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  • From: "Cherry Tree Farms" <ctfarms AT helicon.net>
  • To: <sunnfarm AT bellatlantic.net>, "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Winter foraging instead of haying
  • Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 11:10:27 -0400

It doesn't pay at all to let hay get over mature - once it starts coming out of the boot its time to make it.  We have been late here (western PA) because of weather this year and quantity will not make up for quality.  On a good year we get 3 cuttings, 2 is more average.
 
In our rotational grazing system we have been able to let stands grazed or hayed in late summer/early fall come back then turn the animals loose on this stockpiled forage as late as New Years to feed into mid-January.  The cows, goats, and sheep dig through the snow just fine, an ice crust is another story however.  Have some hay on hand too, and see which they prefer (mine will take the grass); the hay is a good indicator also of when they have eaten all the stockpile they are going to eat.  I have not had loss of animal condition overwintering in this manner.
 
Good Luck,
Doyle
Cherry Tree Farms
Atop the Allegheny's in PA
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2005 9:58 AM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Winter foraging instead of haying

Around here farmers can generally get at least 4  cuttings of alfalfa, cutting just before bloom yields the most TDN per acre but not the most dry matter. Some people confuse dry matter for nutrients. Old over matured hay contains a lot of indigestible fiber that a ruminant can not digest and will have to be supplemented with another protein source. Anytime you have to buy extra  protein your loosing money. The only way to stockpile forage in the north is by cutting high moisture green forage and storing it either in a silo a bag or piled up in a bunker under tarps. I think allowing cattle to dig for their forage in the snow is bad economics... Bob.

Errol Castens wrote:

My uncle used to let his hayfield get desperately overmature before he'd cut it, because it created so much more volume, and it made him feel like he was accomplishing more. The resulting hay was of exceedingly poor quality, and the condition of his cows showed it all winter. (His explanation was, "Well, it beats a snowball.") Maybe there's a logical difference, but can someone explain to me why stockpiling summer grazing for winter foraging would yield substantially better quality feed than my uncle's hay? Blessings,errol castensOxford, Mississippi


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