As dry as it has been and with hay in short supply, like a lot of folks, I am marginal on having enough hay to get to the typical May 1 start of the grazing season in SW WI. I had to feed some hay over the summer and early fall that was not in my original plan.

It has been warm enough and no snow yet so there is still a bit of green grass, especially in the pastures where I spread AMS in September.

I feed my March/April calving cows in rings.  The difference this year so far is I am putting out fewer bales each time than I used to. They don't get more hay until the current ones are completely finished.  They start bellowing for more but their condition looks very good for this time of year and they go clean up the hard to get grass along the fences etc.

It seems like there is a very small percent of the original 1500-1600 lb bale left, especially if I move the ring to let them get at the last of it.  This seems to put me more at 2% of dry cow weight per day consumption rather than the 2.5 or 3% I have been seeing when I put out several bales.  I may still need to put out several days or a weeks worth at times but when I can I will just put out more only when they finish what is in the rings.

Sort of like unrolling just what they need. My vet liked the cow condition at weaning last month. I notice once the calves are off of them, their dewlaps are starting to fill out. He said its ok for them to get a little hungry. Good to see ahead of winter.

I have a mineralyx tub out but consumption doesn't seem any higher than normal. The very minimal amount of hay left in this clean-your-plate method wouldn't pay for any sort of processor or the time/fuel/tractor to use it.

If this keeps up I may be OK for hay for the winter. Necessity is the mother of invention they say, maybe also a good teacher.  

Jim