It seems like a lot of people who have a cow/calf operation on pasture also give them feed. People of my grandparents generation did not do that around here; they just let them graze pasture. It seems like giving supplemental feed is becoming popular now. I have plenty of pasture for my cattle, so I don't give them feed. I just let them graze like people use to do. If cattle have plenty of pasture, is feed really necessary? Does it make a huge difference?
Supplimental feed vs none
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greybeard
Well-known member
Depends on your pasture, goals, genetics of your herd, climate, weather, % protein in the forage.
Short answer--No --not "necessary" but yes, "can" make a huge difference.
Short answer--No --not "necessary" but yes, "can" make a huge difference.
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herofan
Well-known member
greybeard":2s8cmt48 said:
Is the difference enough to make up for the huge difference the feed would make in one's bank account? I would do anything that was worth it, but I just didn't assume it would make a huge difference at the sale barn.
cross_7
Well-known member
herofan":134y1guf said:
Greybeard pretty much covered it
What is the nutritional requirements of the cows, Are the cows milking or dry, is the weather warm and sunny or cold and wet
Is the forage dormant, growing and what is the nutritional value
Determine that then adjust accordingly
You did ask whether it would be cost effective based on the sale price
So maybe your asking about feeding the calves or even creep feeding ?
kenny thomas
Well-known member
As I have said many times before I demand a lot of my cows with very little input. My cows hopefully will graze all winter this year with no additional suppliment except good mineral and salt. I think that with cheap feed prices there might be some advantage to creep feeding calves in the winter but if the cow needs fed she leaves here. May work for some but not for me.
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herofan
Well-known member
cross_7":31qtqpff said:
I'm basically just saying that I have plenty of pasture during the spring, summer, and fall, and I feed hay in the winter. I let them roam a large territory in the winter, and if the winter is mild, some grass is available then too, although I keep a constant supply of hay out. I do not creep feed at any time, and my cattle look very healthy. In my situation, I just don't see the purpose of it, but some people seem to do it as a routine practice regardless of the situation.
I could see doing it during drought when pasture is low, but not as a routine practice. I just don't see how that could be cost effective.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Some people want their cows and calves to look the very best compared to the neighbors cows. Their money does not come from the calves they sell and they dont even figure their value in their way of life. Hard to compare that to someone like me where the cow or calf makes money no matter how it looks or it leaves the farm. Probably some of the roughest looking calves I buy make me the most money.
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herofan
Well-known member
kenny thomas":lq01t2h7 said:
I seem to think like you. It just seems like when I talk to people about cattle, they always mention giving feed in addition to pasture, and I just couldn't see how it could be beneficial when I go to sell. If a calf on pasture brought $700, and the same age calf who had been given additional feed brought $2500, heck yeah, I'd throw out a little feed, but I'm certain that's not the case. That's just a highly exaggerated example, but the way some people act, one would think it were true.
B&M Farms
Well-known member
Some people overfeed their cows. If they are on green grass that's all they need with mineral. If they are on hay with a decent TDN, that's all they need and mineral. If a cows is in good condition for the cycle she is in on what she is eating, then there is no reason to feed her more. I would think it would be a geographical issue as well as genetics. Some areas have better grass than others and some people try to raise the wrong cow for their area. I have had to feed before but it was usually due to drought or poor hay. I see no reason to feed cows on grass. If I was in a different area I might look at it different. Around here, the bigger operation aren't pouring feed out in front of their cows so there is no reason for me too. If I have to feed my cows in normal conditions then I have the wrong cows.
highgrit
Well-known member
For the small operator like me bucket trained cows are the way to go. We move our cows weekly and they just follow the wagon.
HDRider
Well-known member
TexasBred
Well-known member
herofan":2m78tdo2 said:
Seems you have answered your own question. ;-)
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herofan
Well-known member
TexasBred":2f5znetq said:
I suppose I have. I like to think I always make my own decisions, but I always like to hear other people's opinions just to see if I need to change my way of thinking a bit.
My brother recently said, "I don't know anything about modern farming where you're pumping money into it all the time. All I know is how our grandparents did it where you try to have a healthy animal and spend as little as possible." I have a farming friend who, every time I mention anything that i think might be negative about a particular cow, he will say, "She'll raise a calf won't she? That's all I'm looking for."
TexasBred
Well-known member
herofan":26o6eszy said:
Probably the same guy that uses one of those reject bulls BUT "he'll breed a cow" :lol2: I can imagine the look of his calves AND his check. Watch your cattle condition. That will tell you what they do or don't need "extra".
denvermartinfarms
Well-known member
I've almost never fed any of my cows, I feed hay in the winter and feed some salt mix, I also keep mineral tubs out. But I don't feed them.
Probably depends on the situation but, I feed a supplemental lick feed in the winter on any stocked grasses that I have set back. For two reasons 1. i want to make sure the protein intake is high enough and 2. i want the extra benefit of the urea to digest and have them eat the extra grass. Just what I do, doesn't mean it will work for you.
J&D Cattle
Well-known member
I don't supplement my cows or calves unless I feed hay that is of poorer nutritional value than they require for the period of lactation. I move mine every couple of days and just a "come on baby" gets them through the gate. When I do supplement it is with DDG or Gluten; hand feeding is far cheaper for me than tubs. I do keep out a complete mineral year round with good results.
The very idea of feeding cows on grass orinate's with some of these feed companies and the idea of some owners that if my neighbor does it so should I. Sort of like keeping up with the Jones's. The main thing that a cow is is a roughage harvester She or he is in existence to convert a product[grass,straw,silage,potato waste etc.] into something we as humans can use . It surely does defeat the purpose of the bovines in our life if we have to supplement them .All of this said,we live in the extreme northern part of the U.S. and we do have to feed hay or something more than a lot of the country.When it snows under and very extreme cold extra feed is necessary. A nasty expensive thing but thats the way it is. We do make them earn their liveing as long as possible. One other thing is we are raiseing a different type of cattle than was here 50 years ago. A lot of the continental cattle came to us as barn raised and were never forced to work for their liveing and so they did and do need extra care. Nuf said ,I guess!
cross_7
Well-known member
I hate to be the one to state the obvious, but if your hay or grass is meeting the nutritional requirements then supplements are not required, but if the their requirements are not met then they are losing body condition, so depending the condition of the cow, nursing or dry, wether and etc will determine whether supplement is needed
