Anyone feeding fodder yet?

restive

I know their is still lots of grass around but the quality might be declining since it is late in the year. So anyone feeding fodder yet?

kevthegaff

restive wrote: »

I know their is still lots of grass around but the quality might be declining since it is late in the year. So anyone feeding fodder yet?

No not yet hope to keep out everything till 1st November at least, its a lot handier and cleaner!

RaggyDays

Oceans of grass about the place, never seen growth this good so late in the year

john_cappa

RaggyDays wrote: »

Oceans of grass about the place, never seen growth this good so late in the year

x 2! Hope fully the rain stays away so the cattle dont waste half of it!

buffalobilly

Bought a few weanlings last week put them in but all other stock should be out for a few of weeks yet. Like the other poster said oceans of grass out there There should be plenty of fodder this winter. Happy days

Sharpshooter82

buffalobilly wrote: »

Bought a few weanlings last week put them in but all other stock should be out for a few of weeks yet. Like the other poster said oceans of grass out there There should be plenty of fodder this winter. Happy days

The difference a year makes eh

Muckit

buffalobilly wrote: »

Bought a few weanlings last week put them in but all other stock should be out for a few of weeks yet. Like the other poster said oceans of grass out there There should be plenty of fodder this winter. Happy days

Interested to know why you put weanlings in? Nearly came to blows here when suggested leaving out, oul lad wanted bought in lads put straight in. But surely they healthier out for a while

Sharpshooter82

Muckit wrote: »

Interested to know why you put weanlings in? Nearly came to blows here when suggested leaving out, oul lad wanted bought in lads put straight in. But surely they healthier out for a while

+1

buffalobilly

The only reason I put them in is away working all week dark in evenings easier keeping an eye on them. Ideally they would be out for a few weeks yet

st1979

Milkers are on as much grass as they want and ad lib good bale silage and there is a bale of nice barley straw. They are way happier getting a bit of forage. Been giving straw since early sept and think it is helping them. As I am getting 4.4% fat and when I didnt replace the bale of straw the fat dropped to 4.1 put another bale in and back up to 4.4. Now dont bother asking me how many kgs of grass etc are they getting cause I dont know. But am not skinning the paddocks as I put dry cattle on after and they clean it right down. But I reckon the feed value has dropped a lot. Also my milk ureas were low all year (low 20's) and now I am high 30's even went to 46. So I presume protein in the grass is very high.

yellow50HX

Muckit wrote: »

Interested to know why you put weanlings in? Nearly came to blows here when suggested leaving out, oul lad wanted bought in lads put straight in. But surely they healthier out for a while

Weaned calves are indoors, will be off to the mart next week. Will keep a few of the heifers for replacements. If the weather holds I'll put them back out on grass again.

Robson99

Plenty of grass here too. Dont know whether to buy some store lambs or some weanlings. Was thinking of getting some bull weanlings, squeezing and letting them back out after a week or so. But the lambs might be better value if the weather changes

restive

I put a bale of silage in the ring this evening for eight cattle i have been fattening. Their is still grass in the fields but i am unsure of the quality. I am giving them 3 kg of meal and they were quicker to come to it at the weekend. Anyway the silage got a good reception and they were still eating it when i left them at dusk.

Farmer Pudsey

17 dairy bred bull that I bought about three weeks ago inside on silage and 6kgs aiming to finish end of January. Everything else outside 14 Friesian bullocks as good finished gone onto 3kgs/day, they were on 2/day. Look like I have at least 4 weeks for heavier stock on grass(400kgs+) and maybe 6-8 weeks for lighter cattle left. Nothing else getting meal except 22 bucket fed weanlings that I have bought a week ago.

Last year was as good as out of grass at this stage. ground was under pressure. Reckon housing will be nearly 6 weeks later this year than last and about 2 weeks later than normal.

bob charles

Using 10t of grub a day at the moment. another week or two and it will be full bore winter regime . Still plenty of grass outside but energy just isnt in it. Lovely store cattle and weanling grass tough. Hoping to keep younger cattle very late as I dont have accommodation or feed for the winter for them as of yet

freedominacup

bob charles wrote: »

Using 10t of grub a day at the moment. another week or two and it will be full bore winter regime . Still plenty of grass outside but energy just isnt in it. Lovely store cattle and weanling grass tough. Hoping to keep younger cattle very late as I dont have accommodation or feed for the winter for them as of yet

Ya don't do panic do ya bob?:D

delaval

freedominacup wrote: »

Ya don't do panic do ya bob?:D

I still have to find accommodation for 25% of the cows for the winter
Any offers?

jersey101

delaval wrote: »

I still have to find accommodation for 25% of the cows for the winter
Any offers?

ill milk em if you bring the fodder

Viewtodiefor

delaval wrote: »

I still have to find accommodation for 25% of the cows for the winter
Any offers?

