Keeping cows comfortable

[George]

At the gravel pit I charge the local tree trimmers $25.00 per load to dump the chips generated.

Anything with walnut or pine must go to the south dump site but good clean chips without walnut or pine are piled at the north end and I resell as mulch.

I have been getting more in than the people are buying for mulch so I pile them about a foot to 18" deep in the loafing shed. About once a week I go in with a skid steer and turn them over - - - nice and fluffy and the percentage of manure is low enough that I can keep doing that all winter before I haul them off.

Works much better than straw and being as I'm getting paid to dump them here the cost is right.


These are a couple of pictures after turning

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[Denny]

They do that here in the dairy industry lay down a layer of wood chips normally in august in the compost shed and keep adding bedding all winter it gets to be 4 ft deep or so by summer they clean them once a year. The concept of the wood chips is they create heat which keep the cows warmer I bet your do about the same thing.

 

[aspen]

I understand the dangers of walnut, but what is the problem with pine?

 

[George]

I understand the dangers of walnut, but what is the problem with pine?

The cattle could eat the needles but my major concern is the sap that is very sticky and makes a mess of everything it touches - - - it would probably get in the cattle hair and make a mat that would not provide needed insulation.

The walnut sap is caustic and would burn the skin and remove the hair.

This is easy for me in a loafing shed with a herd of "18" - - - but I bet you could form outdoor mounds - - - they get very hot inside and the cattle would figure that out quickly! Charge the local tree trimmers about 1/2 of what the local landfill does and they would put them where you wanted all year long to be ready for winter.

 

[Faster horses]

There isn't much protection around or near our barn so we have had manure/dirt piles in the lots, big long, wide piles of them. Two lots, and one in each lot. The cattle love them and they can get on either side of them depending on which way the wind is blowing. The calves love to play on them and lay on top of them. We've just left them there, don't clean them up every year and they have gotten fairly big and wide. They don't look so good, but they work better than anything! Fuction vs form, I guess.

You have some lucky cows, George!

 

[Soapweed]

There isn't much protection around or near our barn so we have had manure/dirt piles in the lots, big long, wide piles of them. Two lots, and one in each lot. The cattle love them and they can get on either side of them depending on which way the wind is blowing. The calves love to play on them and lay on top of them. We've just left them there, don't clean them up every year and they have gotten fairly big and wide. They don't look so good, but they work better than anything! Fuction vs form, I guess.

You have some lucky cows, George!

I have been playing Scrabble on Facebook. You did use one word that would not be accepted.

 

[Faster horses]

There isn't much protection around or near our barn so we have had manure/dirt piles in the lots, big long, wide piles of them. Two lots, and one in each lot. The cattle love them and they can get on either side of them depending on which way the wind is blowing. The calves love to play on them and lay on top of them. We've just left them there, don't clean them up every year and they have gotten fairly big and wide. They don't look so good, but they work better than anything! Fuction vs form, I guess.

You have some lucky cows, George!

I have been playing Scrabble on Facebook. You did use one word that would not be accepted.

Oh oh. Me bad. :wink:

How do you play scrabble on Facebook? I'm getting tired of Spider Solitaire.

 

[mrj]

FH, aren't those called "berms"? We have them in our calf lot, with similar use by the calves. I think it was called 'King of the Hill" when I was in school, but it was the top of an old cistern we used instead of the dirt/manure mix.

I've seen some effective appearing windbreaks made of dirt, either in a curved or angled form, or just straight in pastures along hiways , which look like a good deal and sort of instant gratification compared with planting trees. Wonder how it would work to plant trees and shrubs on the back side of those for more effect eventually? They would have to be fenced, but makes sense to me.

mrj

 

[Faster horses]

FH, aren't those called "berms"? We have them in our calf lot, with similar use by the calves. I think it was called 'King of the Hill" when I was in school, but it was the top of an old cistern we used instead of the dirt/manure mix.

I've seen some effective appearing windbreaks made of dirt, either in a curved or angled form, or just straight in pastures along hiways , which look like a good deal and sort of instant gratification compared with planting trees. Wonder how it would work to plant trees and shrubs on the back side of those for more effect eventually? They would have to be fenced, but makes sense to me.

mrj

I think 'berm' would the correct term. They don't cost much and are certainly effective. I would think planting trees and shrubs on some would be very nice. The type of ground that is in ours (gumbo) wouldn't be
very conductive to growing trees or shrubs. And I'm not sure how they would survive when cattle can get at them in the springtime and any other time we would have them in the lot with the berms.

 

[George]

You have some lucky cows, George![/quote]

They are definitely spoiled - - - I doubt they would like some of the conditions of the real ranchers - - - With a creek going thru the middle of all the 6 to 8 acre pastures and plenty of shade they never have to walk far for a drink or shade and in the bad weather I bring them up to the loafing shed so they can stay out of the rain if they want.

"Remake" their beds every week as needed, 24 hour access to hay, water, mineral and nice beds - - - not a bad life! I have 2 pastures that were not used this summer so they can forage there at will and that really reduces the hay eaten.