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Grazing legume forage

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Rafter8

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Wondering who in the province of BC is grazing alfalfa?

I understand producers have been reluctant to plant and graze alfalfa because of the losses encountered with frothy bloat but with the water additive Alfasure (Poloxalene) mortality on grazing alfalfa can be reduced to almost zero.

So why don't cattle producers want to graze alfalfa and increase stocking density by 30% and rates of gain by 20%? The profit potential is huge!
 
We graze the regrowth in the hayfields in the fall, and always try to keep alfalfa established in our summer pastures. We've never grazed on 100% alfalfa though, mostly because we don't have it.
 
as I understand frothy bloat, it has big bubbles that a cow can't belch or pass. and kills by asphyxiation. bloat guard, etal, breaks these bubbles down. We use laundry soap, get one w/o bleach, to do the same thing. 1/2 cup per 50# loose salt is rec'd, so--natcherly--we use a cup. to work, you gotta have it in their system before turning onto legumes. we use 'mineral' salt---not for the minerals it don't have in it, but for the color---you can tell you got it well mixed. It's amazing how they'll pick thru a little old hay--or even straw---if you set a little out. tightens them up a little, I guess.
 
If you've ever seen 1 or 2 or 6 bloated cattle laying dead in the field, you'd sure understand the general reluctance to try it again, even with bloat inhibitors!! There have been some real horror stories...

There are a lot of variables in alfalfa stands, even on the same farm. A couple of years ago I had them on a fairly potent stand of alfalfa with very little grass mixed in, and thought they were safely acclimatized. Then I moved them to another field that was just as mature if not more so and killed a cow with bloat. Turns out it was a finer stemmed, leafier plant, seeded a year later then the first field.

We have usually had pretty good fortune but got caught a time or two. Once the cattle are accustomed to the alfalfa, they seem to get along fairly well. We start them out slowly, always with free choice dry hay in a feeder, a small strip at a time and increasing it gradually until they have all they want.

Then if there is a danger of frost, they get pulled back again as a feed of that stuff will kill them.

I've never tried the stuff you are talking about but it will be on my grocery list later in the year if we are grazing strong alfalfa stands as we have in the past. It sounds like good insurance.
 
We are not in BC and I think rainfall levels might affect things a bit. We often graze 70%+ Alfalfa fields and never worry about bloat at all. That includes cows, calves, bulls, grass cattle, etc. Maybe we are just too dumb to worry about it. I think we may have lost a cow to bloat once in the last 25 years or so. I know our yields on these fields are at least 1/2 again as much as straight grass, or a lower content blend.
Some of the new Sainfoins might be a good option if you can establish them in your stand at 5 to 10%. Apparently the cattle will selectively graze them when they are having issues with the alfalfa. The tannins in the sainfoin effectively do the same job as a detergent.
 
Silver said:
We graze the regrowth in the hayfields in the fall, and always try to keep alfalfa established in our summer pastures. We've never grazed on 100% alfalfa though, mostly because we don't have it.
Click to expand...

Where in BC are you located?
 
Thanks for the all the replies!

I agree bloat guard, etal and all the other similar products on the market don't work. I have seen bloat guard fed as a mixture with a grain supplement. However, bloat prevention cannot be guaranteed because the product is given free-choice, and cow intake is highly variable. However Alfasure is different. Polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene glycol blocks polymers designed for optimum performance in the rumen. Foam is destabilized by reducing surface elasticity and viscosity Alfasure is highly efficacious in preventing frothy bloat in cattle when administered in the drinking water 3 days before cows are exposed to bloat producing conditions. Alfasure is easily administered through water in a palatable, safe and environmentally friendly manner. Alfasure has a safe red dye to facilitate mixing with drinking water. I use automatic medicators. Cows gotta drink water! And it stays in the rumen for 36 hours.

What would the consumer say about cattle that have been fed laundry detergent?! I know I will not buy meat from cattle that have been treated this way! Is it even legal? .

Alfalfa and clover have several economical advantages- reliable forage crop, drought resistant, can recover the hay crop and graze regrowth when pastures are spent in the late summer, do not require nitrogen fertilizers, do not require yearly reseeding. So you increase profits on the same land base and decrease expenses- WIN WIN not to mention the environmental advantages- protection of surface water from runoff contamination, legumes fix nitrogen thereby restoring nutrient value in the land, legumes are excellent at utilization of phosphorous which permits the distribution of manure over the pasture, alfalfa prevents erosion and produces less methane.

Cow-calf pairs consume approx. 68 litres of water per day in the summer, growing cattle 36-55 L/day, finishing cattle 86 L/day. The dosage of Alfasure is 6mLs/head per day for cattle under 1000lbs and 10mls/head per day for cattle over 1000lbs. So the cost to the producer is approx. $0.15- $0.20 per head per day. No withdrawal period for meat or milk. Alfalfa supports stocking rates of 1500-3000 lbs per acre. I've seen 1- 1.3 kg/day average daily gains!
 
What would consumer say about laundry detergent? Well, they might notice you don't have to get it through a vet--unlike yours. So--might make you fart bubbles but pwobry not.

Might also notice it was mentioned by a producer--not a guy with 4 posts who came on here asking a question but maybe had an agenda?

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I do sell Alfasure but only in Canada so littlejoe in Montana will have to keep feeding Tide detergent to his cows ;)
Alfasure is OTC, you don't have to get it from your vet, just like laundry detergent ;)
And I'm not a guy ;)
My agenda is to find out what is going on in BC, Canada and to help educate ranchers having come from a family of ranchers, happy easter!
 
Rafter8 said:
I do sell Alfasure but only in Canada so littlejoe in Montana will have to keep feeding Tide detergent to his cows ;)
Alfasure is OTC, you don't have to get it from your vet, just like laundry detergent ;)
And I'm not a guy ;)
My agenda is to find out what is going on in BC, Canada and to help educate ranchers having come from a family of ranchers, happy easter!
Click to expand...

I know the feeling. :D :lol: :help: :gag:
 

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