Anybody Ever Try to Feed Goldenrod?

[Non-farmer]

Thank you all for a very interesting read. Just what I needed after clearing the 7+ inches of snow we got last night. As the sun was hitting it today, it was turning the top of it hard. Glad I cleared it first thing this morning, another 5 inches on the way in a couple of days.

As a non-farmer, I love goldenrod, especially once I learned my allergic friends had nothing to fear from it, as it gets an unwarranted bad rap as an allergen. But I only have it on my few acres of high ground, because the stuff doesn't stand a chance competing with the reed canary grass my fields are full of.

I love reading about real farming. It's a shame my land won't allow me to farm (mostly flood plain - if it had been arable land, I couldn't have afforded it), so I get my farming fix reading threads like this. I tip my hat to all you guys who do this for real. I lack the words to express how much I respect this process and the people who make it happen.

 

[shaun wallace]

Back in mid 60s dad planted hay beans, pig weed was pretty bad in them. Square baled and cows left a lot in bunks, so dad bought a used hammer mill, ground all the bales. All they left after that was a piece around thumb sized.

 

[farmersamm]

Made it through the Winter. Coupla fires, power outages................other stuff.

Gurlz are still on their hooves, and walkin' around

Fairly minimal hay loss. We' figure close to 15%............maybe more. Lot of it was absolutely inedible. This is what's left on the ground after a hard Winter. Coulda been worse I guess. You can see the piles where we had to push the crap off before putting out a fresh bale. THIS COULDA BEEN A LOT WORSE. My feed bill is astronomical, but it is what it is.

All's we gots left.................won't make it through Spring.........but I have some bales on tap that I bought last year. Grass is coming on, but it's still not enough.

On the bright side...........................K'kins got a new ride this Winter!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She's no Spring chicken, nor am I. She deserves this. It's been many years since she's had something nice. I'm hoping it runs a long time, and protects her. Damn nice for a used car.

 

[used red MN]

K'kins got a new ride

Finally let her park the green Dodge or Plymouth whichever it is, you’re so kind!

 

[MARK ROBKE]

Made it through the Winter. Coupla fires, power outages................other stuff.

Gurlz are still on their hooves, and walkin' around

View attachment 107886
Fairly minimal hay loss. We' figure close to 15%............maybe more. Lot of it was absolutely inedible. This is what's left on the ground after a hard Winter. Coulda been worse I guess. You can see the piles where we had to push the crap off before putting out a fresh bale. THIS COULDA BEEN A LOT WORSE. My feed bill is astronomical, but it is what it is.

View attachment 107887
All's we gots left.................won't make it through Spring.........but I have some bales on tap that I bought last year. Grass is coming on, but it's still not enough.

On the bright side...........................K'kins got a new ride this Winter!!!!!!!!!!!!!

View attachment 107888

She's no Spring chicken, nor am I. She deserves this. It's been many years since she's had something nice. I'm hoping it runs a long time, and protects her. Damn nice for a used car.

The pic of your feeding area is interesting- around here when the ground isn't frozen, the cows would sink up to their knees in mud. When it dried out it would be too rough to walk on. That's why I built a gravel feed pad. Mark.

 

[farmersamm]

The pic of your feeding area is interesting- around here when the ground isn't frozen, the cows would sink up to their knees in mud. When it dried out it would be too rough to walk on. That's why I built a gravel feed pad. Mark.

I daresay we both have the same problem when it's a wet Winter.

I'll go around where the feeders are. The hay they spread on the ground prevents the mud from drying out.........nasty smelling stuff if you disturb the hay cover. Sometimes though........in a bad year, you get this. The ground is simply too soft anywhere in the feed area, and you bury the tractor.

We can get around it by moving the feeders around........but it just increases the size of the ruined area. So........we just feed in the same spot all the time.

Your approach is probably the best solution. Our problem........I'm not sure how many truckloads it would take. It's like a bottomless pit in some areas.

 

[flying belgian]

I bale rounds for sale but have never fed cattle. One thing I wonder,,, is it necessary to have a hay ring? Is there a lot more waste without one?

 

[used red MN]

Is there a lot more waste without one?

Yes, without it the livestock can move up an trample the feed. Unlike most humans they don’t care if they stand in their food or not, nor are they trained otherwise i.e. natural grazing.

 

[MARK ROBKE]

I daresay we both have the same problem when it's a wet Winter.

View attachment 107917
View attachment 107918
View attachment 107919
I'll go around where the feeders are. The hay they spread on the ground prevents the mud from drying out.........nasty smelling stuff if you disturb the hay cover. Sometimes though........in a bad year, you get this. The ground is simply too soft anywhere in the feed area, and you bury the tractor.

We can get around it by moving the feeders around........but it just increases the size of the ruined area. So........we just feed in the same spot all the time.

Your approach is probably the best solution. Our problem........I'm not sure how many truckloads it would take. It's like a bottomless pit in some areas.

Your first pic made me think you did not have mud, but I see now you have enough! As far as the feeding pad there may be programs in your county to get money for a feed pad. I built mine with filter fabric and tires with the side walls cut out under the gravel (actually limesand). Even with the pad there is still damage where they walk off the pad, but not as bad.
I got stuck like that once, the tractor bottomed out, and I flipped the bale off of the front and pulled myself forward with the spear-got lucky! Mark.

 

[johnnmr]

Depends if you're feeding weed bales in January and February with a foot of snow on the ground or mid April when the grass had greened up.

We get reed canary grass for "free" if we get it out of the neighbor's waterways before they start irrigating. Gotta feed it 1st in the winter otherwise it'll just lay in the bunk.