Feeding Cattle in The Cold

rusty6 · Dec 15, 2019

-22F yesterday morning and it struggled to get up to -10 by afternoon. But the hay feeder was near empty so I had to fire up the old Massey to put a bale out. Its the kind of weather you appreciate having a few trees around to get out of the wind. I think the cattle do too.

Feeding Hay

BillinCentralMO · Dec 16, 2019

Brings back memories of wintertime feeding at our place in the late 70?s. Makes me shiver a little just watching. Hope you had something hot to drink when you went in.

Traditional Farmer · Dec 16, 2019

I still haven't started feeding cows yet looks like the grass will hold OK until after Christmas unless we get some snow.I'm ready, bale unroller on the Oliver 1600 utility and the bale spear on the 1550 gas.With the mild weather and rain Fescue is greened up and growing a little.

Bruce from Can. · Dec 16, 2019

Gosh those cattle are wild !! Reminds me of my brothers beef cow herd, cows just stand where they are when he walks through the yard, and take pets as he walks by. And all the cattle know the white bucket.

Bruce from Can. · Dec 16, 2019

That sounds like a nice way to farm, we have had snow off and on since the first few days of November.

Traditional Farmer · Dec 16, 2019

I know a couple farmers here that feed little or no hay all Winter.They stockpile Fescue to graze and when it snows they blade the snow off so the cows can get to the grass to graze.

rusty6 · Dec 16, 2019

(quoted from post at 07:01:59 12/16/19) I know a couple farmers here that feed little or no hay all Winter.They stockpile Fescue to graze and when it snows they blade the snow off so the cows can get to the grass to graze.

Some here do "swath grazing" for winter. I see at least one field of swaths with cattle out grazing as I'm on the way to town. Another has corn field with electric fences to control their winter grazing. Seems to work ok but some of those open fields of swaths must be awful cold to graze in with no tree shelter to stop the wind. Makes a world of difference if you have a few trees to get behind.

Traditional Farmer · Dec 16, 2019

Windbreaks make a big difference in my area lots of trees and lots of hills and valleys/hollows to block the wind.Flat fields are in short supply(LOL)

Russ from MN · Dec 16, 2019

Sure was a lot simpler when we fed small squares! I could go out and throw a dozen bales in the feeders before you ever got a tractor started!

rusty6 · Dec 16, 2019

(quoted from post at 08:35:00 12/16/19) Sure was a lot simpler when we fed small squares! I could go out and throw a dozen bales in the feeders before you ever got a tractor started!

That is true but I nearly wore my knee out handling bales for too many years so I like this method. As long as we have electricity to power the block heater I have no problem firing up the old Massey in any weather.

Feeding Cattle in The Cold

rusty6

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BillinCentralMO

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Traditional Farmer

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Bruce from Can.

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Bruce from Can.

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Traditional Farmer

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rusty6

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Traditional Farmer

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Russ from MN

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rusty6

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