The Feeding Season

[mnmtranching]

When is Your feeding season half over?

We have a long feeding season up here. About mid Oct to late May.
I think average for me is Feb 1st the halfway point. I don't have anywhere near half my feed supply left. :help:

 

[bigbull338]

as of now we have about 6wks of feeding hay left.mid mar is when the cows quit eating so much hay.hoping we have some hay leftover.

 

[Jogeephus]

April is normally the end of hay feeding. However last year's drought caught me off guard and I had to cull hard. Even after doing that, I only had two rolls left over. I guess that's a problem with trying to work with a sharp pencil, sometimes you'll jab yourself in the eye with it. I might be a slow learner but I do learn. Now I have enough hay to probably feed another six months if need be. Rather not though. I'm growing weary of opening gates every day.

 

[hillrancher]

Here can usually count April 15 when the cattle quit eating hay. In the middle to the last of March will keep them in a small pasture to make them eat hay until the grass is more than water.

 

[Jim62]

I started feeding hay the first week in January, and have used 8 rolls so far, for 20 cows. Probably have to feed hay for another 6 weeks or so. Hope my 84 rolls will be enough to get me by. :tiphat:

 

[Wewild]

The best is mid Jan. to late Feb or early March. This year is mid Nov. till it is done. We have fed till mid March in the past. April 1st would have been the day.

 

[cfpinz]

We send cows out to summer pasture in mid to late April, feed hay up until that point on a normal year. Usually start feeding between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year we started in July.

cfpinz

 

[cowcamp]

we graze the old cows out as long as we can, this year we made to the end of november, last year we got to christmas, the young, old old, and crips, we start feeding hay 1st of november . we wean the 1st of october so them cows get filled up good, befor it gets to cold. buy the 15th of may we normally have good grass again.

 

[mnmtranching]

Cowcamp, Did You Folks put up enough feed? if not have You been able to find feed? I can get all the hay I need but, it's trucked a ways.

 

[aerow27]

mnmt just wondering how much all that hay you can get costs?

 

[mnmtranching]

mnmt just wondering how much all that hay you can get costs?

The stuff I'm getting is first cut, coarse. Mostly alfalfa, last load $90 ton.

 

[CowCop]

~

Started feeding hay Nov 26th. 3 weeks earlier than 2006.

The local Ag Extension man predicts the cows will be out on pasture by May 5th.

Realistically it is more like May 15th.

We have enough high quality hay to get us thru.

 

[aerow27]

thanks mnmt, sure hope i have enough of my own hay to make it till spring!

 

[angie1]

Thought we had enough hay this year to actually sell some. Then the drought started and did not let up. Started feeding hay in July We bought grass rolls beginning of January (not that pretty either!) for $60/1000 lb rolls. It was the best price to be had. Is very hard to find hay here. Like mnmt, we feed hay through May otherwise it taxes new pasture too much.

 

[MistyMorning]

Had to start earlier than I wanted to this year too due to the drought. Have enough to last until end of May. I get a call about every week or so from someone looking for hay. None to be had around here anymore either.

 

[mnmtranching]

My hay supplier, that makes his living in the hay business is worried about so much of the hay ground going to wheat, corn and soybeans. Next year hay will be scarce and very expensive. Thinks he may have to go into trucking grain. :help:

 

[cowcamp]

aw, were gonna have rain when we need it , and not when we dont, the whiskey plants are all gonna blow up and we'll have feed comin out of our ears, no sence in worryin about it, just inerest on **** that aint happened yet

 

[cowcamp]

i typed manure, not [be nice]

 

[Susie David]

Over here hay is available but starts at $200.00/ton for 1st cut alfalfa and goes up from there.
We should have enough to last until mid may but it is not all that great. The local hay growers association let it be known that this summer alfalfa will start at $200.00 sure makes a fella think real hard about retirement. DMc

 

[cowsrus]

I have fed less hay and less feed than ever this year, and my cows look as good as they ever have for this time of year. I held back some pasture this year and it's really payed off. Very little feed so far. I had to finally feed some hay when we got the big ice storm, but as soon as the ice melted they went back to grazing. The earliest I have ever started feeding hay was in October and continued to mid March. Usually it,s mid November to mid March though.