Bfields30
Well-known member
East TX guys when do y'all start putting out hay for winter? This will be my first winter that I will have cows curious to when Everyone usually starts.
Bfields30":3ut86bz0 said:East TX guys when do y'all start putting out hay for winter? This will be my first winter that I will have cows curious to when Everyone usually starts.
CB how would I determine how much i need forCaustic Burno":2mat025n said:Bfields30":2mat025n said:East TX guys when do y'all start putting out hay for winter? This will be my first winter that I will have cows curious to when Everyone usually starts.
Looks like November for me.
That's how many your doing or your saying that's how many I should get for mine?greybeard":1ygmfeix said:I'd plan on no less than 30 1000lb bales and that's if it's a normal but relatively dry mild winter.
It' will be late November to start for me unless the weather really changes in a hurry here.
I have a LOT of grass.
Bfields30":2c019eu0 said:That's how many your doing or your saying that's how many I should get for mine?greybeard":2c019eu0 said:I'd plan on no less than 30 1000lb bales and that's if it's a normal but relatively dry mild winter.
It' will be late November to start for me unless the weather really changes in a hurry here.
I have a LOT of grass.
Really depends on winter pasture, but killing frost is where I might put out some hay. Course I put some out at the end of August before we started getting rain that grew grass. Now I will have to see how much the army worms leave behind.....Bfields30":2zt85lw7 said:East TX guys when do y'all start putting out hay for winter? This will be my first winter that I will have cows curious to when Everyone usually starts.
Lucky":1p2vo79m said:Thanksgiving to March 15th on a normal year. Problem is we don't have normal years anymore. Best to just watch the grass and the cow patties. Sometimes you can supplement cheaper than hay and get them by for awhile longer. I started supplemeting on the 1st gonna be a long year.
for yours.Bfields30":pzj0ro6q said:That's how many your doing or your saying that's how many I should get for mine?greybeard":pzj0ro6q said:I'd plan on no less than 30 1000lb bales and that's if it's a normal but relatively dry mild winter.
It' will be late November to start for me unless the weather really changes in a hurry here.
I have a LOT of grass.
How much do you feed per headsnoopdog":1leoqtkq said:I started feeding hay last weekend, we have grass, bit some of it is mature. My cows are in the critical period and I want them to have all they need, fed another bale today. We stock heavy and try to stretch the grass supply, with adjustments for drought etc., but when in doubt, feed. Its cheaper to keep weight on lactating cows, than ir is trying to put it back on them, IMO.
That would be pretty dang close guess for sure, if not right on the nail.Lucky":mse3wcns said:If you are going to feed in hay rings I'd put out 2 bales at a time and see how long it takes for them to clean it up. My guess would be 4-5 days.
Probably feed a sack of 20% cubes every 3rd day except for really cold weather then might do every other day. Plan on feeding for 100 days.
I figure 30lbs a day on the low side with good hay for maintenance, in bitter weather, or poorer quality hay, reduced forage I give them more. They have to clean it up though. We'll supplement with cubes or cake if the quality is really low, watch the manure ,it'll tell you when. You're gonna have to adjust, there is no right answer, if your cows are milking they need more, if you have good quality stockpiled grass, they'll need less. If you can't afford feed for all of them, sell some and buy feed for the rest, you won't be the first.Bfields30":32jmzr5c said:How much do you feed per headsnoopdog":32jmzr5c said:I started feeding hay last weekend, we have grass, bit some of it is mature. My cows are in the critical period and I want them to have all they need, fed another bale today. We stock heavy and try to stretch the grass supply, with adjustments for drought etc., but when in doubt, feed. Its cheaper to keep weight on lactating cows, than ir is trying to put it back on them, IMO.