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What age can you feed silage to calves??

  • 22-02-2011 1:38pm
    #1
    F.D
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 718 ✭✭✭


    Just wondering what is the correct or youngest age to let calves have silage ?
    We have a batch of bucket fed calves born between mid and end of december, they are just coming off milk and are eating a lot of hay/ straw and meal
    would be nice to get them out to grass for a few hours a day even but have no sheltered paddock to let them into near the yard and the paddock behind the sheds is all torn up from building work in the autumn
    Silage would be real good and very dry, but i have loads of hay and straw anyway if its not a good idea


Comments

  • #2
    jeff greene
    Closed Accounts Posts: 733 ✭✭✭jeff greene


    I think ad lib straw is the best by far, its amazing how much they’ll eat. But they develope well and its consistent, it keeps the dung dry so bedding lasts longer too. If the silage is dry and well preserved maybe offer some aswell.


  • #3
    BeeDI
    Closed Accounts Posts: 805 ✭✭✭BeeDI


    Mine are 3 weeks to a month old. They have a mixture of hay and straw in a rack in their creep area, which they are allways nibbling at.
    However they are also regularly nibbling away at the cowa silage through the feed barrier.
    I believe however, that good straw is what is recommned for them.


  • #4
    funny man
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 908 ✭✭✭funny man


    F.D wrote: »
    Just wondering what is the correct or youngest age to let calves have silage ?
    We have a batch of bucket fed calves born between mid and end of december, they are just coming off milk and are eating a lot of hay/ straw and meal
    would be nice to get them out to grass for a few hours a day even but have no sheltered paddock to let them into near the yard and the paddock behind the sheds is all torn up from building work in the autumn
    Silage would be real good and very dry, but i have loads of hay and straw anyway if its not a good idea

    There should be no problem feeding silage to young calves provided it is not chopped and the only disadvantage with it is you don't get gut full which aids rumen development, Straw or hay is best.


  • #5
    Bizzum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Bizzum


    I notice calves from about 3 weeks old picking some silage through the feed barriers, even though they have hay in their lie-back area. Still when you put in a fresh armfull of hay, they seem to love it.


  • #6
    F.D
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 718 ✭✭✭F.D


    Thanks for the info, i will offer a small bit along with the hay and straw and let them decide for them selves, just said i'd ask on here first as i didn't want to sicken them


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