Winter supplement options

[JMJ Farms]

I really like WCS. Labor intensive. But excellent feed.

BUT..... The ONLY reason I'm still mostly dependent on hay and WCS is because too often it is bone dry and I can't control the moisture at the optimal planting time for winter grazing (rye, wheat, oats). If the stars line up I'm gonna put up a center pivot in about 2 more years and I will have enough winter grazing for all my cows and I will only need enough hay to provide them adequate roughage. I plant winter grazing each year but usually later than it needs to be planted.

In my experience, there is no better feed option than winter grazing.
1) Cattle do the harvesting themselves
2) Cattle Performance is optimal.
3) By far the easiest way to feed.
4) Conception is much higher

 

[1982vett]

Well, I don't think you actually forget about them.... ya do think about when it's time to put out more hay.

 

[callmefence]

Well, I don't think you actually forget about them.... ya do think about when it's time to put out more hay.

True I'm hauling three rolls to lometa today. Got up this morning and started trying to figure out how many days since I'd been out there. Anyways ... a little hay goes along way when they got winter pasture.

 

[TexasBred]

I agree wcs is a great supplement. But it can be beat by good winter oat and wheat pasture. You just open the gate , go ahead and set a few bales out and forget about em.

:bs: :bs: :bs:

You care to elaborate..... because most of Texas would like to hear it

Feeding WCS is cheaper, higher quality supplement, less labor intensive and daily supplement is a known quantity and quality each day. No tractor needed, no extra land needed for planting "supplement", no weather worries, no declining nutrient values.

 

[pricefarm]

Would DDGS be a better supplement than WCS

 

[callmefence]

:bs: :bs: :bs:

You care to elaborate..... because most of Texas would like to hear it

Feeding WCS is cheaper, higher quality supplement, less labor intensive and daily supplement is a known quantity and quality each day. No tractor needed, no extra land needed for planting "supplement", no weather worries, no declining nutrient values.

I agree on part of that.
Yet oat pasture is plenty good feed. Someone around here once said " I fertilize my grass so I don't have to supplement".... ;-)
It cost about three times as much to plant 40 acres of well fertilized oats as to buy enough wcs to supplement 40 cows for 100 days. BUT....the oats can be grazed mutiple time's if managed correctly. Plum into may. Or you can pull the cattle in March and cut hay in May.
Cheaper is relevant.
Labor......you've bumped your head..lol
A couple of days on the tractor in pretty weather vs every day all winter long....come on man.
And I'd like to know how your handling wcs without a tractor. Unless you're still feeling out of a bucket.
Also good oat pasture will replace a good bit. Alot....of your hay, greatly increasing value. It's healthier for cattle to spread out and graze vs pushing around a trough.
If plant a field by the house it makes for a nice view when they start filtering in the morning

 

[True Grit Farms]

You care to elaborate..... because most of Texas would like to hear it

Feeding WCS is cheaper, higher quality supplement, less labor intensive and daily supplement is a known quantity and quality each day. No tractor needed, no extra land needed for planting "supplement", no weather worries, no declining nutrient values.

I agree on part of that.
Yet oat pasture is plenty good feed. Someone around here once said " I fertilize my grass so I don't have to supplement".... ;-)
It cost about three times as much to plant 40 acres of well fertilized oats as to buy enough wcs to supplement 40 cows for 100 days. BUT....the oats can be grazed mutiple time's if managed correctly. Plum into may. Or you can pull the cattle in March and cut hay in May.
Cheaper is relevant.
Labor......you've bumped your head..lol
A couple of days on the tractor in pretty weather vs every day all winter long....come on man.
And I'd like to know how your handling wcs without a tractor. Unless you're still feeling out of a bucket.
Also good oat pasture will replace a good bit. Alot....of your hay, greatly increasing value. It's healthier for cattle to spread out and graze vs pushing around a trough.
If plant a field by the house it makes for a nice view when they start filtering in the morning

Fenceman, you left out that WCS doesn't make a very good deer plot either.

 

[TexasBred]

Fence I won't ever be too big or too good to feed out of a bucket. Did a lot of bucket feeding with dairy cattle as well. (WCS) I'm not saying oats and/or wheat is not good. Just not as good to me. I know it will work in North Caroline the home of the original poster but no idea how oats or wheat will work. So many things can go wrong with winter pastures that are out of your hands.

