Feed for milk cows...what to grow?

[whitewolf]

With everything being so crazy with prices and supply...if we could raise a couple of feed crops for you milk cow, what would they need to be?

[willow_girl]

For my girls? ... Molasses!

[myersfarm]

sweet corn I just love sweet corn ...... freeze it and eat in winter...sorry but I just love sweet corn..and my cows still love the GREEN CORN STALKS and the nubbins and if it gets hard to fast they get the whole thing

[sammyd]

lots of corn

[francismilker]

hybrid pearl millet would be my choice. The cows like it green in the pasture or cured in hay and the milk tastes pretty good off of it as well.

[Alan G]

Assuming you have no farm machinery, Mangel beets or sugar beets or Squash, any kind especially Hubbard.

Alan

[whitewolf]

Thanks for your input guys. This gives me a starting point.

[jeff1981]

I would suggest you concentrate on your forage. If you have enough high quality forage, your grain needs are very limited. Ideally, grass silage, corn silage, and lots and lots of good quality dry hay. You can do quite well on that without any commercial grain at all, however remember to give them access to free choice minerals.

[FarmerRob]

Corn screws up the Omega 3/Omega 6 balance. Bad for them is bad for you.
Grass fed and grass finished is the way to go. Grow alfalfa mixed with ladino clover for hay for winter feeding and plant good pasture mixes for grazing. If you want more then what Alan G said above.