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| That would be living the dream. Some years the stars a line and we don't but far and few. For the record central coast of California. Rainy season is from Oct to May but only 10 to 25 inches and any of those months can be no rain. Better quality plants from this environment will hold nutrients in the dry plant from spring until fall. Then is crunch time here. Only takes 10th's of a inch to start leaching sugar from dry plants. Generally takes a inch to really sprout new annuals. Yes this is a anual grass and board leaf country. With low humidity 30 to 50 degree swings of temperature are common so you need have feed so they stay healthy.
With stockpiled dry grass pastures you can fill them. But proteins and water soluble mineral are lacking. So somebody came up with cotton seed , vitamins , and minerals. Then salt as limiting agent and it could all be put out in feeder in locations impossible to get to in wet weather. The majic of salt mix was made. We could sit by the fire and just check cows for a hour or 2 and all was so good. The last salt mixed feed I bought 20 years ago the salt cost as much or more than the other ingredients. So the bursting of another bubble. It worked from the 1950's until the 90's then Cargill had control of salt supply.
The swath grazing can be good here to a degree. I use it when the weather fits. Mostly on years with lots of wildoats. And what has worked for here wean calves give the the best swaths and put pounds on them. I call it rolling with mother nature. We fall calf, going for the home run every year. This year with no cards left to play. that drought thing again calves left in April the earliest ever for me. Several years ago weaned in July but them on swaths, sent them in Nov at 800 out of 1200 to 1300 pound cows that travel. As it take 10 to 30 acres a cow.
As somebody already said only local advice will work over the long haul. Good luck on getting away from hay. We can with protien mineral tubes sometimes. But hay in the barn has been money in the bank. I hate slogging around in the muck to feed hay in the rain. Yes I have love hate thing with rain.
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Getting away from hay?
