What to do with grass?

[kenny thomas]

I know I messed the picture up some but the info is there. I can't grow 19+% plus protein hay. Turned the cows in on December 20 giving them about an acre at a time.

 

[sstterry]

Her you go Kenny:

 

[kenny thomas]

Thank you.
The 19.7% had 125# per acre of Urea added about Labor Day and cattle took off of it.
The 17.6% had nothing except for the cattle taken off.
The amount of forage with the urea was close to 4 times the amount even though the protein difference might not have been cost effective. I will spread again in 30 days and turn cows back in December 20.

 

[kenny thomas]

Adding to it, I put down an area of clear plastic in the middle of the field to catch any urea spread over that area. Then moments after I spread urea I took up the plastic but left the area staked off so I could measure the difference. Same soil, slope, grass type. The urea was the only difference. Then December 5 the AG extension agent came and took the samples so I was sure it was a true representation of the field.

 

[BFE]

Thank you.
The 19.7% had 125# per acre of Urea added about Labor Day and cattle took off of it.
The 17.6% had nothing except for the cattle taken off.
The amount of forage with the urea was close to 4 times the amount even though the protein difference might not have been cost effective. I will spread again in 30 days and turn cows back in December 20.

125# seems excessive to me but I take it you've played around with lower rates. Everyone around here normally tops out N on fescue at around 50#. Please tell us about your experience here.

 

[kenny thomas]

125 lb of Urea not actual Nitrogen. That would barely be over 50 lb of N per acre.
Recommendation for this area is about 50# of actual N for stockpiling. You must keep the PH checked though

 

[BFE]

I misread that thanks for clarifying.

 

[VaCowman]

Last year (in my neck of the woods in VA) we had a DRY FALL. Urea was a waste of $$. MOST years, we catch rain on Labor Day weekend, sometimes an occasional front in August. If we can time Urea applications the day of the rain event, we usually can bank on an additional 2-2500#CM/acre with ~50UAN. Pretty cheap feed! We hold off until Thanksgiving if we can, even if that means feeding hay. We AI the week of Thanksgiving and let the cows get bred while grazing stockpile. We've culled hard for fertility over the years and now can keep 30 cows in a 30-45d calving/breeding season on this stuff. We graze summer annuals from July-Sept 1 to give pastures a rest, which allows us to graze around 280-300d/year on average. Stocking rate is 1 cow/3 acres. I truly think this could be trimmed to less than 3 if our summer pastures (leased land) could be subdivided, but the landowner doesn't want any division fences. the way the land lays and water runs, it's all but impossible to strip graze because the creek banks are so steep.

 

[Brute 23]

How long is your normal winter season you have to feed hay, even if you have grass? How many bales do you feed per head during that time?

 

[kenny thomas]

How long is your normal winter season you have to feed hay, even if you have grass? How many bales do you feed per head during that time?

If your asking me, if I have grass I don't feed. Fescue will keep its value until late winter.
I'm hoping to get by feeding 30 days this winter.

 

[Brute 23]

How long is your normal winter season you have to feed hay, even if you have grass? How many bales do you feed per head during that time?

If your asking me, if I have grass I don't feed. Fescue will keep its value until late winter.
I'm hoping to get by feeding 30 days this winter.

I should have specified the original poster but I always enjoy hearing about your operation too KT.

 

[kenny thomas]

How long is your normal winter season you have to feed hay, even if you have grass? How many bales do you feed per head during that time?

If your asking me, if I have grass I don't feed. Fescue will keep its value until late winter.
I'm hoping to get by feeding 30 days this winter.

I should have specified the original poster but I always enjoy hearing about your operation too KT.

You got the hurricane rain a week or so ago didn't you. There should be lots of grass there

 

[chaded]

How long is your normal winter season you have to feed hay, even if you have grass? How many bales do you feed per head during that time?

Not sure I understand the first part. If I have grass I'm not feeding hay. I am going on the third winter this coming winter so I don't have solid data really, and things have changed. The first winter I bought the cows in the middle of winter.

The next season I rotated But had the paddocks were too big so management wasn't right. We also had a 3 month slump with no rain late summer. With that said, I grazed 6 months and fed hay 6 months. Could of grazed a little longer with rain of course. I fed around 90 bales.

This year will be interesting. I cut the paddocks down in size, rotated more frequently and added a 20 acre lease in the mix. I should be able to squeeze out at least another month of grazing. The grass was managed better this year and it definitely shows.


The one thing I should mention is that with the 30 acres of hayfield I don't know how much can be grazed in the winter or for how long. There could be some grazing but it gets pretty wet (like standing water in places). It contains a lot of fescue and clover but when they slow down in the hot weather johnsongrass pretty much takes over most of the field.

 

[Brute 23]

How long is your normal winter season you have to feed hay, even if you have grass? How many bales do you feed per head during that time?

