Feeding your cattle

just do it

Just out of interest and curiousity more so than anything else I'm wondering when and how often do you fodder your cattle? From the chit chat thread I see lads foddering in the evening...

I've my system down to fine art (for me!) at this stage. I've sucklers, sell the calvesas weanlings, and keep a few heifers as replacements. Feed once a day early in the morning, this could be as early as 5am depending on work. Fresh round bales every 3-4 days. I drop them 1 foot from the barrier and push them in each morning. The replacements and autumn calves also get 1kg of meal each day. That's it. Unless I'm suspicious of something I only check them once a day.

reilig

Like yourself, bales are left out from cattle's heads - although cows that are in calf and calving in spring have bales left up to 2ft from their heads and bales are pushed closer once per day so as to restrict how much they get to eat. Weinlings and cows that are suckling calves get silage ad lib.

Feed meal twice per day to weinlings that will be sold in march. About 1.5kg per head twice per day.

Old man is wandering around all day so looking at them as such could 10 times per day - but at least twice a day if he's not around.

I go through pens of cows to calve every weekend and move those that appear to be filling their bags to less stocked pens - where I examine them more closely on a daily basis and move them to the calving pen if necessary.

Would love to be able to be at home all the time, but the bills have to be paid.

Maybe when the mortgage is paid off!!

just do it wrote: »

Just out of interest and curiousity more so than anything else I'm wondering when and how often do you fodder your cattle? From the chit chat thread I see lads foddering in the evening...

I've my system down to fine art (for me!) at this stage. I've sucklers, sell the calvesas weanlings, and keep a few heifers as replacements. Feed once a day early in the morning, this could be as early as 5am depending on work. Fresh round bales every 3-4 days. I drop them 1 foot from the barrier and push them in each morning. The replacements and autumn calves also get 1kg of meal each day. That's it. Unless I'm suspicious of something I only check them once a day.

Kovu

just do it wrote: »

Just out of interest and curiousity more so than anything else I'm wondering when and how often do you fodder your cattle? From the chit chat thread I see lads foddering in the evening...

I've my system down to fine art (for me!) at this stage. I've sucklers, sell the calvesas weanlings, and keep a few heifers as replacements. Feed once a day early in the morning, this could be as early as 5am depending on work. Fresh round bales every 3-4 days. I drop them 1 foot from the barrier and push them in each morning. The replacements and autumn calves also get 1kg of meal each day. That's it. Unless I'm suspicious of something I only check them once a day.

Ours get fork fed twice a day 8.30am and 5pm or so. Means less wastage and seeing as we have the time, it does no harm to keep Dad busy and out of the house eating biscuits:rolleyes:

But we are understocked so they are fat as pigs at the moment. One sent off to Athleague tonight, roughly 730kg and only took a month of half a bucket of nuts per day to bring her to that.

1chippy

first thing every morn and around 6 every evening. dads retired so like reilig could be through them ten times a day. Even if he has them fed i like to take a look. something really theraputic checking cattle after being in the workshop or out on site.

epfff

Karen112 wrote: »

just do it wrote: »

Just out of interest and curiousity more so than anything else I'm wondering when and how often do you fodder your cattle? From the chit chat thread I see lads foddering in the evening...

I've my system down to fine art (for me!) at this stage. I've sucklers, sell the calvesas weanlings, and keep a few heifers as replacements. Feed once a day early in the morning, this could be as early as 5am depending on work. Fresh round bales every 3-4 days. I drop them 1 foot from the barrier and push them in each morning. The replacements and autumn calves also get 1kg of meal each day. That's it. Unless I'm suspicious of something I only check them once a day.

Ours get fork fed twice a day 8.30am and 5pm or so. Means less wastage and seeing as we have the time, it does no harm to keep Dad busy and out of the house eating biscuits:rolleyes:

But we are understocked so they are fat as pigs at the moment. One sent off to Athleague tonight, roughly 730kg and only took a month of half a bucket of nuts per day to bring her to that.

Dont actually own a fork myself
Feed every evening after work
Diet feeder for weanlings (meal and silage and straw)
Depending on pressure what cows get
Often feed for 2 days if I know I am going to be tied up at work
They eat clean

Donegal09

Diet feeding 18 cows and 18 calves and one pb sim bull once every three days with 3 bales of silage and 300kg of meal each time. Give it a push in every morning and its gone in 3 days.

Alibaba

I think I seen in de Journal at some stage that feeding in the evening means less cows calve by night and more by day.

Anyone have any experience of that ?

