Hay or Straw...What's the Difference?

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between hay and straw, or what their different purposes on the farm are?  In the picture below, straw is on the left and hay is on the right.  What is one difference that you see?

 You might have first noticed that the straw (left) is yellow, while the hay (right) is green.  That is one of the biggest differences.  When you take a hay ride, it is actually probably a "straw ride."  The girls always ask me why it isn't just called a straw ride and I really don't have an answer for that other than hay ride just sounds better.;)

Another difference is how they are grown.  Straw comes from wheat.

photo credit: From My Front Porch

 If you've driven through the Midwest at all during the summer, then you've probably seen several fields of the gorgeous golden amber waves of grain.  Wheat harvest is my friend Jent's most favorite time of year.  You can read all about it on her blog.

The combine cuts the wheat and saves the seed which is then turned into cereal, bread, flour, and many more delicious foods.  The field is only harvested once.  Some farmers choose to plant double crop beans in the wheat stubble.  Double cropping means to harvest two crops from one field in one season.

Photo credit: From My Front Porch

The combine leaves all the other parts of the plant in the field.  It is then baled in to square bales (they are actually rectangle, but everyone calls them square;)), or round bales.

Photo credit: From My Front Porch

These bales are used for bedding to keep our cattle nice and comfy and warm when they lie down.

Hay comes from a grass, mainly alfalfa or clover.  It is also harvested in the summer months.  Just like the grass grows in your yard after you mow it, so does hay.  Unlike wheat, we usually get 3-4 cuttings (or mowing) of hay a season.  We don't use a combine to mow the hay, but instead use a hay bine.  It works the same way as a lawn mower.  After the hay is cut, we let it dry for a day or two depending on weather conditions, then it is raked into rows and then baled.

Like wheat, the hay is baled into square bales or round bales.  Here is a short video that shows the baling process.  The implement behind the tractor is called an accumulator.  It stacks the bales nice and neat to be picked up later.

The hay is used to feed our cattle.  To find out what we feed our cattle, check out this post.

So, there you have it!  Hopefully that clears up the question, "What's the difference between hay and straw?"

How Do Cows Stay Warm in the Winter?

I am definitely not a winter person.  I prefer the warmth and sunshine over cold and snow.  I'm sure you've driven by farms and have seen cows with a light dusting of snow.  Have you ever wondered how cows stay warm in the winter?

While some people think that it is best to keep them indoors, it's actually the opposite.  Beef cattle are able to produce a lot of muscle and fat, unlike dairy cows who are great at making milk, but have very little muscle and fat.  This muscle and fat serves as an "insulator" for the cooler temperatures.  Luckily, since they are outside all the time, they have a chance to adapt to the changing temperatures.  While the weather in the Midwest can be very moody, very rarely do we go from 85 degrees one day to 25 degrees the next.  It's a gradual change, so they have a chance to adapt.  Also, just like other animals, cows develop a winter coat in late fall and early winter to help keep them warm.  They will also huddle together in a group to stay warm.

So, what do we do in winter to make sure the calves are comfortable?

We check there water and feed several times a day.  We want to make sure the water doesn't freeze.  There are heaters on the water tanks to help prevent this from happening, but just like everything else, sometimes these break.  Also, if we have had a substantial amount of snowfall before feeding time, the bunks are shoveled out before the cattle are fed.  We like for them to have a clean dry plate to eat off of.  

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Since they are using more energy to stay warm, there feeding rations may be changed to accommodate them. 

We've had a very mild winter thus far, but it has also been very wet.  We make sure that the barn is kept clean by removing as much manure as possible.  Also, dry bedding is a must.  When it is wet, the cattle are given fresh straw in the barn often.  As my husband says, "I like to have clean, dry sheets on my bed."  There you have it.  Our cattle are treated just as well, if not better than we are!

