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Calf Question

Murgen

Well-known member
These little guys rumen's aren't really developed enough yet to get the full benefit out of hay. They need some fermentable energy.

I realize these are dairy calf pics, but take a look and see what difference in Rumen development a bit of grain does over just milk or milk and hay.

http://www.das.psu.edu/dairynutrition/calves/rumen/
 

IL Rancher

Well-known member
As far as the gain on Alfalfa... I don't know FH. Not all of our pastures are alfalfa.. The ones that are are old hayfields that we just took out of production and are not being managed for anything... In fact, of the 600 acres in production only 100 acres are alfalfa, 200 acres are swamp ground, 100 acres are improved fescue (endophyte free), 120 acres are sandhill ground that is a mix of grasses that have been here since 1900 and the rest is an annual field.

Last year was the first year we really grazed the alfalfa and the calves in general preformed poorley last year. The drought really limited the available forage for the calves to chew on and milk was way down... We really should have creep fed last year, it was one year that it would have really paid...

I HATE bottle feeding FH and will do just about anything to either graft them back on or get them on pellets..
 

the_jersey_lilly_2000

Well-known member
No we dont use the blocks, we use the loose bloat mineral, but only when puttin calves on feed for the first time, or if we've had somethin penned and turnin it out on grass. It's just that when I was asking at the feed store about bloat blocks, (which usta be the only form it came in around here) they now carry only the loose. I don't know what other areas of the country carry, that's why I suggested the block if he couldn't find the loose. If there is more than the one doin it, I think I'd pull em all back in, put em on hay and some sort of supplemental feed, get em on a loose bloat mineral, it does other stuff besides prevent bloat. It also can be added to the feed ration to make sure they are gettin it. Its a full mineral supplement as well, least what we feed the heifers is, also good for stress when movin em, and yes it does need to be in em about a week in advance to anything that will cause stress. After they been on hay, feed, and mineral a week or so, turn em back out. After they are goin good we switch them to our regular mineral that's doesn't have the anti bloat additives in it.
 

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