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<blockquote data-quote="Bez+" data-source="post: 713932" data-attributes="member: 6797"><p>We set out six to eight bales to a cow. These are 5X4 bales - the big bales tended to give us more waste so we changed to 5X4 try it out - then tried the 4X4 - we found that on our place 5X4 seemed to work best. We are feeding right now at home and may feed until the middle of May or so. </p><p></p><p>We put them all over the farm - at one time that was a bit more than 3,000 bales</p><p></p><p>We are small timers now</p><p></p><p>We used to put them in groups of about 50 - 100 bales - only rarely did we go to groups of more than 100 bales - we tried to keep the manure in <u><em><strong>concentrated</strong></em></u> areas</p><p></p><p>I guess I did not explain it very well - we did not let them have all at once - each group of bales was in a separate area - sometimes in the same field - but they will not travel far to get to the other side of the field if there is food "here" they stay there until it is gone. Especially when it is cold and the snow is deep - the other bales get well camoflauged in no time. And cows are stupid - sometimes you have to lead / drive them to the new bale area because the snow is so deep they will not willingly travel.</p><p></p><p>We set them out and started the cows on the bales that were close in to the house - that way when they came for water they did not pass other bales - as they ate the bales we moved them farther back. Never let them walk past standing bales if you do not want them to be eaten.</p><p></p><p>While it does not go over well here with some folks - there are places where we would keep the cows that we supplied no water - they licked snow - as do many cattle in the western parts of Canada</p><p></p><p>In other places we had fenced fields and would gate them out. Sometimes we would have several different groups of cattle in several different areas. </p><p></p><p>Open cows / heifers in one area and next years steers in one area, bred cows in another, bulls in another. It was actually well planned out - but anyone with a bit of brain work can work it out for any sized herd. I saw it one day on a drive to Red Deer and thought I would try it - so we just jumped in and did it - should stop by that guys place someday when I am back there and thank him for the idea - never did talk to him about it - it worked like a charm right from the start</p><p></p><p>Heck we do it now with our little 25 - 35 head herd. And we will leave the yearlings in another area on hay. We do not pen ANYTHING to be fed other than what we will eat ourselves. We spend no money an additions - and yes - there is wasted hay - but no one factors in all the other costs - because they tell me on this board they can run a tractor for next to nothing in winter at a cost that does not matter - and I say BS to that - so we do it this way and it works. And then they forget about the time, and the fertilizer for the pasture in spring and the cost of cleaning, hauling and spreading manure and the cost of bedding and the cost of pen and fence repair and the beat goes on.</p><p></p><p>We have NONE of those expenses - and it is so easy. I am away for two years on a middle east deployment and my wife runs the show with no effort.</p><p></p><p>Northern Rancher is on here and I know he has done it and maybe still does it. I suspect he is a believer as well.</p><p></p><p>Until you try it you can not believe it - and if you do not want to try it - that is fine - it works for us and that is all that well and truly matters to me. But if you do I think you will be happy - your place and your rules - but others here do it as well - so it must work!</p><p></p><p>The less I spend and the less I work for the cows - the happier I am.</p><p></p><p>I check them - or rather the wife does - on a ski-doo once or twice a day depending on how things are going and the mood of the day</p><p></p><p>Cheers</p><p></p><p>Bez+</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Bez+, post: 713932, member: 6797"] We set out six to eight bales to a cow. These are 5X4 bales - the big bales tended to give us more waste so we changed to 5X4 try it out - then tried the 4X4 - we found that on our place 5X4 seemed to work best. We are feeding right now at home and may feed until the middle of May or so. We put them all over the farm - at one time that was a bit more than 3,000 bales We are small timers now We used to put them in groups of about 50 - 100 bales - only rarely did we go to groups of more than 100 bales - we tried to keep the manure in [u][i][b]concentrated[/b][/i][/u] areas I guess I did not explain it very well - we did not let them have all at once - each group of bales was in a separate area - sometimes in the same field - but they will not travel far to get to the other side of the field if there is food "here" they stay there until it is gone. Especially when it is cold and the snow is deep - the other bales get well camoflauged in no time. And cows are stupid - sometimes you have to lead / drive them to the new bale area because the snow is so deep they will not willingly travel. We set them out and started the cows on the bales that were close in to the house - that way when they came for water they did not pass other bales - as they ate the bales we moved them farther back. Never let them walk past standing bales if you do not want them to be eaten. While it does not go over well here with some folks - there are places where we would keep the cows that we supplied no water - they licked snow - as do many cattle in the western parts of Canada In other places we had fenced fields and would gate them out. Sometimes we would have several different groups of cattle in several different areas. Open cows / heifers in one area and next years steers in one area, bred cows in another, bulls in another. It was actually well planned out - but anyone with a bit of brain work can work it out for any sized herd. I saw it one day on a drive to Red Deer and thought I would try it - so we just jumped in and did it - should stop by that guys place someday when I am back there and thank him for the idea - never did talk to him about it - it worked like a charm right from the start Heck we do it now with our little 25 - 35 head herd. And we will leave the yearlings in another area on hay. We do not pen ANYTHING to be fed other than what we will eat ourselves. We spend no money an additions - and yes - there is wasted hay - but no one factors in all the other costs - because they tell me on this board they can run a tractor for next to nothing in winter at a cost that does not matter - and I say BS to that - so we do it this way and it works. And then they forget about the time, and the fertilizer for the pasture in spring and the cost of cleaning, hauling and spreading manure and the cost of bedding and the cost of pen and fence repair and the beat goes on. We have NONE of those expenses - and it is so easy. I am away for two years on a middle east deployment and my wife runs the show with no effort. Northern Rancher is on here and I know he has done it and maybe still does it. I suspect he is a believer as well. Until you try it you can not believe it - and if you do not want to try it - that is fine - it works for us and that is all that well and truly matters to me. But if you do I think you will be happy - your place and your rules - but others here do it as well - so it must work! The less I spend and the less I work for the cows - the happier I am. I check them - or rather the wife does - on a ski-doo once or twice a day depending on how things are going and the mood of the day Cheers Bez+ [/QUOTE]
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