Posted by picassomcp on November 28, 2012 at 17:48:51 from (50.107.38.145):
I am raising my first batch of beef cattle, 8 steers, angus and herefords, that I got last spring about 400 lbs. They have been on pasture all summer long, this pasture is weedy, but about 14 acres, they ate around the weeds just fine all summer long. I spent the summer making hay to feed them this winter. The hay I made is a mix of grasses such as fescue, some canary, other grasses (I don't know my grasses very well) and a mix of clover. Only a small bit received rain, and not much rain even, most was made with no rain and dried well. When the time came to shut down the pasture, I fed a bale of hay. The darn cattle are being picky with it. One bale will go in the feeder, they will eat on it most of day and in 4-5 days that bale is nearly gone. I'll throw in another bale, they'll sniff at it and walk away. Won't pay any attention to it. This current bale has been in there since last Thursday. All the twine is still on, only a few mouthfuls from the end are gone. The last "bad" bale I set about 40 feet from the feeder right on the ground. They will rub on it and lay next to it, but won't eat it. My neighbor makes similiar hay or worse, only cuts once a year when the grass/hay is very old, his beef cattle eat it right up.
I also feed my cattle some ground cob corn with a lil bit of dried molasses in it along with a 38% protein pellet, not a heck of a lot, about 8-9 lbs per head per day.
I'm concerned that they are not gonna gain any weight by not eating the hay. I want them to grow so I can get some beef in the freezer and to justify the cost of the corn that I am giving them.
I'm certain there is some weeds in the hay, but certainly not the whole bale, any weeds in the hay could easily be picked out. Am I feeding too much grain for them to have an appetite for dry hay? they are about 650-750 lbs now, I can't imagine that the little bit of corn that they are getting is enough to get by on. They have a good supply of clean water and salt and mineral block access all the time?
Any ideas on what I can do to get them to eat some hay??
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - The Nuts and Bolts of Fasteners - Part 2 - by Curtis Von Fange. In our previous article we discussed capscrews, bolts, and nuts along with their relative hardness and thread sizes. In this segment we will finish up on our fasteners and then work with ways to keep them from loosening up in the field. Capscrews, bolts and nuts are not the only means of holding two parts together. When dealing with thinner metals like sheet tin, a long bolt and
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
Oliver 550 Diesel runs like a watch three point hitch pto engine gone threw about two hundred hours ago nice clean tractor
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
