After I had my hay for the winter my kids decided to get 4-H heifers. So I went into the winter with less hay than I wanted. Last fall a man at church told me he'd sell me hay when I ran out....so I hadn't worried too much. Came near to running out though- and he said he used more of his hay than he figured he would. So ,he has none to sell.
We are understocked as far as cows to acreage and I have been stretching out my hay. We have had some stockpiled forage we are rotating them on and the grass is starting to grow here.
The cows are all head down eating what is there and they lay down to chew cud. There is no bawling unless I start the tractor for some other task. Then they all set up a fuss like they are about to starve out.
They are not pushing the fences hard to get to the road ditches.
Main herd is mommas with calves born last fall so fairly early in their pregnancies. My maternity ward are the newest mommas and those due to calve. I am not pushing the maternity ward as hard. Should I pull out some of the momma's with calves that are midpregnancy and put them in the maternity ward so they get more? Or I could move them in on a case by case basis. They look thinner than after the flush of good grass but they all have heft in the brisket area.
What signs should I be looking for to tell if I am pushing them too hard? I read on another thread that ther is a bre minimum they need to eat ....not what they want. How do I determine the differnce?
Two years ago I didn't feed hay after March 10th....but that was a milder winter. Last year also mild and didn't feed after March 20th.
We are understocked as far as cows to acreage and I have been stretching out my hay. We have had some stockpiled forage we are rotating them on and the grass is starting to grow here.
The cows are all head down eating what is there and they lay down to chew cud. There is no bawling unless I start the tractor for some other task. Then they all set up a fuss like they are about to starve out.
They are not pushing the fences hard to get to the road ditches.Main herd is mommas with calves born last fall so fairly early in their pregnancies. My maternity ward are the newest mommas and those due to calve. I am not pushing the maternity ward as hard. Should I pull out some of the momma's with calves that are midpregnancy and put them in the maternity ward so they get more? Or I could move them in on a case by case basis. They look thinner than after the flush of good grass but they all have heft in the brisket area.
What signs should I be looking for to tell if I am pushing them too hard? I read on another thread that ther is a bre minimum they need to eat ....not what they want. How do I determine the differnce?
Two years ago I didn't feed hay after March 10th....but that was a milder winter. Last year also mild and didn't feed after March 20th.
