Hay is one of the most essential parts of keeping your cattle healthy through the winter. When the grass goes dormant, hay steps in to provide the nutrition they need. But before you can even think about feeding, you’ve got to understand what’s in the hay you’re offering.
Quality is key. You need to know what nutrients are in your hay so you can figure out what’s missing and what needs to be added. If the hay is low in quality, you’ll have to feed more, which can really drive up costs. So, finding the right balance between quality and price is super important.
The goal here is efficiency. You want to ensure you’re feeding the right amount without overdoing it. And with the recent challenges in weather, high-quality hay might be harder to come by, so it’s all about planning and knowing what works best for your cattle and budget.
Protein supplements are often needed during the fall and winter months. This need is because, during this time, most of your tame pasture forages go into dormancy. When this happens, things like their protein content will go down.
While the necessity of feeding supplements in cattle operations is undeniable, it’s not a task that most ranchers relish. As we all know, feed costs can be a significant financial burden, often constituting the most considerable portion of annual expenses. However, by implementing strategies to reduce these costs, such as optimizing forage production and minimizing hay waste, you can save a substantial amount. This not only eases the financial strain but also significantly improves your operation’s overall profitability.
