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Protein

C

cleland

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
77
What does everyone feed for Protein this time of year? We are calving spring calvers and have fall cows with big calves on them. We have been feeding about 3-6 # of good alfalfa hay along with grazing stockpiled fescue, or feeding hay in some pastures. Just curious as to what other use. Cubes, Alfalfa, tubs??? What do you use and how much/hd/day?
 
I feed alfalfa hay as well for protien. I feed barley hay morning and night and top it with alfalfa every mornin'. About five pounds per cow and I'll up that a tad as they calve.
 
Supplementing with alfalfa is the cheapest, safest and most practical
way to add protein. You know what is in it, you are set up to feed it.
Good choice!

I have an article that I saved that compared cost of protein.
Second cutting alfalfa hay at $100/ton was by far the cheapest
protein. Most ranchers won't pay $100/ton for alfalfa, but they'll
go buy something processed for a lot more than that--and when
it comes right down to it, they don't know everything that's in
that processed feed.

FWIW
 
First thing you need to do is get all your feed tested so you really know where you are at.

BTW alfalfa is not always available in all areas. Even if it is , if it is an old stand or cut late , or has been rained on etc it can be completely worthless . :wink:
 
YES HD, getting your feed tested is so important. Can save thousands
of dollars in feed not purchased.

Actually rained on alfalfa, unless it loses it's leaves, is fine from a forage
analysis/protein standpoint. Hay that turns yellow from rain has lost vitamins and minerals,
but the protein is still there. Of course, if it loses it's leaves...or is put
up late....that's totally different.

I was surprised when we ran forage analysis on yellow hay and it
still had just about as much protein as that that wasn't rained on.

We just don't turn our alfalfa if it gets rained on and wait to bale it until
it is dry enough. We lose some on top due to dryness, but mostly
it's fine if we don't rake it.
 
Just shipped 210 head home to calve off the cornfields. We fed 10# of second alfalfa every fourth day. We used a pretty agressive mineral program, IMO, and all the water they would drink.
A cut of 2-yr-old heifers gained right at a pound per day, on this ration.
 

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