We nearly have our haying done and it is only about half a crop of what we normally get. We do have a really good field of oates we plan on chopping in a week or so and our corn looks good but needs a drink pretty bad. Hopefully it will get one next week so it will make some silage as well. Anyway, we are pretty short on hay. We just locked up quite a bit of corn stalks that we will grind, but still need some other hay. What is everyones plan this winter?
winter feed
- Thread starter BRG
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Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
Won't be trucking hay out of Arkansas. From the looks of things here folks will be needing hay before winter.
thommoos
Well-known member
Alabama was doing good but now it has been 3 weeks with no rain, does not look like any on the horizon either, probably turn into a bad year, I guess we all need to fall on out knees and start praying 
J&D Cattle
Well-known member
Fields were averaging 30-50% around south-central MO. Some spots did better of course but that was the average. Army worms got some of our ground too. Dry as a bone here with 100's for the next several days predicted and no rain in the 10 day. Already been 2 if not 3 weeks without rain.
Jake
Well-known member
By the looks of this I don't know where any excess feed is going to come from this year. Couple more weeks of 100+ heat around here I'm its disheartening to think what it may look like.
Are we in the El Nino or La Nina cycle in the Pacific right now?
Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
That drought map is ugly! Pretty sure they can dab a little more red in Arkansas here in a few days.
I sure hope you guys get some relief RBB.
Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
I got myself covered pretty good TT. Gratefull for the thought. Start planning for your folks ing Kentucky, looks like the dry is headed your way.
I believe you are right RBB. My mother in law says it's dry, dry, dry with no rain in sight. And to think I questioned her judgment in putting up 500 rolls of hay last month.
Good luck to everybody this year.
Good luck to everybody this year.
Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
Always put it up if you got it TT. Never no when you gonna need it.
Red bull, it is bad in Arkansas. Here on the west side almost a week over 100 degrees. About the last 5 days have been record highs. I'm begining to see grasshoppers fight over a blade of grass. I've sold about a third of my cows this year. We have purchased and put up some hay, but already feeding some. Never done this before, it's June. Less than 2 inches of ran in the last 2 months, with a dry April. The sale barns are having large numbers sold, and alot of them good animals. I'm hereing stories that Texas and West Ok have some hay. Really odd, they were buying alot here last year. I hope is does something soon.
Red Bull Breeder
Well-known member
Gonna take some rain to help now. I will make it but it ain't gonna be nice.
limftw
Well-known member
Yeah its bad here in Colorado as well. We're just praying the ditch will stay in till late august so we can chop our corn. Already looking like we will be getting kicked off the summer permits early this year as well:drink:... anyone interested in some registered limflex cattle ?
I think they need to add some more color to the northeastern NE, western IA area. Driving through there, there's a lot of dried up pasture and crops. We'll be weaning calves here shortly, and will begin feeding hay to the cows soon. Hay prices are soaring, and the 30 day outlook is hot and dry. Fingers crossed, we'll have enough hay to get through winter.Jake":1rfru5ws said:
By the looks of this I don't know where any excess feed is going to come from this year. Couple more weeks of 100+ heat around here I'm its disheartening to think what it may look like.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
BRG,
We ran into the same sort of deal back in 2007; disastrous freeze at Easter, then 1" of rain between May 10 and Nov 30. Local hay production was almost nonexistent - folks were paying $90/roll for cornstalks or CRP residue cut in late October (I saw some full of 2" diameter honeylocust trees).
We bought and trucked in ( swore I would never pay that much, but it was less than some people were paying for local junk) expensive hay from out west - but it's looking like that may not be available this year - glad I've already got my 5 semi-loads stacked and covered.
We limit-fed hay and distiller's grain product. Cows got ~ 10# hay/day - about an hour and fifteen minutes at the hay feeders, then they got 8-10# modified distiller's grain. After that, they had to stand around and wait 22 hrs til the next feeding - 'cause there was nothing else for them to do or eat. They did just fine - actually came through the winter in better shape than in years past, when they had free-choice access to all the sorry locally-produced hay they could eat.
Worked so well that we've continued the practice; from October to February, they are essentially dry-lotted and limit-fed, then go back to stockpiled grass in late Feb/early March. Cows are much easier to handle now, and it makes Fall AI breeding a lot simpler, too.
Last year, price of distiller's grain was almost as high as the hay, on a per head/day basis; looks like it might be even higher this year. But, we're still planning to feed it.
We ran into the same sort of deal back in 2007; disastrous freeze at Easter, then 1" of rain between May 10 and Nov 30. Local hay production was almost nonexistent - folks were paying $90/roll for cornstalks or CRP residue cut in late October (I saw some full of 2" diameter honeylocust trees).
We bought and trucked in ( swore I would never pay that much, but it was less than some people were paying for local junk) expensive hay from out west - but it's looking like that may not be available this year - glad I've already got my 5 semi-loads stacked and covered.
We limit-fed hay and distiller's grain product. Cows got ~ 10# hay/day - about an hour and fifteen minutes at the hay feeders, then they got 8-10# modified distiller's grain. After that, they had to stand around and wait 22 hrs til the next feeding - 'cause there was nothing else for them to do or eat. They did just fine - actually came through the winter in better shape than in years past, when they had free-choice access to all the sorry locally-produced hay they could eat.
Worked so well that we've continued the practice; from October to February, they are essentially dry-lotted and limit-fed, then go back to stockpiled grass in late Feb/early March. Cows are much easier to handle now, and it makes Fall AI breeding a lot simpler, too.
Last year, price of distiller's grain was almost as high as the hay, on a per head/day basis; looks like it might be even higher this year. But, we're still planning to feed it.
1982vett
Well-known member
Doesn't rain with either one....TennesseeTuxedo":3hiouaoh said:
1982vett
Well-known member
BRG":33l7x1yn said:
They will have to find someone that grows crops in a circle....
cross_7
Well-known member
1982vett":32ezy6c9 said:
we are in a la nina pattern now.
i heard it was weakening and should end in the fall, but i also heard it could restrengthen, so i don't think anyone really knows what to expect.
