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HAY
Dec 23, 2010 22:33:02 GMT -5
Post by sunshine on Dec 23, 2010 22:33:02 GMT -5
The two steers have had plenty of graze until just recently. Just the last week or so I've noticed them spending a lot of time just hanging by the water, mooing and waiting for me to come out with their feed.
Finally, I told DH if we are not going to get rid of them NOW, they have to have hay.
I have square bales, mind you, over in the hay barn, but I don't want to start giving it to the cattle, because I want it to last the goats until spring.
So today, DH called the neighbor I call "Davy Crockett," over around the bend, and went and picked up two big round bales of hay. One bale went right into the steer field, and the other is covered with a tarp, for another day.
I actually thought one bale would last them quite awhile until I saw them light into it. The bull started tearing at it with his horns, throughing hay all over. It'll be interesting to see how much is left in the morning.
I think we're going to need to go pick up a round bale feeder.
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HAY
Dec 24, 2010 18:57:09 GMT -5
Post by Cyngbaeld on Dec 24, 2010 18:57:09 GMT -5
Yes, the feeders are good. My neighbor has a couple of donkeys in the field next to me and he puts out a round bale. They spread it around pretty good too.
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HAY
Dec 24, 2010 20:42:06 GMT -5
Post by sunshine on Dec 24, 2010 20:42:06 GMT -5
DH went in to TSC this morning and brought home a ring to put around it. Hopefully that will make it last a little longer.
The cattle didn't even moo for their feed today; they were so happy with that hay. (They did, however, eat it when it was taken to them.)
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HAY
Dec 24, 2010 20:46:41 GMT -5
Post by Cyngbaeld on Dec 24, 2010 20:46:41 GMT -5
My friend, Lisa, said their goats have been much happier with a big round bale in their yard. I'm still making mine rustle up their own grub. Since they are still coming in with full bellies and are all in good flesh, I don't worry about them.
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HAY
Dec 24, 2010 20:49:16 GMT -5
Post by Cyngbaeld on Dec 24, 2010 20:49:16 GMT -5
Took this a couple of days ago. You can see they are pretty fat.
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HAY
Dec 24, 2010 22:16:44 GMT -5
Post by sunshine on Dec 24, 2010 22:16:44 GMT -5
Your field's looking about like mine, not a lot of green/nutrition left. Keep a check on those ribs, especially if they are growing babies. Their rumens can be full (fat), and they can still be undernourished. Lack of good nutrition can quickly become a problem that takes a goat down in late pregnancy.
Goats sometimes kill themselves with round bales because they'll eat until it falls on them. I'm not making this up.
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HAY
Dec 25, 2010 15:26:41 GMT -5
Post by Cyngbaeld on Dec 25, 2010 15:26:41 GMT -5
Yes, their ribs are covered with flesh. They have access to the woods and there is still green stuff growing down by the creek. They also get some grain now.
I've never given the goats round bales, hadn't thought about them pulling the things down. I'll mention it to Lisa.
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HAY
Dec 25, 2010 19:15:39 GMT -5
Post by sunshine on Dec 25, 2010 19:15:39 GMT -5
They don't exactly pull them down on themselves; they eat a hole in the side and it falls over on them. Our Davy Crockett friend says he's moved round bales and found dead goats under them. They sort of eat toward the center and it collapses or something.
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HAY
Dec 25, 2010 19:46:16 GMT -5
Post by Cyngbaeld on Dec 25, 2010 19:46:16 GMT -5
I think the stuff in the center must taste better or something. My neighbor's donkeys always eat the center first.
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HAY
Dec 25, 2010 21:03:25 GMT -5
Post by Granny Smith on Dec 25, 2010 21:03:25 GMT -5
Our neighbors drop 2 or 3 round bales a day on top of the hill, then roll it down the hillside. It unrolls as it goes, so the cows aren't crowded while they eat. (They have around 80 head in the winter)
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HAY
Dec 25, 2010 21:58:54 GMT -5
Post by Valerie on Dec 25, 2010 21:58:54 GMT -5
OMG I would love to see that! I love those round bales, for some reason. I've always wanted one, just to sit on it and look at it and smell it. I know. I'm nuts.
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HAY
Dec 25, 2010 22:43:43 GMT -5
Post by sunshine on Dec 25, 2010 22:43:43 GMT -5
If they are as expensive there as they are here, he's spending a small fortune getting his cattle through the winter.
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HAY
Dec 25, 2010 23:48:42 GMT -5
Post by Granny Smith on Dec 25, 2010 23:48:42 GMT -5
He grows his own. Most of us grow hay around here.
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HAY
Dec 26, 2010 13:28:58 GMT -5
Post by Cyngbaeld on Dec 26, 2010 13:28:58 GMT -5
I grow it, I just haven't been able to harvest any. Can't talk anybody into cutting on shares even and they have to buy hay and have equipment but no open fields of hay. Crazy.
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HAY
Dec 26, 2010 17:09:23 GMT -5
Post by Granny Smith on Dec 26, 2010 17:09:23 GMT -5
We could never find anybody who wanted to cut on shares, either. So we bought a tractor and all the equipment to make our own hay. Now I can't get Dan to cut it! Even if we didn't need it, we could sell it, but he has a thousand excuses for not cutting it. I'd do it myself, but I have never driven a tractor and it probably isn't a good idea to learn on these hills - or so I've been told.
I'm fixing to get a scythe and cut it by hand - at least enough for my chickens.
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