# Haylage for beef



## MarkA (Dec 6, 2011)

How much haylage can be fed to simmental cattle? In the past we only put up a small amount of haylage to be fed in the winter,this year we put up 3 times as much.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Last year I would feed 3 silage bales and 3 dry bales. They always ate the silage bales first, but the feeders didn't get refilled until they cleaned it ALL up.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

MarkA said:


> How much haylage can be fed to simmental cattle? In the past we only put up a small amount of haylage to be fed in the winter,this year we put up 3 times as much.


If it is high quality haylage I would mix it with some ground corn stalks or rough hay.

Or feed so much haylage per day with rougher feed free choice in hay feeder.


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## MarkA (Dec 6, 2011)

We figured we could give them all they want of haylage and put out 2 cornstalk bales and 3 hay bales then replace bales when gone. We figured they might eat to much haylage.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

MarkA said:


> We figured we could give them all they want of haylage and put out 2 cornstalk bales and 3 hay bales then replace bales when gone. We figured they might eat to much haylage.


I think they would eat mostly haylage if you gave them all they want.Would probably be way more protien then they need.Could run into gut issues if they juat ate haylage.Depends on quality of haylage.

Maybe have a nutritionist figure out how much prtien needed per day with the haylage and give them that daily with free choice stalks


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Funny thing is, I know several guys around here that feed nothing but corn silage to their steers. Hay seems to lose some fiber when it ferments but the nice thing about cobs a nutrinist once told me is no matter what you do to them, grind em, ferment them, feed it as cracked cob, the fiber from the cob doesn't disappear.


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

The main thing to me is a balance diet, especialy with haylage, it seems that if the rumen ph is not right the stomach will not work. This almost every time seems to lead to a DA (displaced abdomen) or twisted stomach. High potency, excellent, young haylage is almost always one of the main factors when this happens. Early bud alfalfa doesn't have alot of fiber to start with, I know a few dairy guys that use a much coarser or longer chop on the harvester (3/4"), this can make for some fermentation issues if put into a open top, cement silo. To help prevent this poor fermentation issue they put it in at 50-55% moisture. The longer cut is to promote rumen action, and the higher moisture is to put more weight on the stack of feed and pack better to seal out the air. 
Any more the dairy guys are mixing wheat straw in their ration to add the needed fiber, if you have TMR corn stalks would be the answer, but most of us beef guys don't have facilities for TMR feed.
Fiber is your friend for sure, too little and all of the cows will end up off their feed with health problems, too much and there is no palatability, so the cows won't eat it, but if in doubt (and I reccomend it) consult with a feed specialist or nutritionist.
Best of luck


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2011)

I reccomended you to ask the nutritionist..


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## MarkA (Dec 6, 2011)

Thanks everybody. We sent our sample in of the haylage so we will see what they tell me. We also have high moisture rolled ear corn in a upright silo so I think they will have me mix that in some how.


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