Feeding seaweed to cattle

50HX

http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/benefits-of-feeding-seaweed-to-cattle-need-to-be-seriously-looked-at/

anyone with any knowledge/experience of the above??

Who2

Another load of non researched bo**ox by agriland. ive been feeding seaweed since 1998 and the same data was available then and there was a couple of seaweed factories going at that stage. They had been up and running for years before that.
Great feed though.

ganmo

theres a company in Kerry ready to start production of seaweed extracts after 10 years of research. Guess what the locals are giving out stink about them being given a mechanical harvesting licence.

Good ould nimbyism

patsy_mccabe

Anyone ever eat Nori, Japanese seaweed paper? Nice.:rolleyes:

bogman_bass

Lookit. If I had to choose between feeding a kilo of seaweed meal or cutting back the national herd I know what I'd go fore

yosemitesam1

There is a big stumbling block to this taking off. The reason methane is made is to clear up all of the excess hydrogen left after fibre is fermented to acetate.
If this stops the hydrogen being cleared out it will reduce digestibility or if it works by stopping fibre fermentation there'll also be a loss in performance unless huge amounts of grain are being fed

larthehar

For all these emissions related topics, how much research is conducted in relation to the emissions generated producing these items? Say if a cow gets 1kg/seaweed/hd/day.. what emissions are generated to provide that vs that the animal produces if they didn.t get it?!

Who2

larthehar wrote: »

For all these emissions related topics, how much research is conducted in relation to the emissions generated producing these items? Say if a cow gets 1kg/seaweed/hd/day.. what emissions are generated to provide that vs that the animal produces if they didn.t get it?!

Around 80g per head per day is what is fed. its full of iodine and does a serious job on cattle. no retained cleanings, clear hair and keeps them thriving. They are really pushing it the last few years and while i was sceptical originally i wouldnt change from it now.

Base price

ganmo wrote: »

theres a company in Kerry ready to start production of seaweed extracts after 10 years of research. Guess what the locals are giving out stink about them being given a mechanical harvesting licence.

Good ould nimbyism

I was talking to someone about this a few months ago and they were saying that mechanical harvesters pull the seaweed from the rocks removing the roots thereby reducing the number of plants available for regrowth.
The same person also told me that there was a valuable type of seaweed growing in one area on the West coast and it was harvested by a machine a few years ago. It is now gone from the area as all the plants (including roots) were taken.

amacca

Who2 wrote: »

Around 80g per head per day is what is fed. its full of iodine and does a serious job on cattle. no retained cleanings, clear hair and keeps them thriving. They are really pushing it the last few years and while i was sceptical originally i wouldnt change from it now.

Where do you buy it?..I'm half interested in testing it out.

What sort of costs over an animals lifetime, do you feed it year round or just in the winter? Is it just with cows you give it? Do you mix it in with meal?

Do you do think it does away with the need for vitamin and mineral supplementation?

sorry for all the questions:o

Who2

I'd still throw an odd pre calver with the cows, everything gets it thrown on the silage. It suits pit better than bales but still works on the bales. I feed it throughout the winter.

judeboy101

Base price wrote: »

I was talking to someone about this a few months ago and they were saying that mechanical harvesters pull the seaweed from the rocks removing the roots thereby reducing the number of plants available for regrowth.
The same person also told me that there was a valuable type of seaweed growing in one area on the West coast and it was harvested by a machine a few years ago. It is now gone from the area as all the plants (including roots) were taken.

Seaweeds don't have roots.

Teyla Emmagan

judeboy101 wrote:

Seaweeds don't have roots.

They have the bit that attaches them to the rock.

judeboy101

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

They have the bit that attaches them to the rock.