Kovu

epfff wrote: »

Dont actually own a fork myself
Feed every evening after work
Diet feeder for weanlings (meal and silage and straw)
Depending on pressure what cows get
Often feed for 2 days if I know I am going to be tied up at work
They eat clean

No fork??:eek::eek::eek:
Any grape? (four pronged fork in southern counties)
We like to measure what feed the cattle get, normally have bales left over each year to tide us in case of bad weather.

masseys scrap and zetors no better

Karen112 wrote: »

No fork??:eek::eek::eek:
Any grape? (four pronged fork in southern counties)
We like to measure what feed the cattle get, normally have bales left over each year to tide us in case of bad weather.

get yourself a front loader or telehandler and you will be able to retire your grape/fork just like i did 3 years ago,front loader is best thing to ever come about the place,i can feed bales to 55 heads in about 20 minutes

49801

bring in pit silage every 2nd night to the feed fence and just push in the following night, all with the loader.
found every 3rd night is a bit hard to judge right and a bit more waste.
i try and make sure that the dry cows go without feed for 4-5hrs each day to restrict them.
young stock and calved cows get silage adlib.
meals to young stock and minerals for dry cows done at the end each evening.

reilig

Alibaba wrote: »

I think I seen in de Journal at some stage that feeding in the evening means less cows calve by night and more by day.

Anyone have any experience of that ?

I read on the Journal a few years ago about a study done in New Zealand. It found that feeding in the morning means less calving at night - they allowed cows to feed ad-lib during the day and not to eat anything at all at night and saw a huge percentage of their cows calve during they day.

vanderbadger

used to feed morning and evening, never gave it too much thought, was just always the way we did it, then just before christmas started splitting bales along barrier,keeps them going now for 3 days or so, seems like a simple enough change but I must say it makes life alot easier not having to go feeding in the evenings especially after coming home from work . seems to work great for cows but I dont leave too much in front of younger cattle as they are inclined to be slow eaters anyway so i would just leave a smaller amount in front of them. wont be going back to the daily routine i think. on a negative side Ive had to inject my 4th or 5th aminal this morning for the soar (silage) eye thing. this was happening when I was feeding twice daily also and the bales would be open a day in advance so not sure whats causing it, have alot of mould on bales, will never use green bale wrap again i think

MfMan

Give each pen a new block usually every 24 hours, fork in remainder every 12 hours or so. Also spill out a bucket of nuts for them every morning which is more labour intensive.

towzer2010

reilig wrote: »

I read on the Journal a few years ago about a study done in New Zealand. It found that feeding in the morning means less calving at night - they allowed cows to feed ad-lib during the day and not to eat anything at all at night and saw a huge percentage of their cows calve during they day.

Thats gas. My vet told me the complete opposite while doing a section at three in the morning last year.

He told me to restrict during the day and feed last thing at night and the cow wont calf until the morning

leg wax

towzer2010 wrote: »

Thats gas. My vet told me the complete opposite while doing a section at three in the morning last year.

He told me to restrict during the day and feed last thing at night and the cow wont calf until the morning

yes thats the way its done let the cows feed at ten or before you go to bed and take them away at first thing in the morn, and it works did it when milking and living away from farm.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

masseys scrap and zetors no better wrote: »

get yourself a front loader or telehandler and you will be able to retire your grape/fork just like i did 3 years ago,front loader is best thing to ever come about the place,i can feed bales to 55 heads in about 20 minutes

still handy to have a fork!


We have a 4 bay back to back, and a 3 bay single, so 11 pins in all, 9 over a tank, 2 dry. sometimes its handy to put a bale at every pin, but when cows are calving that cant be done, as the feeders cant be opened to remove the cow, cow and calf. We only make bakes 300-350 a year. we bring in a few bales at a time and break them up with the loader, feed with a combination of the loader and grape. second man is a great time saver when bringin in the bales, saves a lot of time removing the plastic and net. would love one of those grabs that removes the pastic and net off the bales, bit they are very expensive at the moment

just do it

Same but different!!

49801 wrote: »

found every 3rd night is a bit hard to judge right and a bit more waste.

I've found with the round bales 3 days is the most you can get away with, once it goes to 4 or 5 days the silage is less palatable and there is more waste (as in there is waste, at 3 days supply I don't have any waste).

49801 wrote: »

i try and make sure that the dry cows go without feed for 4-5hrs each day to restrict them.

