Supplementing feed for Cows

[Anonymous]

I'm new to the cow biz and have two steers right now (8 mos old) and will have 5 more heifers in the next day or so. I'm having to tighten the belt financially and wondering if I can stop supplemental feeding of these cows. I live in ALabama and have pretty good pasture and they are on that all the time. I have been giving them about 2 pounds of beef feed each per day but at $4.00 per bag I'd love to cut that out if I could. Is this something I need to continue to do? Any lower cost alternatives? Thanks!

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

> If you have plenty of pasture for the calves, I wouldn't worry about supplementing their diet with grain. Although providing minerals is important and will help them gain on grass. Some provide protein blocks or other "forage saver" methods like "liquid feed" that also help with will a minimal amount of cost.

[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

supplimental feed also depends on what you have. I,ve seen and owned cows that could starve on the same pasture that did fine for the rest of the herd, I've seen figures that indicate that every 10% over 1000 lbs take a 15% increase in feed. Play it by ear and just don't let them get fat or stop growing. Your pasture will also change in composition and feed value with time, grazing pressure, and management. Timothy comes on just after orchard grass, it gets dry, trefoil outlasts red clover, everything hits a wall during the summer slump. and thats just here locally, god only knows what it's like where you live.

[email protected]