As I was finishing up in the hayfield on Friday, I looked across the road. On the opposite side of the road was a group of future mama cows that are currently running with a South Poll Bull. They were all looking at me quizzically. I can only assume they were wondering how that big machine ate a whole field full of grass in just a couple of days. I snapped a picture and went on about my business. Later when looking through my pictures, I saw this picture in a different light. It struck me that I had just spent several hours and a bit of fuel to store all that forage for these girls when the grass isn't plentiful. The revelation was that they would have been more than happy to harvest it themselves. Now, we will likely never get to a zero hay situation. But this has gotten me thinking more about extending our grazing season and storing more forage as a standing stockpile. We already utilize electric fences and multiple types of grass. With a little more strategy on our part, the cattle could do more of the harvesting themselves. Thus, reducing our hay burden. That's what I'm thinking about... I'll let you know how it goes.
By the way, I think the calves out of these cows and the South Poll Bull are gonna be fantastic. I cant wait to see them. They should start calving this fall.
