What do you feed in the winter?

[Duramaxgirl]

What does everyone feed their cows during the winter? I live in North Idaho and we have always fed 2nd cutting alfalfa. I have talked the husband into 1st cutting this year to try and save some money. I am curious who feeds what and what works the best for you? Thanks!

 

[Duramaxgirl]

This was last years hay and the field it came out of. We ending up buying about twice this much.

 

[M-5]

It's going to regional. Every part of the country has different quality hay. Some require supplement some do not

 

[Duramaxgirl]

Ok that is a good point! I have been advised to always get alfalfa because of the protein content. And to always get 2nd cutting because it is really nutritious. It nearly breaks the bank for us every year in hay when we get the 2nd cutting alfalfa.

 

[HDRider]

I think that would be expensive hay here. Not a lot of it..

 

[M-5]

I would test it , alfalfa is not something you see around here. A good 12% 14%hay is enough to maintain cows thru winter with no supplement . most of mine is around 10 so I feed a byproduct pellet. Just to help them along.

 

[Jogeephus]

Cheapest way I found is to just feed hay. I try to keep my hay sorted by quality and feed depending on whether they are wet or dry. I will sometimes over seed some pastures with rye grass but this is more for convenience than anything else.

 

[Bigfoot]

Personally, I'd never put my money and n alfalfa hay. Supplementing a poor quality hay would be cheaper, and equally effective.

 

[Duramaxgirl]

I never thought about testing it! Good idea. We always get pre bloom so it should be 20%+ protein but that's just taking the hay growers word for it. We usually buy from the same guy every year and its always been excellent organic hay. Thanks for all the comments! We are going with 1st cutting alfalfa this year should save us $50-$100 a ton. And maybe next year we'll try grass hay. We do give them grain not a lot but some. Last year we were paying $180-$250 a ton

 

[Duramaxgirl]

Do any of you feed hay that was rained on? Not moldy obviously but hay that saw a little rain laying in the field and was turned and dry before baled.

 

[M-5]

Yes , it's fine hay

 

[M-5]

I put up 32 roll last week that got wet. It usually only hurts color a little bit.

 

[Rafter S]

I feed unfertilized hay that's mostly kleingrass, with some Johnsongrass and KR bluestem mixed in, along with bulk liquid protein supplement.

And there's nothing wrong with feeding rained-on hay. It doesn't look as pretty, but the cows don't care.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I feed both fertilized and unfertilized grass hay (timothy, orchard grass, reed canary, some clover and trefoil) 6 to 7 months out of the year. I don't supplement with anything and my cows have no trouble maintaining or gaining during our harsh winters.

Only people I know that can afford to feed any sort of Alfalfa to cows are dairy men.

 

[bball]

Our cows run bean stubble and cornstalks until the snow gets too deep. Will supplement with byproduct pellet. Then they get grass/clover hay, cornstalk bales, and occasional byproduct pellets. Usually come out for spring in solid condition for calving/breeding.

 

[kenny thomas]

2nd cutting alfalfa is for selling horse people not for feeding cows. Some winters I feed for 30 days and they graze stockpiled fescue the rest of the winter. No grain except for the calves. If the cow cant make it on that diet they are culled. Mine now are almost overly fat.

 

[Kingfisher]

This was last years hay and the field it came out of. We ending up buying about twice this much.

Are you serious? How far does that field you " captured" go?

 

[SoILcattle]

We feed about 200 tons of hay per year. It is just grass hay with weeds and maybe some clover mixed in. Cows stay mud fat in the winter. At 180$ per ton it would cost at least 36k in hay.

I actually raise and sell alfalfa, we don't keep any. No reason to, especially when folks are willing to pay so much for it.

 

[Duramaxgirl]

These aren't the best photos but the alfalfa fields went as far as you could see. This about a stone throw away from the Canadian border in north Idaho. It is indescribably beautiful up there thanks for all the help!! Seems we might be over feeding our cows a bit.

 

[Duramaxgirl]

It was really hazy because if the record wild fires we had last year.