Too Hot & Dry in TX, Too Cold & Wet up north

[SRBeef]

I'm impressed with the body condition of your herd coming out of winter. I know from your pictures winter has not been kind. One question I have how much has genetics played in getting your herd to winter on mostly hay ? I've started a small group last fall . Bred cows bought at sale barn . I've feed free choice hay mostly fescue some clover and 4lb. corn and supplement per head per day. Also free choice 24% protein tub. . Cows calved in dec. and jan. Body condition was good till mid march. Then cow really started loosing body condition . Learning curve need some help. I Know some will say you got what you payed for . Had to start some where . Just want to get better as I go forward . Enjoy the info and pictures you share .

Thanks for the kind words on my cattle. I am still learning myself. I do think genetics has a lot to do with it. I see big differences between my own cattle in their ability to put on and keep condition from the same mostly hay and mineral diet over a tough winter. I think I am starting to see what Knersie and others refer to as easy "doing" cattle. some have the ability to get "fat" on hay and others don't.

From your post however I would say your most likely challenge keeping condition on your cows in S Illinois is your calving date. If your cows calved in December and January, those calves are at their peak demand on mama right now and this is before you have significant grass.

Even though you are feeding them 4 lb of corn etc, they obviously need more. It is obviously expensive and difficult to supply their full needs at peak lactation. They probably could use a lot more alfalfa or dairy type hay which is expensive and hard to find in small quantities this time of year.

Before you blame it on the cattle, I would try moving your calving date next year back to maybe mid to late March or April 1. Even with as good a condition as mine have been in, I can see the them getting pulled down a bit, especially the ones with the oldest/largest calves on them. I moved my calving up two weeks this year and really see the difference in the cow condition.

It was also pointed out to me, and correctly, that lots of calves and hay feed rings in mud etc this time of year can be a dangerous situation. Calves can get stepped on, hay bales fall over and bury calves inside feeders etc.

Checking on them today I decided to move a couple bales from feed rings to on the ground in one of their favorite spots higher up on the ridge and out of the mud.

You would have thought it was Christmas morning the way they tore into those bales! Here are a couple pictures after the hay was moved. One persistent calf (2nd pic) was trying to get some supper even though Mom was pretty focused on the bale on the ground.

Jim

 

[backhoeboogie]

I noticed at one of the fires today it was 101F with 5% humidity and 35 mile winds. Ain't much you can do when it is like that.

That's why we've had some fires going on for over a week now. Volunteers are well beyond tuckered out and still going.

Tornadoes come and take out your house or your barn - a few trees and it is tragic. Makes national news. Fire takes out everything you have right down to burning the galvanized off of your fence wire and the media doesn't pay a whole lot of attention to it. (unless you live in California)

 

[spinandslide]

Hey Backhoe, Im glad to see I wasnt the only one who saw the biased coverage of our fires..more attention paid to michelle obama's "close call" (3 miles) in the air. :roll:

Our dewpoint is in the 50's right now..and there is some wet shiney stuff on the roads..not sure what it is though..been so long since Ive seen it.

If it stays humid..with that east/southeast wind, we may get more later today and tonight..its just a heavy mist..but we'll take it.

 

[SRBeef]

I'm impressed with the body condition of your herd coming out of winter. I know from your pictures winter has not been kind. One question I have how much has genetics played in getting your herd to winter on mostly hay ? I've started a small group last fall . Bred cows bought at sale barn . I've feed free choice hay mostly fescue some clover and 4lb. corn and supplement per head per day. Also free choice 24% protein tub. . Cows calved in dec. and jan. Body condition was good till mid march. Then cow really started loosing body condition . Learning curve need some help. I Know some will say you got what you payed for . Had to start some where . Just want to get better as I go forward . Enjoy the info and pictures you share .

rj, Here is an article I received in a Drover's email this morning that may relate to your cow condition problem:

http://www.cattlenetwork.com/cattle...vital-from-calving-to-breeding-118789349.html

To you Texans, there are many of us in the north that would gladly ship you some moisture if we could. Maybe a shift in the jet stream would benefit us both. Very little hope of getting any corn planted for at least 2 weeks around here and north and west. Hang in there.

 

[Ruark]

Some of you guys up there with hundreds of rolls of leftover hay might try to get some down to the san angelo area in west Texas, where they are still fighting the 150,000 acre Wildcat fire. They are desperate for donations of hay and feed for the thousands of cattle with nothing to eat.

 

[kenny thomas]

I would be more than happy to donate a tractor trailer load of round bales but the trucking from here to San Angelo is $3920. Just not worth it to the people on the other end.

 

[stockbub]

I have been doing a rain dance all day and my feet are killing me, not to mention the looks my neighbors are giving me.

 

[VCC]

I have always wondered why more hay is not sent by rail when we have these types of conditions in the states.
One part of the country has an abundance of hay, another is in desperate need of hay and trucking cost are out of this world.
Why the hay could not be loaded on flat bed freight cars, shipped to several centralized locations where it is needed and picked up and hauled a short rout to the end user. Cost for all should be lower and both parties would benefit.

 

[novaman]

I have always wondered why more hay is not sent by rail when we have these types of conditions in the states.
One part of the country has an abundance of hay, another is in desperate need of hay and trucking cost are out of this world.
Why the hay could not be loaded on flat bed freight cars, shipped to several centralized locations where it is needed and picked up and hauled a short rout to the end user. Cost for all should be lower and both parties would benefit.

My concern with shipping hay by rail is fire.

 

[1982vett]

I have always wondered why more hay is not sent by rail when we have these types of conditions in the states.
One part of the country has an abundance of hay, another is in desperate need of hay and trucking cost are out of this world.
Why the hay could not be loaded on flat bed freight cars, shipped to several centralized locations where it is needed and picked up and hauled a short rout to the end user. Cost for all should be lower and both parties would benefit.

All about $$$...Those who need it can't afford to pay for it (for the return) and those who have it can't afford to sell or give it away for a price affordable to those who need it. (Not that I want one)...no government program to go cry to for "assistance"....other than some that may gather and keep a phone number list for you to help yourself with (as long as food is in the store from somewhere nobody will care). In other words...profit margin is to small for anyone to risk their own assets for such an adventure. ;-)

 

[jack1234]

Hay is extremely bulky. It's not just weight, but volume that becomes a consideration. If it's going to be transported long distance and in large quantity, you almost have to pelletize it. Even then it's a very expensive proposition.

 

[John SD]

I haven't seen hay cubes for years. A neighbor used to get some most every year but this was over 30 years ago. Basically the hay was ground and made into a cube like range cake. I don't know if molasses or something similar was used for a binding agent or what. It looks like even low quality forage like straw could be made into a hay cube if palatability and proper protein levels were added along with the binding agent.

 

[upfrombottom]

Well it looks like you northerners are getting your wish of sending all that snow south. The rivers here are expected to crest at stages not seen since the 30's. And that was before all the rain we are getting now was even considered.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I haven't seen hay cubes for years. A neighbor used to get some most every year but this was over 30 years ago. Basically the hay was ground and made into a cube like range cake. I don't know if molasses or something similar was used for a binding agent or what. It looks like even low quality forage like straw could be made into a hay cube if palatability and proper protein levels were added along with the binding agent.

TSC sells them. Can't tell you anything about them but they are sold there. Alfalfa cubes too.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Here you can bulk molasses and I have turned round bales up on end and soaked poor quality hay with three or four gallons. Remember this you can satisfy a cows nutritional needs with 3 pounds of feed a day, you still need 27 pounds to fill ole Belle up.