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??
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