How would you handle this for a ration

[JoshuaGA]

Trying to get an idea how I am going to do this. Looking at feeding an all dry forage ration, primarily alfalfa hay, also probably be some grass hay as well, probably will eventually move to at least some baleage, but $$$ are not there at the moment. Grain will be homegrown, corn, ear corn, oats, possibly some barley and grain sorghum. I can also get ahold of whole cottonseed and distillers grain and some peanut byproducts. I am trying to be fairly cheap on this. Have thought about bagged silage, but I lack enough land to store enough bags to feed out of, no real place to put it, and also have a labor concern, not to mention cost, particulary as I would have to own everything, could be done if necessary but not my first choice.
So here is what I am asking. If you had to build a ration with no silage and no wet products except water and possibly some kind of syrup, how would you go about it. Am thinking at the moment to use a vertical mixer if I can get one within budget. Might also be able to get a Rotogrind hay grinder if necessary, man owes me a favor. I should also add that I intend to develop a couple of pastures to do some rotational grazing, I am thinking I can supply somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 my nutritional needs on pasture. I am aiming for around a 15000 RHA on a mostly crossbred herd Jersey/Holstein mix. Can it be done or am I dreaming. Dont need any spefics on it, I just want to know if what I am asking with what I have available is it possible. TIA

[jrtheoriginal]

It is possible main thing is with long hay they can sort very easy. So make sure you can grind very well but not to fine. Do you have access to anything like corn syrup or maybe molasses? Stickin it together might be a good idea.

[pldairy]

josh, this is almost like we feed our herd, but we do use corn silage........
put your phone # in a message to me , I can talk better than I type.....ask Jr.LOL

[JoshuaGA]

Dec 28, 2011 13:07:33 GMT -5 pldairy said:

josh, this is almost like we feed our herd, but we do use corn silage........
put your phone # in a message to me , I can talk better than I type.....ask Jr.LOL

I'll keep that in mind, might be a little bit before I get that message off, want to get to the spring and get my finances in order and see where I am headed. I know what you mean about typing. I can say it eventually, sure can't write it, and most of the time would rather talk in person for that matter. I can make most of my numbers work so far, it is the unknowns that are the issue.

[johnwayne360]

Im going to try and remember best I can, I quit dairying 11 years ago, and used a tmr for the last 3. But we used to do nothing but feed dry hay in a manger and feed buckets of corn twice a day before that. topdress with some cottonseed or roasted beans for the higher producing cows. Although we milked straight holsteins, had a herd average of 17k or so..The old fashioned way of doing it. Are you milking your cows in a parlor? How many cows are we talking about here? I have lots of questions..lol..to get 15k average Im not even sure you need to think about tmr mixers..although im really not familiar with the crosses you are using.

[JoshuaGA]

JW, Holstien/Jersey/Something else cows, I would milk in a parlor, freestall barn at this point. Have thought about using a bale processor with a supplement tank and topdressing, not sure how well that would work either, know it would limit my ration choices, but then again, not sure how well a TMR would mix either without some silage, and I cant see spending the money on silage, never mind a lack of labor, straight haying seems to work me hard enough, and I already own that equipment. Still not to the point on knowing I am going to do this, right now it is a concept and not an actual practice. Right now the calves are grazing oats and an old alfalfa field and I am giving them 4 5 gallon buckets of oats a day, plus they can pick at a little grass as well. I just feel as long as I am doing it, ain't got to be perfect, but I want it to be workable and fairly flexible.