When to put out hay

[redlevel]

Bawling and being pissed definitely don't necessarily mean they need hay. Mine bawl when they eat 2 foot high grass down to 1, they bawl when fall comes because the grass isn't as good anymore, they even bawl when it rains now because I tend to move them around rain events.
I refer to myself as the complaint department.

I judge my pastures by the reaction I get when I drive into the pasture. Pasture Good - they don't look up. Getting close to moving time - they look and maybe bawl a little. Time to move - They bawl and follow the truck. Overdue move - They're either standing at the gate to the next paddock bawling or running after the truck.

Pretty good indication they are pleased with their grass now. Grass is bermuda, pretty dry, with some green. I put a couple of 200 pound tubs 10 days ago, with probably one-third left. 21 cows, three calves, one bull on a 30 acre pasture. Moved them on two weeks ago.
Drove in the field in the Mule, and they mostly ignored me. A good sign. Hope to go late in Nov without hay. 100 miles South of ATL.

 

[Cattlelow]

That is about x2 the stocking rate I have here in hot and humid East Texas if it's 11 mommas with calves.
40 acres, 16 mommas here right now, 1 bull and 7 calves and the calves are going bye bye within 2 weeks.

6 moms, 4 calves and the bull. I could use some lease land.

 

[bulldog04]

See if they follow your tractor around or just look at you

 

[Lazy M]

I usually wait until they start busting out onto the neighbor's.

 

[HDRider]

Getting close here. I have a few acres Kennyized that I will give them someday before new grass comes in.

We had our first frost on November 1. They are in the back eating the last of the good stuff. I will bring them back in a week or so and start on hay.

 

[1982vett]

Imma gonna have to check things out a bit…caught a couple hanging around a ring that still had 3/4 of a roll left from February that the wouldn't eat. I do believe I have better grass than that.

 

[bird dog]

I rolled out a roll just to see their reaction. They seemed ready for it.

 

[TCRanch]

I usually wait until they start busting out onto the neighbor's.

Priceless! You come by your user name honestly

 

[Ebenezer]

If you have temp grazing or a stockpiling effort, like fescue, and you are pretty sure you will run out by spring it is often better to feed the hay now and let the forages grow more. This is an easier time to feed hay, too.

 

[kenny thomas]

If you have temp grazing or a stockpiling effort, like fescue, and you are pretty sure you will run out by spring it is often better to feed the hay now and let the forages grow more. This is an easier time to feed hay, too.

You are exactly right about feeding now and grazing fescue later.

 

[anewcomer]

You are exactly right about feeding now and grazing fescue later.

Kenny, we have seen how good your stockpile is. If you are grazing it for 70 days, how many cows on how many acres of stockpile. How often do you move the polywire? Do you remember what the University said for lbs. DM/A when they measured it for you?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

We started feeding hay full time today. We are about 2 weeks later than we ever start feeding hay. Grass was super great this year. Of course, we had tons of RAIN and heat. Had our first killing frost last week. That was waaayyy late for here. Cows are already pig fat - weaned their calves 9-6.

 

[BFE]

I've been feeding for a few weeks now, but they're not eating much. Need to move them across the road and then elsewhere when that's grazed down, but they won't quit picking. Just now getting them to cross the creek for feed. They won't eat much hay here unless the grass is gone.

 

[chaded]

Heifers are munching on stockpiled fescue. They have a ways to go.

 

[kenny thomas]

I will graze 35 cows and 10 fall calves on 20 acres of fescue. Got 15 700 lb steers I will give any leftover plus will feed them.
I'm a lazy farmer so move the polywire every couple days if it's bad weather out. If I'm traveling I might give them 3-4 days worth. Moving every day would be better or even every 12 hours.
When they sampled they were supposed to come back and do the Dry Matter/ acre but it never happened.

 

[anewcomer]

I will graze 35 cows and 10 fall calves on 20 acres of fescue. Got 15 700 lb steers I will give any leftover plus will feed them.
I'm a lazy farmer so move the polywire every couple days if it's bad weather out. If I'm traveling I might give them 3-4 days worth. Moving every day would be better or even every 12 hours.
When they sampled they were supposed to come back and do the Dry Matter/ acre but it never happened.

 

[anewcomer]

Thanks, Kenny. That is most helpful. We follow your protocol, but don't do near as good a job as you do!

 

[kenny thomas]

Thanks, Kenny. That is most helpful. We follow your protocol, but don't do near as good a job as you do!

Don't think that I know much. But I can grow grass much better than I can produce hay.
towards spring i usually find someone with old hay that's not much good because it's been out all winter. I get it free or very cheap and unroll it to the cows. It's going to be the only fertilizer I use next year.

 

[TCRanch]

Have hay, will follow. Weanlings are pounding the brome bales. There's still some prairie in the west side of the pasture, but after a couple hard frosts, not very good. Started putting out bales on a regular basis this week for the entire herd.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Same here.
The last 2 frosts shut things down.
The freeze last night finished it.
Hay and cubes now