2-3% of their body weight per day in forage and/or hay. You can run the numbers...

 

[hersh]

taking the 3% per day and backhoeboogies dozen at 600lb a peice, I've got enough hay for a 127 days. I was thinking 6 600lb animals so I feel good about that.

 

[backhoeboogie]

taking the 3% per day and backhoeboogies dozen at 600lb a peice, I've got enough hay for a 127 days. I was thinking 6 600lb animals so I feel good about that.

You'll have plenty of hay left over with only 6 head. There is nothing wrong with having a little extra margin.

A dozen is the absolute most I'd take a risk on and that will take you right down to the wire.

Okay I got out the calculator. 12 is safe. If you lean a little harder on the 3% side you need to bear in mind that most of those bales are going to weigh a bit more than 50 pounds. Heck, if you are getting out the calculator, go and actually weigh some representative samples of the bales too. I think you'll find that they are a little heavier on average.

I was figuring blending 10 bales per 600 lb heifer per month. I was also assuming you were using feeders and not placing the hay on the ground.

 

[stocky]

Hersh, with grass already in the lot, 600 lb heifers, 50 lb bales, and feed them until April 10, you will still have a little hay left over with a dozen head. That will give you some cushion. If it is real cold they will eat more, if it is a nice winter they will eat less. They will grow and eat more later than now so I figured 700 lb average based on 600 lbs in and 800 lbs out. The blend will be much richer than is needed, but you only have a certain amount of grass hay. I, also believe you are light on your weighing of the alfalfa and clover hay. The grass weights might be about right. Good luck, let us know how many bales you have left when grass gets here next spring.

 

[eric]

So you guys are suggesting he put 12 cows in a 1 acre lot?

Should be fun times when the rains come and the cows are up to their knees in cow patties cause it's too wet to get the tractor in there to drag the pasture or clean it up somehow. That one acre lot will look more like a feed lot in a few weeks if not sooner.

Why not just get a couple head now and add to them when you get your fencing in order? You will have a full time job keeping that small pasture clean with 12 heifers in it. Can you sell some of the hay or better yet, do you have a way to store it tillnext winter?

 

[hersh]

I am going to go with 6. And as far as saving the hay, no. My 40x64 barn gets filled with squares each year.I'll be building a third barn this summer to help with storage,hopefully right after I finish fencing this winter. And they will be as young as I can get too, so maybe we will fall less than 600lb.

 

[backhoeboogie]

So you guys are suggesting he put 12 cows in a 1 acre lot?

Should be fun times when the rains come and the cows are up to their knees in cow patties cause it's too wet to get the tractor in there to drag the pasture or clean it up somehow. That one acre lot will look more like a feed lot in a few weeks if not sooner.

Why not just get a couple head now and add to them when you get your fencing in order? You will have a full time job keeping that small pasture clean with 12 heifers in it. Can you sell some of the hay or better yet, do you have a way to store it tillnext winter?

That is never a problem just 90 miles west of you.

If it rains 6 inches, you can drive through my lot with a car. No exageration, that's fact. Caliche and limestone where the lot is.