Winter Hay question

[jwggriff]

This may be a very stupid question but I'm going to ask anyway. We have a small herd of 12 longhorn cows. We have 53 acres they run on, but our pasture has not been fertilized in several years. If we feed grain, minerals, and other supplements can we get through the winter without feeding hay?
I do not have the equipment available for a cow operation. I do not have a tractor to move hay, nor do we have a barn to store it. I have to depend on others to deliver the hay, and unload the large round bales. When hay is scarce it is difficult to find someone to buy from.
We have kept the cows that came with the place because we enjoy watching them. We are not in this to make money, or raise a calf crop.
We are in north central Texas and the winters are typically mild.
We do want to take care of the cattle and will do whatever necessary to insure they remain healthy.

 

[bigbull338]

alot depends on how much grass you have going into winter.that the cows can graze on.but you might could go without feeding them any hay.an just feed some feed an maybe protine tubs.

 

[1982vett]

You getting any rain?

I'm thinking if you can't find hay to buy, you won't have enough grass to carry thru the winter either....

 

[xbred]

yes...a square bale now and then would be nice though...

 

[TexasBred]

Since they're simply for enjoyment why not sell half and keep half. Use the money from the sale to buy square bales. They don't have to be top quality...You could handle these easily and keep the cattle in good shape and there would be a little more grass carryover in the pastures for 6 rather than 12. Without some roughage you don't need the protein tubs or cubes either.

 

[Kingfisher]

I'll just put it on a bumper sticker. NO :)

 

[Douglas]

Have some round bales delivered and put a temp. electric fence around them and remove when you need them.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I would hate to see them next spring after going through the winter without hay. Are these wet or dry cows?
Are they on improved pasture or native grass?

 

[Bobaroni]

They require some roughage so some hay is necessary . However the bigger problem is switching to a grain diet from pasture. You can run into problems with bloat and acidosis. A feedlot for example has personnel monitoring cattle several times a day if its simply a drive by or walk through that will spot this quickly. Then they can make adjustments to rations if necessary. Another thing is you can get into trouble feeding in measurements like quarts and gallons, know what your grains weigh and feed in that manner...it is possible to founder an animal with to much grain. Now, I'm not promoting one feed over another but I would suggest that you use something like purina if you are going to feed sweet feeds and concentrated grains, simply because they have been around forever and their formulations are pretty much set in stone..in other words you don't have to worry about Poindexter sittin up there deciding he is gonna improve his feed and my cows suddenly start to scour. Now having said all this it does not mean you do not need hay for roughage, cattle are ruminating animals and that roughage is a requirement. I think what I would do if I were you is have somebody bring me over a hundred sqaure bales of some good coastal hay (plentiful right now) store it under a tarp or rent a storage room and feed them a a bale every day with 50 lbs of cubes on the ground. Protein tubs and liquid feed are both available and make good for conveinence but I am not a fan of either of them. Wait till you have to start feeding (don't simply feed it because you have it) then phase in the diet change as grazing conditions deteriorate (likewise phase out when they improve). Start out feeding maybe 2 or 3 times a week till you have to start an everyday ration feeding. Don't forget minerals out as free choice whenever they want. At the going price where I am in central Texas this is going to cost you right at 12 bucks everytime you feed (a dollar per head). you can do the math there. This should get you through about 120 days , remember mid december through mid feb are the hardest on em unless we have another winter like the last one. That would be feeding 3 times a week beginning Nov 1st and daily beginning Dec 15th through Feb 15th then 3 times a week through March 31st play with those dates in your area, the important part is to make a plan and figure cost. You may even want to plan for 150 days. I have been raising cattle for over 40 years I don't think I would ever consider a grain only diet under any circumstance, I'll leave that to the wheels at the feed lot. Anyway, let us know how it works out.

 

[TexasBred]