The calves have a barn that provides shelter to get them out of the elements.  It is an open sided barn and you can see the windows in the back.  Those help provide a breeze in the hot summer months while the barn provides shade.  We also have an older barn that some of our calves are able to seek shelter in.

Cattle are able to adapt to the cold weather, much better than I can adapt to it!  Stay warm everyone!

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Grass Fed VS Grain Fed

I love a good juicy cheeseburger or a steak straight off the grill in the summer!  There's a lot of questions from consumers about grass fed and corn feed beef.  Which is better?  Which is healthy?  Which is safer to eat?  These are also all questions that I have been asked personally as well.

First off, let me start by saying, (in case you are new  to This Farm Family's life or just stopping by, if so then welcome;)  we are beef farmers who feed our cattle grain.  They are given a balanced ration of haylage, dry hay, corn silage, and corn.  That being said, I am not judging one way versus the other.  All cattle at one point in their lives are grass fed.  Many of them begin on pasture and are finished out in feed lot type settings while reaching market weight.

All beef is rich in 10 essential nutrients: protein, selenium, B12, zinc, niacin, B6, phosphorus, choline, iron, and riboflavin.  Grain fed has proven to be higher in monosaturated fat which is the same heart healthy fat found in olive oil while grass fed is higher in omega 3 fatty acids.

Another question that consumers are asking is which type is safer to eat?  They are both safe to eat.  Grass or grain fed are both great quality meat that are safe as long as they are cooked properly.

A calf that is grain fed will reach market weight faster than one that is grass fed.  Grass fed beef also costs more per pound.   Research has also shown that corn fed beef provides more tender and tastier meat and creates better marbeling in steaks and such.  

Land base is quickly decreasing because of urban growth while corn yields keep increasing because of advancements in technology.

Lastly, a researcher at Texas A&M university states that grass fed beef is not as healthy, nor grain fed beef as harmful as some reports have suggested.

Corn fed or grass fed.  You be the judge and pick which one is better for your family.  If you prefer grass fed and it fits into your budget, then go for it.  If you prefer corn fed, then go for it!

Feeding Time...

Obviously these pictures (and video) were shot a while ago.  Currently, there is snow on the ground and it is pretty cold!  In fact, I think these were taken almost a year and a half ago. It's a bit of a tease seeing the corn in the field and the blue skies, but Spring will be here soon enough! I never got around to blogging them (surprise, surprise!).  So, in honor of my monthly Ag question and answer segment, I thought it seemed appropriate to finally blog them!

It's a common question nowadays. People often ask what we feed our cattle.  Once we tell them that we give them a balanced diet of haylage, dry hay, corn, corn silage and supplements they then want to know exactly how we feed them.

Everything goes in to the red silage mixer you see below.  Brad is using the skidloader to add the corn silage..

This is the silage, which Brad is putting in the mixer above.  We don't use silos anymore, but instead use these silage bags which keep the silage fresh.

A close-up shot of the silage.  Silage is made when the field corn is still green.  We use a chopper to harvest the corn and, unlike during corn harvest when only the corn is saved, the whole plant is used and it makes this sweet and juicy mixture that the cattle love!

Next, some dry hay is added...

Then the corn and supplements which are already pre-mixed.  It is coming out of the auger from a grain bin on the other side of the wall...

Now, since all these pictures were taken a year and a half ago, the haylage wasn't part of the diet at that time.  It has since been added, but obviously I don't have any pictures.

Everything that we feed our cattle is measured precisely.  They are fed based on their weight to create a balanced ration.  Just like measuring flour and sugar when you are baking cookies, we measure the hay, corn, etc for the calves.

Everything gets all mixed together.  Check out the video at the end of this post!

Some humor on the side of the mixer;)

Ready to eat...

Here are a couple videos to show the mixer in action.  Everything is mixed together extremely well, just like a mixer at home.  This ensures that the cattle eat everything that is added to aid in a healthy diet.

And that's it!  That's how we feed our cattle!