I currently have 15 head on a 50 acre pasture. This is in S.W. Florida, washy grass, no fertilizers. My other 10 acre pasture currently has 4 head in it. Everything has a mix of cows, steers, calves and a bull.
For the past three years I have been able to winter my cattle without supplemental feeding. I will, however, occasionally throw them a small bale of Coastal or a bag of sweet feed or cubes to keep them in the habit of meeting me in the working pens whenever I pull the truck back there. Kinda like dolling out candy to children. It is more of a handling tool than a supplement.
In August I put up a temporary electric fence to keep them off the majority of the grass, and start stockpiling feed. I then dole out a little more every week, and about March I just let them graze the whole thing.
We have been blessed with enough moisture to keep a little green down below the dried up stuff, but I have been able to keep inputs to an absolute minimum.
I let other people cut, bale and store hay, and I buy it as I need it.
Thankyou to folks like Stephen Oswald, Jim Gerrish, Greg Judy and lots of great posts from people here on the boards for sharing their experience and expertise in low input, low cost cattle production.
It is being done in places like Colorado, Missourri, Florida, Alabama, the Carolinas and Provinces across Canada. If you say it can't work for you, well, your probably correct.
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