They require some roughage so some hay is necessary . However the bigger problem is switching to a grain diet from pasture. You can run into problems with bloat and acidosis. A feedlot for example has personnel monitoring cattle several times a day if its simply a drive by or walk through that will spot this quickly. Then they can make adjustments to rations if necessary. Another thing is you can get into trouble feeding in measurements like quarts and gallons, know what your grains weigh and feed in that manner...it is possible to founder an animal with to much grain. Now, I'm not promoting one feed over another but I would suggest that you use something like purina if you are going to feed sweet feeds and concentrated grains, simply because they have been around forever and their formulations are pretty much set in stone..in other words you don't have to worry about Poindexter sittin up there deciding he is gonna improve his feed and my cows suddenly start to scour. Now having said all this it does not mean you do not need hay for roughage, cattle are ruminating animals and that roughage is a requirement. I think what I would do if I were you is have somebody bring me over a hundred sqaure bales of some good coastal hay (plentiful right now) store it under a tarp or rent a storage room and feed them a a bale every day with 50 lbs of cubes on the ground. Protein tubs and liquid feed are both available and make good for conveinence but I am not a fan of either of them. Wait till you have to start feeding (don't simply feed it because you have it) then phase in the diet change as grazing conditions deteriorate (likewise phase out when they improve). Start out feeding maybe 2 or 3 times a week till you have to start an everyday ration feeding. Don't forget minerals out as free choice whenever they want. At the going price where I am in central Texas this is going to cost you right at 12 bucks everytime you feed (a dollar per head). you can do the math there. This should get you through about 120 days , remember mid december through mid feb are the hardest on em unless we have another winter like the last one. That would be feeding 3 times a week beginning Nov 1st and daily beginning Dec 15th through Feb 15th then 3 times a week through March 31st play with those dates in your area, the important part is to make a plan and figure cost. You may even want to plan for 150 days. I have been raising cattle for over 40 years I don't think I would ever consider a grain only diet under any circumstance, I'll leave that to the wheels at the feed lot. Anyway, let us know how it works out.

Set in stone?? You couldn't be more wrong if you actually tried.....purina formulas will literally change daily.

 

[Bobaroni]

Thats why I don't like tubs and liquid feed. To inconsistant, however their concentrated grain formulas are pretty much the same and on a consistant basis. I really might be persuaded to utilize tubs and such on this particular set of cows simply because they are not a breeding herd. But, I will have to balk at the use of it in a breeding set. Been there done that and had about the sorriest set of calves I ever had. Pulled in all the feeders and still have 2 350 gallon ones left. They are for sale if you want em. To each his own I guess and I will agree "set in stone" is a bit overly stated even though it is used as figure of speech. Custom blends are not all that uncommon either based on such things as hay quality, forage or gain targets. I just really never got into it and don't spend money on things I don't have too. It would be interesting to me though to have a nutritionist or feed specialist assess needs based on pasture and hay quality then try a custom blend just to see, but it would have to be a pretty spectacular improvement to interest me. But, shoot there are a lot of good feeds on the market. Purina thats just my preference based on my experience with over the counter feeds that appear to me to provide good winterability characteristics, body condition and calf quality in my herd. I know lots of folks around here that will feed nothing but hay and as long as the protein content of the hay is good it works just fine for them and it has worked for me in the past as well. I actually fed 50 % more sack feed this year because the dang winter didn't want to end and I ran short of hay. I think one more cold snap and I would have started selling them off it made me wish I had planted a winter pasture.

 

[TexasBred]

Would have been better to have bought more hay. Bag feed compliments hay in winter if additional protein is needed. It never replaces it. High quality cooked tubs will be as consistent as anything that comes in a bag or bale.

 

[Bobaroni]

Would have if I could have found any but everbody was little low round here and the tubs add an extra cost I just don't need. While true I have to spend time feeding it doesn't realy bother me that much.

 

[jwggriff]

Thanks to all you who posted a reply. I don't think I will go without the hay during the winter. I'm fencing off a place so I can store some round bales, and with a tumblebug I can feed them as I need to. I will also get some square bales and store under some tarps, on some pallets so if it's too wet in the pasture they can still be fed hay.
I really appreciate all the input!! :tiphat:

 

[backhoeboogie]

You're getting on the right track. If cows didn't need hay in the winter, none of us would feed it.

 

[Bobaroni]

Truth is....Good quality hay is all you need for surviving winter in good shape everything else is as we all agree supplemental. Good luck to you.

 

[lavacarancher]

JW, if I was you I would have someone come in and prepare about 10 acres of land starting sometime in September and plant oats or winter wheat. When it comes up and you have a good stand open the gate and let them graze. IMO, they will still need a little hay but not a lot.

 

[marven]

Hello,
I am newbie in this forum site.
Please guide me.
Thanks.

 

[1982vett]

Hello,
I am newbie in this forum site.
Please guide me.
Thanks.

Take a right turn at the next intersection. :mrgreen:

 

[upfrombottom]

Hello,
I am newbie in this forum site.
Please guide me.
Thanks.

Take a right turn at the next intersection. :mrgreen:

And gas on it!