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For a few obvious (and some not so obvious) reasons, this same question gets asked frequently. As with most questions involving agriculture, the answer is "it depends" - and it primarily depends upon the following key areas: Product Specifics, Availability and Price.

Sometimes the mindsets behind making and feeding hay are as different as night and day - so before making and feeding hay can be considered synonymous, factors like nutritive value and storage have to be kept in mind by buyers and sellers.

Adding fat to the diet of a cow before calving and/or before breeding can have some substantial benefits.

Advantages of a controlled calving season include more uniform nutrition for the cow herd and less need for supplementation.

We get a lot of calls this time of year about winter cow nutrition and body condition. Cow body condition is a relative term used to describe the level of fatness or fleshiness. Some of the pieces of the puzzle vary with the class, but the basics don't vary and the mystery is not very deep.

Things to keep in mind if you are considering the use of by-product feeds.

Livestock producers spend a great deal of money putting up hay and buying feeds to see their stock through the winter. What if we didn't have to haul hay and feed all winter? There are cost saving incentives built into managing on a year-round basis.

There is much more to achieving a protective immune response from a vaccine administration than just poking a needle in a calf.

Hay costs can be a significant expense in cow-calf operations. Management practices can help you maximize your hay dollar.