Drought conditions are challenging producers to be creative as they think about options for maintaining the cowherd through the summer with limited pasture available. Several research studies conducted at the University of Nebraska have shown that cows can be managed effectively utilizing a limit fed ration. In a limit fed ration, the nutrient requirements of cattle are met with a diet that is less than the actual total amount that the cattle would eat if they had full access to all they could. Typically, these are total mixed rations, fed with a feed truck or wagon, consisting of limited amounts of forage and combined with protein and energy dense feed resources such as distillers grains, corn, corn silage, beet pulp, soy hull pellets, etc. For producers without access to a feed wagon, limit feeding can still be an option. Research at the University of Illinois 1 and the University of Minnesota 2 has shown that cows can be given timed access to hay bales in feeders and limit ...