I send ya a few loads of bark n a digger for d weekend. Couple of lads tractor n trailer strip d topsoil lay the bark, low n behold there's your pad ! Low cost, ur style ? :-)

Sharpshooter82

jersey101 wrote: »

ill milk em if you bring the fodder

Back handers are starting already

bob charles

freedominacup wrote: »

Ya don't do panic do ya bob?:D

good things come to those who wait. No point giving top dollar not for feed and accommodation by being the early bird.

lefthooker

st1979 wrote: »

Milkers are on as much grass as they want and ad lib good bale silage and there is a bale of nice barley straw. They are way happier getting a bit of forage. Been giving straw since early sept and think it is helping them. As I am getting 4.4% fat and when I didnt replace the bale of straw the fat dropped to 4.1 put another bale in and back up to 4.4. Now dont bother asking me how many kgs of grass etc are they getting cause I dont know. But am not skinning the paddocks as I put dry cattle on after and they clean it right down. But I reckon the feed value has dropped a lot. Also my milk ureas were low all year (low 20's) and now I am high 30's even went to 46. So I presume protein in the grass is very high.

Are you giving them any meal in the parlour?
What's your daily yield like? Is the straw pushing them back a bit?

delaval

Viewtodiefor wrote: »

I send ya a few loads of bark n a digger for d weekend. Couple of lads tractor n trailer strip d topsoil lay the bark, low n behold there's your pad ! Low cost, ur style ? :-)

If you or any one has wood chip I'd be interested

st1979

lefthooker wrote: »

Are you giving them any meal in the parlour?
What's your daily yield like? Is the straw pushing them back a bit?

Yield was doing well until 2 wks ago when we got a good bit of rain and cold. Getting 15litres. The straw is there if they want it and they are eating it so I guess they want it. They are a lot more content since I started buffer feeding and they are getting really nice bale silage. The straw and silage is not mixed so the cow decides. It is helping extend my grass feeding and ground conditions are excellent. They are getting 3 kg in parlour as well

lefthooker

st1979 wrote: »

Yield was doing well until 2 wks ago when we got a good bit of rain and cold. Getting 15litres. The straw is there if they want it and they are eating it so I guess they want it. They are a lot more content since I started buffer feeding and they are getting really nice bale silage. The straw and silage is not mixed so the cow decides. It is helping extend my grass feeding and ground conditions are excellent. They are getting 3 kg in parlour as well

Practically the same here.
Been on a "strawlage" mix 5:1 here since mid/end Sept. Body condition has improved and dung is a lot drier. Also getting 3kgs, had them on 4 when I was making them graze out the paddocks to close for the spring, but dropped them back as they're heading into good covers and I don't have the grazing too tight cos I'll get at least another grazing off all the fields.
Yield - 14L BF - 4.65 PR - 3.98 Urea - 33

freedominacup

lefthooker wrote: »

Practically the same here.
Been on a "strawlage" mix 5:1 here since mid/end Sept. Body condition has improved and dung is a lot drier. Also getting 3kgs, had them on 4 when I was making them graze out the paddocks to close for the spring, but dropped them back as they're heading into good covers and I don't have the grazing too tight cos I'll get at least another grazing off all the fields.
Yield - 14L BF - 4.65 PR - 3.98 Urea - 33

delaval will be along in a few minutes to talk to you about this:D:D. You'll probably just get a warning this time so don't worry too much about it:D.

Farmer Pudsey

freedominacup wrote: »

delaval will be along in a few minutes to talk to you about this:D:D. You'll probably just get a warning this time so don't worry too much about it:D.

Del Boy has a point to a certain extent. Notice the bit of frost at night. However rain may make it mild again and if Ground conditions remain good grass utilisation keep rotations slow. Heavy covers not an issue with drystock farmers. a paddock that has a heavy cover next March will do yearling grand for a few weeks with a back fence ground conditions permiting. However Dairy farmers I suppose need a bit more quality as they supplement with parlour feeding.

Every body land is different and adapting to your land type, farming type and weather conditions is what increases profitability.

As my mother used to say

Doctors differ and we die.

lefthooker

Suppose the angle I'm coming from is the ground conditions and growth are great. Should extend my grazing well into November. It just that come this time of the year with the shorter days I believe grass grows grass. I'll graze tight for the last rotation but while there's plenty of it ahead of them and it aint shooting out I don't need to go too tight

whelan1

opened pit today, cows broke into wrong paddock - it had only been grazed 10 days ago- let them in at half 3 then milked them at 5, let them back out to graze after milking, they just got silage and straw, very good silage:D

1chippy

im starting to put a few in next week. like bob im short on housing and will be running light weanlings as late as possable. ive kept a few fields with a good cover just for this purpose. otherwise grass is starting to run thin enough around here. ive only a few weanlings sold as of yet and they are keeping the place well trimmed.

Good loser

bob charles wrote: »

Using 10t of grub a day at the moment. another week or two and it will be full bore winter regime . Still plenty of grass outside but energy just isnt in it. Lovely store cattle and weanling grass tough. Hoping to keep younger cattle very late as I dont have accommodation or feed for the winter for them as of yet

Hi Bob. Any idea what the figures involved are? Is it just a matter of lower dry matter in the grass? A few Friesian fatteners I have outside on good grass are still gaining condition - no meals.