The 'holdfast', but all it does is anchor, it doesn't provide the functions associated with a 'root'. Seaweeds can grow from any part and put knot weed to shame in terms of their ability to spread and thrive

Teyla Emmagan

judeboy101 wrote:

The 'holdfast', but all it does is anchor, it doesn't provide the functions associated with a 'root'. Seaweeds can grow from any part and put knot weed to shame in terms of their ability to spread and thrive

But if you rip if off by the holdfast surely the whole plant is gone? I presume that's what the poster meant the issue was with mechanised cutting?

judeboy101

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

But if you rip if off by the holdfast surely the whole plant is gone? I presume that's what the poster meant the issue was with mechanised cutting?

That plant is gone but it's released millions of spores and given how quick they can grow, an entire kelp forest could be cleared and another one grown in a month

Base price

judeboy101 wrote: »

That plant is gone but it's released millions of spores and given how quick they can grow, an entire kelp forest could be cleared and another one grown in a month

How long does it take for the kelp to regrow to its original pre-harvesting density and does mechanical harvesting affect young/nursery fish habitats.

patsy_mccabe

Hate kelp. Lost 3 sets of mackeral feathers to it yesterday.:mad:

Limestone Cowboy

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Hate kelp. Lost 3 sets of mackeral feathers to it yesterday.:mad:

Off topic but any mackerel? Spotted a fella with a full trace last week passing in the coast road so they must be starting to show.

judeboy101

Base price wrote: »

How long does it take for the kelp to regrow to its original pre-harvesting density and does mechanical harvesting affect young/nursery fish habitats.

Under ideal conditions kelp can grow @2ft a day so a month or so. It's effect on wider eco system as a macro habitat would be more worrying if lost

Bullocks

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Off topic but any mackerel? Spotted a fella with a full trace last week passing in the coast road so they must be starting to show.

I wonder are the around aswell . A few evenings after mackerel is grand

patsy_mccabe

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Off topic but any mackerel? Spotted a fella with a full trace last week passing in the coast road so they must be starting to show.

No mackerel, not for me anyway. I was a bit late getting there (Lighthouse at Ballyvaughaun) so tide was just in. On the way back didn't see anyone else fishing so didn't get a chance to ask anyone if they caught anything.

Limestone Cowboy

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

No mackerel, not for me anyway. I was a bit late getting there (Lighthouse at Ballyvaughaun) so tide was just in. On the way back didn't see anyone else fishing so didn't get a chance to ask anyone if they caught anything.

Just to the right of the lighthouse there's a good spot that's not too snaggy apart from the first ten yards. 26 I think is the number, often filled a bucket down there.

patsy_mccabe

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Just to the right of the lighthouse there's a good spot that's not too snaggy apart from the first ten yards. 26 I think is the number, often filled a bucket down there.

That's where I was yesterday. I remember looking at the numbers. Can't remember the exact one though.
I've caught loads there myself in the past.

50HX

anyone switch from the precalver minerals to seaweed based product pre calving??

Hard Knocks

50HX wrote: »

anyone switch from the precalver minerals to seaweed based product pre calving??

I use seaweed from 6 weeks before due date.
Neighbour doesn't use anything & has a few cows retain cleanings while ours don't

tanko

Hard Knocks wrote: »

I use seaweed from 6 weeks before due date.
Neighbour doesn't use anything & has a few cows retain cleanings while ours don't

Do you give any pre-calver minerals along with it?

Hard Knocks

tanko wrote: »

Do you give any pre-calver minerals along with it?

No, about 1oz of seaweed & 8oz of rolled oats.
Seaweed, precalver or rosette once you give something to boost the system

Hard Knocks

Back in the spring it was hard to get seaweed as there's allot going for cosmetic use.
Seaweed baths make more money than mineral boost to livestock

pedigree 6

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Back in the spring it was hard to get seaweed as there's allot going for cosmetic use.
Seaweed baths make more money than mineral boost to livestock

Seemingly a lot going for human consumption now or would that be the same type of seaweed?

It's the ultimate in recycling though.
All the earths minerals get washed from land into rivers and accumulate in the sea since time began.
It's just returning those minerals back to animals and (land in other cases).