 

[callmefence]

Fence I won't ever be too big or too good to feed out of a bucket. Did a lot of bucket feeding with dairy cattle as well. (WCS) I'm not saying oats and/or wheat is not good. Just not as good to me. I know it will work in North Caroline the home of the original poster but no idea how oats or wheat will work. So many things can go wrong with winter pastures that are out of your hands.

And I ain't saying wcs ain't good. In fact I said it was. I put up a dump trailer or two every Winter...id sure hate doing it without a dump trailer and fel. lol.... could be a good discussion. Not deserving of the bullshyt flag. But whatever makes you feel big there friend... ;-)

 

[JMJ Farms]

I plant winter grazing. And feed hay bc I don't have enough winter grazing. And I still feed WCS. I get a peanut wagon full and use the plastic lick tubs I've saved over the years. Each tub will hold approximately 80 lbs. Fill them up with a grain shovel and then haul them to pastures and feed in troughs. It's definitely not fun but it's the only way I know to get it done. I feed around 100 momma cows, every other day, in 3 separate locations this way with almost no waste. Wish I knew a better way bc I sure ain't opposed to changing. It's a pita. But it works.

 

[Sd1030]

Just an update i modified a trailer for storage and i went a got lil over 3 tons of wcs today. Ill be bucket feeding it as thats the best option for my current situation. I graze stockpiled fescue until im out of it, them feed hay. This year my grass just doesn't seem to be holding out quite as well, guess thats partly bc of running more cows and the fact im normally still calving right now but i closed my calving window up some this year, so the calves are a little older at this point than they would've been in years past. Some of my cows just dont seem to be holding their flesh as good so i figured some supplementation would help. Looking forward to seeing what the wcs does. Thanks for all the input.

 

[JMJ Farms]

Sd1030, some of my cows don't seem
To be holding their condition as well this year either. I've started supplementing earlier this year than ever before. Gonna be a long winter here.

 

[Sd1030]

JMJ why do you think that is? Ive wondered with the over abundance of rain if it hurt the nutritional value of the grass. I know that prolly sounds crazy but it has crossed my mind. Definitely a strange year and like you said it's gonna be a long winter.

 

[TexasBred]

Fence I won't ever be too big or too good to feed out of a bucket. Did a lot of bucket feeding with dairy cattle as well. (WCS) I'm not saying oats and/or wheat is not good. Just not as good to me. I know it will work in North Caroline the home of the original poster but no idea how oats or wheat will work. So many things can go wrong with winter pastures that are out of your hands.

And I ain't saying wcs ain't good. In fact I said it was. I put up a dump trailer or two every Winter...id sure hate doing it without a dump trailer and fel. lol.... could be a good discussion. Not deserving of the bullshyt flag. But whatever makes you feel big there friend... ;-)

Didn't feel big at all young man. Thought it might help someone. May be a big deal down your way but doubt there is an oat or wheat field within 80 miles of me. Doesn't matter. The OP was in Carolina.

 

[JMJ Farms]

JMJ why do you think that is? Ive wondered with the over abundance of rain if it hurt the nutritional value of the grass. I know that prolly sounds crazy but it has crossed my mind. Definitely a strange year and like you said it's gonna be a long winter.

I don't know for sure either. But my speculation is that the abundance of rain played a major role in it. I noticed that during most of the summer my cows' crap was really loose. Almost like they were on rich winter grazing. And they looked real good but I thought they should be buggy horse fat considering the abundance of grass they had. I could be wrong, but I interpreted this as a lot of the nutrients were running right through them. When summer turned to winter they started falling off fast. They are not walking skeletons by a long stretch but I'm feeding way too much hay way too early. And bc of the rain before cutting and after baling, the quality of it is off as well. I really have to find some funds to build me a hay barn. And this winter has been colder, earlier than it has in quite a few years.

That's just my speculation on why they seem to be a little off from previous years.

 

[Sd1030]

JMJ sounds like where in the same bout for the most part. Im still grazing but it keeps raining here and pastures are a sloppy mess, im seriously considering switching over to hay and save the remaining grass i have til little later in the winter. It's definitely a off year, guess they all cant be good ones. Have fed some wcs and it didn't take long for cows to figure out they like it so hopefully itll help em out this winter.