We had alot of overmature hay last year from first cutting due to no windows to get it made from all the early summer rain. We try to feed it to the dry cows and the ones with the spring calves that have some size to them, before we wean and sell them, and usually put out some protein tubs or feed some 17% stocker pellets to them to help add value to it. If we feed it to the younger animals or the fall calving cows, they definitely get some protein supplementation.
As Sky says, it beats snowballs, and they will eat it if it is not moldy or put up poorly. It is raining here again, after being very dry early in march and april when we needed the rain. Still, we are not going to complain about the rain now. Just trying to patiently wait for some hay making weather again. You do what you can.
Supplementing is still alot better than having drought conditions and having to buy hay that may not be all that great but they gotta have the fiber and bulk. All we have been able to get made is the 22 acres of wheat and it is real nice. Soft dough stage, lots of grain, and it was a nurse crop for the orchard grass on 10 acres and that is coming up pretty nice with all the rain. Gonna make another 10 acres of pretty poor "hay-weeds" right next to the half that didn't have orchard grass, then kill it and put grain sorghum on the 20+ acres for chopping this fall. The rest of the hay will all be over mature for first cutting, but they will eat it and we hope to get a better 2nd cutting.