Who winters without hay?

[angus9259]

Question. Talking about this subject with my neighbor, and he runs some good cattle. He says the grass loses nutrition in the winter and they need hay to make up for that nutrition loss.

Is that true?

Depending on the forage and the climate, the energy returns to the root system to survive dormancy and prepare for the next year. This is the tricky thing (for me anyway) about stockpiling is the nutrative degradation. Also, in the winter the soil doesn't dry so stockpiled forage tends to be ground to mud rather quickly instead of eaten. Thus, it's better to cut and bale your excess while it has the most value.

Really, that's all we're doing when we buy hay is buying someone else's stockpiled forage and bringing it to where our cattle are.

 

[dun]

Question. Talking about this subject with my neighbor, and he runs some good cattle. He says the grass loses nutrition in the winter and they need hay to make up for that nutrition loss.

Is that true?

Depending on the forage and the climate, the energy returns to the root system to survive dormancy and prepare for the next year. This is the tricky thing (for me anyway) about stockpiling is the nutrative degradation. Also, in the winter the soil doesn't dry so stockpiled forage tends to be ground to mud rather quickly instead of eaten. Thus, it's better to cut and bale your excess while it has the most value.

Really, that's all we're doing when we buy hay is buying someone else's stockpiled forage and bringing it to where our cattle are.

That's not quite accurate. If done properly, hay is cut and baled while it is high in nutritive value. Stockpiled grass isn;t as high in value simply because it's past it's highest quality time period. If it's fescue it is still good enough for 3rd stage cows and early calving cows.
As winter progresses, I doubt the stockpiled stuff loses much value once it has quit growing.
It is an interesting theory, if I remember I'll ask the forage/grass specialists at NRCS.

 

[Aaron]

Wintering without hay will only ever be a dream for me. That being said, I can and have cut down my feeding substantially. If I had good fence and water sources over the remainder of my properties, I could cut down my feeding to just 3-4 months. I try to graze till mid-December and start pasturing late April.

 

[Ol' 243]

Usually only feed a little hay in Jan, Feb. and March. This year I've been feeding since first of July. This drought is BAD

 

[kenny thomas]

Question. Talking about this subject with my neighbor, and he runs some good cattle. He says the grass loses nutrition in the winter and they need hay to make up for that nutrition loss.

Is that true?

Winter before last I had some fescue and some fescue with winter wheat drilled into it tested in January. The plain fescue tested 12.8% and the fescue/wheat tested over 21%. So if it had lost much it was too rich for the cows anyway.

 

[Stocker Steve]

What am I missing?

Most hay free systems are based on stockpile grasses like fescue, and no icy cover or deep snow. I assume you get some ice. I would always have some hay back up. Can haul it with a trailer or a pick up if you don't have a tractor handy.

Tall annuals like SS or corn can be grazed even in a northern winter. Acidosis can be an issue with high yielding monoculture corn. Been there.

A thing to consider is the feed cost trade offs. Back when calves were worth something - - it paid to feed (purchased) hay or stalks and drive stocking rates waay up. A pair per acre would be extreme but possible during the green grazing season. Done it, but inputs are much too expensive for this cattle market.

So the high level question is what class / stocking rate / feed types combination make sense for you in a down market.

 

[greybeard]

I'd hate to try it here--not because of extreme cold or snow/ice, (a very rare event here) but because of the moderate cold mixed with so many wet windy nights.

 

[Waterway65]

I think any feeding program must be measured against some basic standards. Are the cows milking to provide adequate growth for your calves. What percent of the cows are open at prey check. Are other health issues that may be nutritional a problem. This has been a dry summer here. Semi loads of open cows from some large ranches have come to town lately. How much supplement could you buy four the difference between a good bred cow and a slaughter cow?

 

[RanchMan90]

I think any feeding program must be measured against some basic standards. Are the cows milking to provide adequate growth for your calves. What percent of the cows are open at prey check. Are other health issues that may be nutritional a problem. This has been a dry summer here. Semi loads of open cows from some large ranches have come to town lately. How much supplement could you buy four the difference between a good bred cow and a slaughter cow?

A man could buy at least a ton for the difference of open and bred, these 4 months AI bred cost me $900 per head. Just tryin to hedge my bet by buying breds.

 

[NolanCountyAG]

I'll put a hay out for the first week I turn out on winter wheat and for penned stuff. Other than that it's 6lbs of cubes every other day.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Wintering without hay is just a dream UP here. When the weather cooperates we pasture until the end of November (middle of december two years ago) and then we generally feed hay usually through the middle of May. Deep snow and subzero weather make grazing impossible during those months.