Not sure I understand the first part. If I have grass I'm not feeding hay. I am going on the third winter this coming winter so I don't have solid data really, and things have changed. The first winter I bought the cows in the middle of winter.

The next season I rotated But had the paddocks were too big so management wasn't right. We also had a 3 month slump with no rain late summer. With that said, I grazed 6 months and fed hay 6 months. Could of grazed a little longer with rain of course. I fed around 90 bales.

This year will be interesting. I cut the paddocks down in size, rotated more frequently and added a 20 acre lease in the mix. I should be able to squeeze out at least another month of grazing. The grass was managed better this year and it definitely shows.


The one thing I should mention is that with the 30 acres of hayfield I don't know how much can be grazed in the winter or for how long. There could be some grazing but it gets pretty wet (like standing water in places). It contains a lot of fescue and clover but when they slow down in the hot weather johnsongrass pretty much takes over most of the field.

That's a tough one. Sounds like your about maxed out on number of head and will welcome the extra grazing country. The cows will clean that JG out. You wont have to worry about it any more.

Personally I would focus on getting the hay bill down, not increasing the number of animals.

 

[Brute 23]

If your asking me, if I have grass I don't feed. Fescue will keep its value until late winter.
I'm hoping to get by feeding 30 days this winter.

I should have specified the original poster but I always enjoy hearing about your operation too KT.

You got the hurricane rain a week or so ago didn't you. There should be lots of grass there

Barely got 1.5" out of it. Last 48hrs the turned it south of Corpus. At first they had it coming in right on us. All that KR country got it. Place at Hebronville got 7" which is a waste on that country.

We have been getting timely rains to keep grass growing but no run off for a year or so. Stock tanks are getting really low. We were ready for that hurricane.

 

[chaded]

How long is your normal winter season you have to feed hay, even if you have grass? How many bales do you feed per head during that time?

Not sure I understand the first part. If I have grass I'm not feeding hay. I am going on the third winter this coming winter so I don't have solid data really, and things have changed. The first winter I bought the cows in the middle of winter.

The next season I rotated But had the paddocks were too big so management wasn't right. We also had a 3 month slump with no rain late summer. With that said, I grazed 6 months and fed hay 6 months. Could of grazed a little longer with rain of course. I fed around 90 bales.

This year will be interesting. I cut the paddocks down in size, rotated more frequently and added a 20 acre lease in the mix. I should be able to squeeze out at least another month of grazing. The grass was managed better this year and it definitely shows.


The one thing I should mention is that with the 30 acres of hayfield I don't know how much can be grazed in the winter or for how long. There could be some grazing but it gets pretty wet (like standing water in places). It contains a lot of fescue and clover but when they slow down in the hot weather johnsongrass pretty much takes over most of the field.

That's a tough one. Sounds like your about maxed out on number of head and will welcome the extra grazing country. The cows will clean that JG out. You wont have to worry about it any more.

Personally I would focus on getting the hay bill down, not increasing the number of animals.

My hay cost around 20-24 dollars a bale. I probably won't be getting it any cheaper than that.

 

[kenny thomas]

What size rolls weighing how much.

 

[littletom]

Fence it buy more cows and hay you need. Gear box went out on moco i own with dad today. I wish we would fence whole place and buy the hay. They sell it here cheaper than it be made for

 

[chaded]

What size rolls weighing how much.

Your guess is as good as mine. Lol. They are 5x4's. The guy I do shares with says they're around 1000lbs. I tend to think they are likely around 800. But I couldn't tell you for sure.

 

[Brute 23]

Not sure I understand the first part. If I have grass I'm not feeding hay. I am going on the third winter this coming winter so I don't have solid data really, and things have changed. The first winter I bought the cows in the middle of winter.

The next season I rotated But had the paddocks were too big so management wasn't right. We also had a 3 month slump with no rain late summer. With that said, I grazed 6 months and fed hay 6 months. Could of grazed a little longer with rain of course. I fed around 90 bales.

This year will be interesting. I cut the paddocks down in size, rotated more frequently and added a 20 acre lease in the mix. I should be able to squeeze out at least another month of grazing. The grass was managed better this year and it definitely shows.


The one thing I should mention is that with the 30 acres of hayfield I don't know how much can be grazed in the winter or for how long. There could be some grazing but it gets pretty wet (like standing water in places). It contains a lot of fescue and clover but when they slow down in the hot weather johnsongrass pretty much takes over most of the field.

That's a tough one. Sounds like your about maxed out on number of head and will welcome the extra grazing country. The cows will clean that JG out. You wont have to worry about it any more.

Personally I would focus on getting the hay bill down, not increasing the number of animals.

My hay cost around 20-24 dollars a bale. I probably won't be getting it any cheaper than that.

Not cheaper bales... less bales. My guess is cutting the number of bales per year with the same 14 cows will put more more money in your pocket than the money that would be potentially made on stocking more head.

Basically, more profit per head... not more head. That's where I would start at least. Hopefully you can do both... over time.