Ill thrift in grazing animals

bob charles

Hopefully its just localised but the thrive on cattle at grass this season has being abysmal so far. Chatting with a couple of other sharp stockmen and they are of the same opinion. Cattle are just very dry in themselves and no bit of oil at all in the skin. One example - I looking at a bunch of 30 heifers at grass since mid Feb and getting a few kilos of TMR and they are around 10 not thriving having being dosed etc. Going to rehouse them today but my apostle hasnt turned up:rolleyes:.

Went to help out a neighbor last evening to dose his bunch of animals and could not believe how bad they looked. I gave him three nice polly heifers about a month ago and they have gone backwards, and theyre on good limestone land. Hopefully its a localised thing but Im of the opinion that this has being a much harder year on cattle than last year around here. Constant hard wind and some very wet weather thrown in but ground conditions are good.

I have a bunch of young heifers away on wet cold ground for 2 months and im afraid to go and see them.:(

delaval

Bob I'm with you on the harsh weather but I'm finding cattle in really good nick. I only see young stock once a week usually and tink they are flying. They are on rotational grazing and are now on aftergrass with heifers following calves. Groups spend 4 days max on a paddock.

Having said that we took meal from Feb and March calves but only kept out for 1 week as they did go back. I would say maidens are ahead of other years with a good shine up without any meal. They were all outwintered on grass but I don't know what difference that would make.

They are on good limestone and are really content none of this following you around nonesense like last year. I really don't know what to say to you but it's hardly localised??? Are you movung to fresh grass regularly or are you doing anything different than before?

pakalasa

The opposite here, to be honest. Young suckler calves thriving really well and hardly any cows repeating to AI. Is the local area lacking in some mineral like copper that is only showing it's face now, after last years washout?
Have you minerals in the TMR?

whelan1

would ya send away a few bloods and dung samples? have they been bvd tested?

jomoloney

we have bunch of handy hex yearlings that we didn't sell and they are thriving very well considering they are not getting the best of the grass

there are 3 bbx heifers belonging to my daughter in the bunch and they seem to be standing still,

legs or some one mentioned no good withh bb unless they are hitting the boat .. lookiing at these 3 couldn't agree more .

larthehar

whelan1 wrote: »

would ya send away a few bloods and dung samples? have they been bvd tested?

I would agree wth this bob.. I had a batch last year the same.. all down to mineral deficiency... were not tested but the vet could see it in the herd test.. got those easy-trace minerals for the water trough and the kilos just started piling on!

bob charles

Good to hear all is well for most others, and hopefully its a localised problem and in my view down to weather. Another thing to note is that these animals maybe after going through a very tough winter before I bought them and the effects could be telling now. around here would be lacking in cooper but thats addressed in the TMR, others are bolused with copper that are on grass alone

I doubt we are looking at a major mineral deficiency as I taking the view over all cattle outdoors and on a few different farms which are 10 miles apart. Mineral testing usually for us is a waste of time as each animal has its own past history before they come to my land so it impossible build a profile. was going to test a few of the bunch im bring in to see if it throws up anything unusual.

moy83

bob charles wrote: »

Good to hear all is well for most others, and hopefully its a localised problem and in my view down to weather. Another thing to note is that these animals maybe after going through a very tough winter before I bought them and the effects could be telling now. around here would be lacking in cooper but thats addressed in the TMR, others are bolused with copper that are on grass alone

I doubt we are looking at a major mineral deficiency as I taking the view over all cattle outdoors and on a few different farms which are 10 miles apart. Mineral testing usually for us is a waste of time as each animal has its own past history before they come to my land so it impossible build a profile. was going to test a few of the bunch im bring in to see if it throws up anything unusual.

Id say a hungry few months in the shed could be whats holding alot of cattle back this year , some of what you have bought might have been on serious rations during the winter .
Plus you have mentioned the weather hasnt been too kind on cattle or growthy for grass either , Ive noticed that here anytime I was checking cattle they are not lying out strechted like they should be this time of year .
Instead they are grazing and moving around like they would in the back end of the year when the grass is getting useless to them .

munkus

I have good limestone land, but every year all beef stock, 1 yr to 2 get one or two injections of copper. The first on as they come out of the shed and a repeat if necessary. Never found licks or anything else to compare to the injection and it's for nothing. A good few would pine away even if in good grass without this.

blue5000

I think it's a carryover affect of sh1te silage last winter. The heifers we had out on kale last winter have motored on all spring and summer, anything that was housed still has that manky copper defiecient coat on them still.

Farmer Pudsey

All the cattle I overwintered myself are doing well. However I bough in light heifers 5 weeks ago. Did them for fluke(injection) worms and copper. They had a mineral bucket for a few weeks. However 3-4 still have coats that they are not shedding. Beginning to suspect stomach fluke, they do not seem to be going back but not bombing ahead either as a group.

Bob did you do yours for stomach fluke

kevthegaff

i had some heifers that werent great last year, but are flying it this year. All shining and in great nick, compensatory growth it must be!

bob charles

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

All the cattle I overwintered myself are doing well. However I bough in light heifers 5 weeks ago. Did them for fluke(injection) worms and copper. They had a mineral bucket for a few weeks. However 3-4 still have coats that they are not shedding. Beginning to suspect stomach fluke, they do not seem to be going back but not bombing ahead either as a group.

Bob did you do yours for stomach fluke

yip done for stomach fluke. presume at this time of the year one treatment would catch all the stomach fluke. I suspect that this bunch may have a viral infection that isnt showing clear symptoms.

Farmer Pudsey

bob charles wrote: »

yip done for stomach fluke. presume at this time of the year one treatment would catch all the stomach fluke. I suspect that this bunch may have a viral infection that isnt showing clear symptoms.

Noticed a few bullocks with wet eyes this is not pink eye so i suspect a virus running through heard. Any chance you would have a PI with in the heard.

bob charles

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Noticed a few bullocks with wet eyes this is not pink eye so i suspect a virus running through heard. Any chance you would have a PI with in the heard.

I would suspect I have a few throughout the herd, none showing tell tale signs to the eye though

whelan1

ragworth??????????

bob charles

whelan1 wrote: »

ragworth??????????

No, not when I'm talking about allot of animals and in general. I will do a herbage test and see what that shows up and correlate it with blood tests