-
COWS-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 22
An overdose is not only a waste of money but more importantly, harmful.
Trace mineral salt can be used if feeds are deficient in certain minerals. They are needed in small amounts only and include copper, iron iodine, cobalt, manganese, selenium and zinc.
When cattle graze all the year round phosphorus supplements are most important. Deficiencies are most likely to occur in cows kept for long periods on dry grass or crop residues. Phosphorus level in most harvest forages such as hay is adequate especially for dry cows. The time to supplement is when they have been kept on dry grass for a long time or are yielding a lot of milk.
Concentrates: are dense, with more energy, they are also expensive more so than forages, but they have a higher percentage of easily digested carbohydrates. REMEMBER, NOT ALL GRAINS WEIGH THE SAME. Weigh feeds to find out how much your scoop or buck really hold in terms of weight for a particular feed, and recheck it when changing feeds. For example, making a change in a steer's ration without adjusting for weight of the new feed may lead to digestive problems.
Precautions when feeding Grain Supplements: When feeding high energy grain supplements there is the risk of acidosis if cattle overeat. Acidosis, which is a build up of acids - occurs when an acid environment is created in the rumen. Spread the supplement among the cattle so each one gets an equal share. Overeating this type of supplement may case liver abscesses, caused by mild cases of acidosis. A liver abscess may no be a problem in a steer being fattened since he will be butchered before the problem becomes life-threatening, but it can be a serious situation in a herd of cows.
Time of day to supplement: The worst time is early morning when cattle are the most hungry, they prefer to eat the supplement and are slow to start grazing. The purpose of a supplement is to maximize the forage available, but if you feed in the morning the cattle come to expect the handout and go to the feeding area first thing in the morning and may stay until noon and not start grazing until afternoon!
NUTRITIONAL NEEDS:
If you don't have good pasture, sort your herd into groups for differing feeding because their needs ARE NOT THE SAME.
Growing Heifers:
Replacement heifers must gain at least half a kilo per day to be large enough to breed as yearlings. If they grow too slowly they will not mature soon enough to breed on schedule. Good cross-bred heifers grown enough on high-quality roughages alone – that is good grass hay and alfalfa hay mixed. But straightbred heifers do not have the hybrid vigor and feed efficiency and may only gain if supplemented.
Trace mineral salt can be used if feeds are deficient in certain minerals. They are needed in small amounts only and include copper, iron iodine, cobalt, manganese, selenium and zinc.
When cattle graze all the year round phosphorus supplements are most important. Deficiencies are most likely to occur in cows kept for long periods on dry grass or crop residues. Phosphorus level in most harvest forages such as hay is adequate especially for dry cows. The time to supplement is when they have been kept on dry grass for a long time or are yielding a lot of milk.
Concentrates: are dense, with more energy, they are also expensive more so than forages, but they have a higher percentage of easily digested carbohydrates. REMEMBER, NOT ALL GRAINS WEIGH THE SAME. Weigh feeds to find out how much your scoop or buck really hold in terms of weight for a particular feed, and recheck it when changing feeds. For example, making a change in a steer's ration without adjusting for weight of the new feed may lead to digestive problems.
Precautions when feeding Grain Supplements: When feeding high energy grain supplements there is the risk of acidosis if cattle overeat. Acidosis, which is a build up of acids - occurs when an acid environment is created in the rumen. Spread the supplement among the cattle so each one gets an equal share. Overeating this type of supplement may case liver abscesses, caused by mild cases of acidosis. A liver abscess may no be a problem in a steer being fattened since he will be butchered before the problem becomes life-threatening, but it can be a serious situation in a herd of cows.
Time of day to supplement: The worst time is early morning when cattle are the most hungry, they prefer to eat the supplement and are slow to start grazing. The purpose of a supplement is to maximize the forage available, but if you feed in the morning the cattle come to expect the handout and go to the feeding area first thing in the morning and may stay until noon and not start grazing until afternoon!
NUTRITIONAL NEEDS:
If you don't have good pasture, sort your herd into groups for differing feeding because their needs ARE NOT THE SAME.
Growing Heifers:
Replacement heifers must gain at least half a kilo per day to be large enough to breed as yearlings. If they grow too slowly they will not mature soon enough to breed on schedule. Good cross-bred heifers grown enough on high-quality roughages alone – that is good grass hay and alfalfa hay mixed. But straightbred heifers do not have the hybrid vigor and feed efficiency and may only gain if supplemented.