Turning cows out into cornfield

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travlnusa

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With the warm weather we have here in WI, I have a chance to put up a electric fence around the corn field my renter combined a month ago.

There is alot of corn on the ground, and some stocks left after renter baled what he could.

Question is, do I want/need to provide additional feed (hay?) while they are on it? Of course they will have mineral.

What do I need to look for while they are on it?

Thanks,
 
You'll just have to watch them and see if they're getting enough to eat, it might not hurt to put out a bale or two for them to chew on but you should be able to tell if they're hungry or not.
 
I wouldn't send them into the stalks hungry if there are quite a few ears laying around. They usually eat the ears first then grass from the fence line, then leaves are the last to be consumed. They will eat at the stalks a bit if it's not BT corn. I provide salt and a mineral, and when they have eaten the last ear of corn, they get protein tubs. When the snow covers the leaves or it looks like they have cleaned the field good, then they get hay and distillers. They stay there till a month before calving.
 
Watch for piles of corn where the combine dumped into a wagon. Good way to lose a cow. As long as there are husks and leaves around, your cows are good to go. They can basically maintain on it. An acre of stalks should last a cow around a month.
 
I wouldn't send them into the stalks hungry if there are quite a few ears laying around

This is a very good point if your cattle have not been eating any corn lately.... The rumen needs time to adjust to the new "forage"

I would keep a close eye on them when you turn them out
 

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