Corn stubble in round bales?

[Glenn9643]

Last week I drove over into north MS just south of Tupelo for a couple of days to take care of some business affairs for my aunt. I noticed that farmers in that area have baled the corn stubble after picking and are feeding it to cattle instead of hay (which isn't available due to drouth).
Didn't have a camera with me.
A farmer friend there told me that the cows ate it pretty well, but the bales tear apart easily if moved with a spear, so they are using forks for transport.
This was a new thing for me. Anyone else doing this?

 

[thcri]

We bale the corn stalks around here but for bedding. Guess I never heard that they use it for feed.

murph

 

[Melensdad]

I don't actually do real farming, but my field is alternately planted corn and soybean each year by a real farmer up the road. He does not bale the corn stubble for feed. We have dozens of farms in this area and I've never seen a corn bale but it is very common to rows of hay bales lined up or trailers loaded with bales of hay.

As you wonder, I too wonder if it is a 'regional' thing based on weather, climate, etc.

 

[Grooming Snow]

Feed to Dry cows & beef cattle , as long as they are in good shape they do pretty good on the corn stubble bales also helps if short on hay , they all so round bale bean stubble for bedding.

 

[kensfarm]

Corn fodder.. bean fodder.. the steers will eat it up in the winter. It happens more when less hay is available.. if you net wrap for round bales they will stay together better.. haven't had any problems w/ squares falling apart. It's harder to rake & bale the corn stocks then being in a hay field.

 

[Trakternut]

Plus it eats the heck outta the tin in the bottom of a round baler. Cornstalks are rough and literally "sand" the panels away as they rotate. But, yeah, they're darn good feed!

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Cows like corn stalks much more than snowballs. Come Feb. and there's no grass showing, they'll tear 'em up. I used to fence my cornfields and turn cattle out in them to clean up ears that made it through the combine and the stalks. They eat the ears first, then they go for the husk. Finally, they'll eat stalks.

 

[bczoom]

Around here, it's ground into silage. Isn't the same done down there?

 

[Glenn9643]

Some plant corn for silage, and when it is cut everything goes into the silage.
This corn was harvested and the residue (stalks, husks, missed ears) was baled for feed.