bstone,
Great growth. Essentially fulfilled the model. Had earlier worked up climate for Boone County, IN and so just run the numbers starting from 4.5"on 10-12-24. Model estimates (assuming 13% mortality of LMB) that you now have 26 females averaging 1.4 lbs (13.43" at 110 RW) and 26 males averaging 1.1 lbs (12.5" at 110 RW). It estimates the consumption of 202 lbs of BG forage for the girls and 158 lbs of BG forage for the boys. In total, if they number 52 LMB/acre ... they consumed in the neighborhood of 360 lbs of BG equivalent forage.
They will surely reach the growth limiting forage soon. How soon largely depends on how much of bank of forage you still have remaining. You have two choices. You can supplement forage, or you can reduce the number of your LMB. For example, if you could remove all the estimated 26 males/acre ... you could free a minimum of 158 lbs/acre of forage for your females to grow on. So even if you kept all the females ... on the same amount of forage (360 lbs/year) your females could grow at the growth rate they are currently showing they are capable of. You could grow your girls to an average weight of 2.82 lbs by October 10th next year. By then you'd have 65 to 74 lbs/acre of LMB depending on natural mortality. You would have to start taking out females towards the end of next growing season OR you would have to supplement what would be lacking to continue growth.
For supplement forage, I would recommend GSH. They are usually about the same price per pound as FHM and usually the price per pound does not depend on their size. GSH grow comparably on a proportionate basis when compared to LMB. If you stock just below the optimum size ... as they grow ... they will remain very close to the optimum size as the LMB grow along side them. They are wonderful forage. For your girls, I would supplement GSH at average lengths of 2.5". Personally, I would remove enough BG to balance the weight of the GSH added. Restrict removal of BG to those > 5" and < 8".
