farmerjan
Herd Master
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2016
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If the square bales were stored inside, and didn't get wet, there is little more loss of nutrients in the second year. Being covered to keep the bird poop off would actually protect from any loss of color/nutrients also. We have had square bales in the barn for several years if we don't get enough sold to get to the back and about every 3rd or 4th year will completely empty out that area to the floor and bare wall to start stacking over again. It will get a bit drier but that's about it. About the biggest problem we have is mice chew through the baling strings and you go to grab the two strings and one comes off and the bale falls apart.
We try to have at least an extra 100-200 square bales left in the spring for a "cushion" in case of bad weather and not getting hay made "right". We also try to carry at least 100 big round bales over.... the possibility of a bad hay season or a drought and having to scrounge to find hay to feed in july or aug is scary. I realize that you all do things on a much smaller scale, but I personally would get my anticipated needed hay in as soon as it is available. And yes at least 10% more so that you are not paying 3 x as much if you run out and there is none available.
Since I am not familiar with Tx hay making I don't know the best to get. Here we mostly round bale and feed our cattle with first cutting due to trying to get it made as soon as possible and the weather patterns to get it down and dry and made. We do some first cut square baling of the two orchard grass fields because we have 2 people who want first cutting. They want a little more coarse hay. The second and third cuttings are usually much "finer" hay.
Around here I have never heard of first cutting being too rich for cattle, and causing any kind of bloat. @greybeard is right about the grass tetany. We start feeding hi-mag mineral in early spring and feed through all of pasture season. Cheap insurance against losing any animals. We are in a selenium deficient area so also feed a mineral that is higher in selenium and it has prevented any kind of problems in the calves born also. We don't have a problem with bloat either. The nutrient content of our 2nd and 3rd cutting hay is higher than the first cutting. We do get some weeds in first cutting which is why most farmers will feed it to cattle so they can pick around the weeds if they want. First cutting alfalfa is too stemmy for my preferences, but then in this area it is not irrigated, so the growth is not controlled as much. Too much leaf loss also. I buy about 150-250 square bales of alfalfa usually 3rd cutting, for the sheep and the milk cows I have that are used as nurse cows and milk for the house. Alfalfa is a demanding crop and we just do not have the flexibility with our full time jobs to get it made at the right times, so it is better to buy it. We have a big enough demand for our orchard grass that we can sell it for nearly what the alfalfa costs and it is more forgiving on timing to make it.
We try to have at least an extra 100-200 square bales left in the spring for a "cushion" in case of bad weather and not getting hay made "right". We also try to carry at least 100 big round bales over.... the possibility of a bad hay season or a drought and having to scrounge to find hay to feed in july or aug is scary. I realize that you all do things on a much smaller scale, but I personally would get my anticipated needed hay in as soon as it is available. And yes at least 10% more so that you are not paying 3 x as much if you run out and there is none available.
Since I am not familiar with Tx hay making I don't know the best to get. Here we mostly round bale and feed our cattle with first cutting due to trying to get it made as soon as possible and the weather patterns to get it down and dry and made. We do some first cut square baling of the two orchard grass fields because we have 2 people who want first cutting. They want a little more coarse hay. The second and third cuttings are usually much "finer" hay.
Around here I have never heard of first cutting being too rich for cattle, and causing any kind of bloat. @greybeard is right about the grass tetany. We start feeding hi-mag mineral in early spring and feed through all of pasture season. Cheap insurance against losing any animals. We are in a selenium deficient area so also feed a mineral that is higher in selenium and it has prevented any kind of problems in the calves born also. We don't have a problem with bloat either. The nutrient content of our 2nd and 3rd cutting hay is higher than the first cutting. We do get some weeds in first cutting which is why most farmers will feed it to cattle so they can pick around the weeds if they want. First cutting alfalfa is too stemmy for my preferences, but then in this area it is not irrigated, so the growth is not controlled as much. Too much leaf loss also. I buy about 150-250 square bales of alfalfa usually 3rd cutting, for the sheep and the milk cows I have that are used as nurse cows and milk for the house. Alfalfa is a demanding crop and we just do not have the flexibility with our full time jobs to get it made at the right times, so it is better to buy it. We have a big enough demand for our orchard grass that we can sell it for nearly what the alfalfa costs and it is more forgiving on timing to make it.