By dropping the bales 1-2 foot short of the barrier the cows have cleaned what's in front of them and the bales need pushing in each morning. This has the added advantage that they don't tend to drag much silage back into the pen, therefore the slats are clear, therefore the pen is cleaner!

just do it

vanderbadger wrote: »

have alot of mould on bales, will never use green bale wrap again i think

Do you think the green bale wrap isn't as good? Any one else have that opinion? First time I've heard that....

just do it

reilig wrote: »

I read on the Journal a few years ago about a study done in New Zealand. It found that feeding in the morning means less calving at night - they allowed cows to feed ad-lib during the day and not to eat anything at all at night and saw a huge percentage of their cows calve during they day.

towzer2010 wrote: »

Thats gas. My vet told me the complete opposite while doing a section at three in the morning last year.

He told me to restrict during the day and feed last thing at night and the cow wont calf until the morning

Is everything down under upside down?:D

Yeah I agree feeding in the evening reduces night calving. I know a few farmers who do it, one of whom milks around 150 cows, and have found it to be true!

vanderbadger

just do it wrote: »

Do you think the green bale wrap isn't as good? Any one else have that opinion? First time I've heard that....

ya its rubbish, its volac wrap but we found it awfal brittle compared to black stuff

bbam

We feed in the evenings as with work it's too early.
Bales every 4 days or so, bit of waste at the moment we think through the mild weather. It's not much though so were happy. Meal in the evening, about 1kg, we currently feed 1kg all year round but might review this. Is it better to reed meal on an ongoing basis or just as a final boost before sale, with the current system the hex are gaining an average of 0.9kg a day and the continentals about 1.1kg a day

Farmtrader

I think it's all about figuring out a system that works for you and your set up.
Once cattle have plenty of fresh silage, bales no older than 5/6 days and water then I don't see any issues.

dryan

Have 40 x 1.5 yr old bullocks in one shed - they get 3 bales every 2 days - no meal. silage is good quality.

Have 20 older bullocks that im trying to finish in another shed that are on silage + 2-3 kg nuts/day.
they getting through 1.5 bales of my best quality silage every 2 days.

Part-timer here so have the bossman at home keeping them watered and silage under the heads.

just do it

bbam wrote: »

We feed in the evenings as with work it's too early.
Bales every 4 days or so, bit of waste at the moment we think through the mild weather. It's not much though so were happy. Meal in the evening, about 1kg, we currently feed 1kg all year round but might review this. Is it better to reed meal on an ongoing basis or just as a final boost before sale, with the current system the hex are gaining an average of 0.9kg a day and the continentals about 1.1kg a day

What are feeding the meal to? Weanlings, 1.5yo's? Cows?

I'd say there is no need to feed at grass if it is good quality, just when weaning and otherwise for fattening.

Those are good liveweight gains you're getting. The journal talks of 0.8kg/day being good.

Krico22

vanderbadger wrote: »

ya its rubbish, its volac wrap but we found it awfal brittle compared to black stuff

the normal rolls of volac green would be of the similar quality to the black plastic, but you can get extra large rolls of volac green and i think this stuff wouldnt be near as good as the normal rolls.

yellow50HX

try not to feed silage for more then 2 days as it goes off, will occanisonlly put enough in for 3 days if away for a bit. cows are out on beet during the day means there is less slurry to spread and takes them off the concrete for a bit too. also found they get lazy if they are only walking from the cubiles to the trough.

have a few replacment heifer and late weaning that we then leave out to the silage while the cows are out, let them back onto straw for the night means that i can use the same feeding passage for the cows and calves. shake out the bales as it leaves it more even accross the passage, and then the cows clean off in front of the barrier then push the rest in for day too.

have enough silage this year but mixed in straw last year as there wasnt as much. rolled out a bale along the front of the barrier then dropped the silage on top, they will eat down to the straw so get a good mix.

like the lads above once you find a way that suits you use, every one is slightly differnt

just do it

It's interesting to hear the difference between how lads feed. One thing that sticks with me is the on/off grazing the journal was recommending for grazing during wet weather. Cows will consume enough in 3 hrs to last them for 24hrs (obviously diary cows will need supplementary ration). So are lads just wasting time shoving it into dry sucklers twice a day? No point having them fat at calving? Don't get me wrong, they need to be in good body condition, but not fat.

3 bales were dropped in front of my 14 cows on Monday afternoon. 9 of these have autumn born calves sucking them. They were hungry because there was only a bit in front of them at 6am and I wanted them to finish that before getting fresh stuff. 2 days 5hrs later there is still plenty in front of them without having to push it into them. Admittedly the 3 bales weren't great quality. The point here is there will be a gap of 2.5days between feedings.

My philosophy is simple, they don't get any more till they've cleaned what is in front of them!