Determine Cattle Protein Needs by Cow Patties

Cattle need protein for basic health requirements but it changes with age, pregnancy and seasonally.  My cattle are in their middle trimester now and are mostly eating hay.  My operation is small enough to allow me to be more labor intensive but it allows me to reduce my costs.  I feed round bales of hay but I only feed enough for one day at a time.  The bales can be easily unrolled.  Feeding more than that causes higher hay losses.  The cattle waste hay by stepping on it and even in hay rings it soaks up ground moisture.  I use strip grazing with portable electric fencing to allow 1-2 hours per day of grazing on winter ryegrass.  You can tell by the cow patties if your cattle are getting enough protein.  The more protein they take in, the flatter the patties get.  Patties that are 3-5 inches high are generally enough protein unless the patties are distinctly segmented.  Cattle are often overfed which leads to lower profits.  Maybe this will help you save money on your expenses.