Alfalfa as supplement

[Brad S]

FH, down in wheat pasture country (ks, & ok) they've found the same lower conception rates when breeding on a diet of primarily wheat pasture.

 

[Faster horses]

FH, down in wheat pasture country (ks, & ok) they've found the same lower conception rates when breeding on a diet of primarily wheat pasture.

That would be a 'cereal grain' type of forage, so based on the article I have, that is understandable. Be interesting to know how much protein is in that wheat pasture when they are breeding on it.

 

[quarterstrap]

Great points. I never have fed hay that wasn't tested. Not because I liked the bill of testing feed, but because I have always been too poor to waste protein. It has already been said, but if you know your cattle's requirements you can mix different forages to balance your ration. Another thing I learned years ago is that when I was feeding several types of hay, say alfalfa, cane, oat hay & grass so that the ration was balanced, the cattle would eat salt but leave the mineral alone. If I got messed up due to poor planning and had to feed one or two types of feed for a week or so the mineral would disappear. My understanding of overfeeding protein is that extra protein has to be converted to energy at a net loss. That might be why the old timers said you could starve a cow to death on straight alfalfa. I have never seen that but I think I understand the principal. To Faster Horses original point...As easy as it is to feed good alfalfa I can't understand why a cake and range guy wouldn't buy tested alfalfa and feed 10-15#/dy instead of 1.5# of cake. The protein requirement got met way cheaper than buying cake and they got half-fed extending winter range. Old habits I guess. Good reading.

 

[Faster horses]

The first rule of feeding free-choice mineral: Quality and Quantity of forage dictates mineral consumption. This is good to remember.
The cows will tell you how good the feed is and if there is enough of it. Honest, they will.

As to the cake/range guy, sometimes it is a matter of getting the alfalfa out to them if they are quite a ways from the headquarters.
Much easier to get there with a cake feeder than a tractor with hay. Anyway, that's what I have been told.

Good post, quarterstrap!

 

[quarterstrap]

Good point. A 1200# cake feeder will feed 500hd and a 1500# bale will feed 100hd. used as a supplement. I just did a little quick math and 31% cubes cost roughly 2X what 20% alfalfa costs for the protein. It comes up in every discussion here. Every place is different and a guy needs to remember that. There are several other advantages to feeding the extra roughage that would take longer to figure out.