So, how do you feed them?

[CPL]

Just got to wondering and thought it be nice to see how other folks feed their cattle.

Like how do you feed your cows with calves, growing calves, bulls, etc.

Anyone want to go first?

 

[IluvABbeef]

In the winter time: with a tractor. ;-)

Is is how, or is it also what? :help:

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Bermuda grass pasture. Supplement with quality bermuda hay as needed with free-choice bermuda hay in winter. We use 10-12% protein bermuda.

Salt blocks 24/7/365. Mineral tubs as needed--continually when grass poor or dormant. 20% range cubes for "training". When we select a bull calf for slaughter each year, we supplement him with some sweet feed, corn, and cubes 30-60 days before processing. And, always, clean water...drain & clean stock tanks when get dirty, re-fill.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

although the term get's under my skin. i reacon im a danged ol' grass farmer :cowboy: grass in the summer and hay in the winter. minerals year round babies or not. i do however feed my replacement heifers a little during the winter months.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Mine get just about the same treatment as those posting before me. Rotate to different pastures, chasing the growth as needed. They get baited with cubes every now and again just to keep them coming to the pen or to get them to cross the road to a different pasture. In the winter they are given hay and it is usually about 4 days worth at a time. They drink from a earthen tank tho. No well water or tap water. If the water gets stagnant and sour, I will set up a water trough.

 

[IluvABbeef]

I guess it is the what:

Mineral salt block (primarily Iodine, Cobalt, NaCl) all year round

Drink from automatic waterer (mostly cleaned once a week), though a few stupid ones will drink from stagnant water they've pooped and peed in. :roll:

Barley silage (Ponoka two-row variety), timothy-alfalfa-brome hay in the winter, and chopped barley (same variety as silage)

Pasture starting from Mid-May to near the end of October, rotational grazing:

- Old pasture: Kentucky bluegrass, Smoothbrome, Reed Canary grass, White Dutch Clover, Alsike clover (both clover varieties are volunteer)

- New pasture: Crested Wheatgrass, Smooth Bromegrass, Tall Fescue, Meadow Fescue, Creeping Red Fescue, Meadow Bromegrass, Orchardgrass, Timothy, Slender wheatgrass, Quackgrass, a little alfalfa, white dutch clover, Alsike clover, and a few patches of Red clover (all legumes are volunteer)

 

[I luv herfrds]

Main cow herd gets an oat hay round bale then a grass mix round bale. 12-12 Nutri-Lix mineral and trace mineral salt block year round. We have a pasture rotation.
Bulls and eating steers get a mix of both oat and grass hay and a couple of 5 gallon buckets of ground barley along with the free choice mineral.
First year heifers get the same.
Replacement heifers and steers get the same except we give them the alfalfa we have on hand now.

 

[Diehard40]

If the cows can't make it on Fescue pastures and Fescue or Bermuda Hay in winter on my place then they go to town.
Good mineral year around
Heifers i do supplement a little, not too much though because they have to make it on pasture and hay as well.

I must admit though the past two years have been pretty dry so i've been supplementing a little during the summer months with dogfennel :lol: