plowing snow/feeding

[PATB]

The amount of wastage in bale grazing is directly related to the quality of the hay. The poorer the quality of hay the more wasteage. I have some hayfields with reeds canary grass that gets way to ripe before the fields are accessable to harvest. The cows have a tendency to eat the other grasses and leave the reeds canary as bedding. A bale processor would make a blended mix and there would be less wastage but more cost in equipment, fuel and time.

I place my hay out every day on a clean location and let the cows eat what they want and make bedding out of the rest. The wastage and fertilizer will turn the land conversion area into productive pasture.

 

[3words]

The amount of wastage in bale grazing is directly related to the quality of the hay. The poorer the quality of hay the more wasteage. I have some hayfields with reeds canary grass that gets way to ripe before the fields are accessable to harvest. The cows have a tendency to eat the other grasses and leave the reeds canary as bedding. A bale processor would make a blended mix and there would be less wastage but more cost in equipment, fuel and time.

I place my hay out every day on a clean location and let the cows eat what they want and make bedding out of the rest. The wastage and fertilizer will turn the land conversion area into productive pasture.

I understand that they will leave the poorer stuff,but what i used was all alfalfa bromegrass bales,and it was all excellent feed.If i run it through a bale processor,they lick the ground clean.

 

[RSL]

RSL if my cows cleaned it up as good as your cows do,i would still be doing it.I would put out a weeks worth of feed and by day 5 they were up at the yard bellaring for feed,on the 6th day my neighbours were wondering what was going on over here.I could go out and check on how much feed was left in the field on day 7,and they would probably waste about 15 to 20% of the feed.I figured it out for me,and with that much waste it was cheaper for me to run the tractor and bale processor.

We are generally working with 2nd trimester dry cows, so can push them a bit. As well, we have pretty easy keeping genetics that let us do some lazy type stuff with our feeding program. Most of our cows won't even come up for water if there is snow and they have the choice.