Would you be scared?

[Hogfarmer10]

I've got an almost 5 acre watermelon patch right next to one of my pastures. Last fall, I planted it in annual ryegrass. The cattle next to it are all first calf heifers, most calved by March 24, except for a couple that just calved last week. Still eating some hay (5x6 bale lasts about a week, maybe 10 days). Get commercial 15% feed fairly regularly. Free choice vitaferm high mag mineral since mid February. (Not very much consumption - 18 cows, avg 1000-1100lbs, eaten about 70-75 lbs of mineral). Ryegrass has not had fertilizer, but did have some cow manure applied. It's currently about 15" high. I'll need to plow the ground in a couple weeks. Would you be afraid of grass tetany if I turned them in for a week - 10 days, or would you just plow it under?

 

[kenny thomas]

Can you give it to them maybe 1 or 2 hours a day?

 

[Hogfarmer10]

Not very handily. I had thought about letting them in a day, out a day, in a day, etc. That would be much easier to accomplish.

 

[GoWyo]

Best grass tetany preventative I found is to just have a grass bale or even low quality dry matter like straw or cornstalks available. They will seek it out to bulk up on dry matter.

 

[kenny thomas]

Not very handily. I had thought about letting them in a day, out a day, in a day, etc. That would be much easier to accomplish.

That might work too. My opinion which is worthless is that it is big enough and tough enough that it might give them the squirts but not much else. But dont bet the farm on my opinion.

 

[kenny thomas]

Best grass tetany preventative I found is to just have a grass bale or even low quality dry matter like straw or cornstalks available. They will seek it out to bulk up on dry matter.

I agree

 

[coachg]

My experience with grass tetany is soon after calving, sounds like they are a month or more from calving . I'd have hay for them to eat along with the ryegrass

 

[farmerjan]

I'd make sure they are full on the hay and then turn them in... can you call them back out to the other field like for some grain??? Let them have it for a few hours or a day, then off it for 12 hours.... for a couple days, then let them stay there??? At that height it is getting coarser and a little tougher so a little less "tender" to gobble down...

 

[BFE]

Grass tetany is more common in older cows. These are young and on hi-mag, I'd let them have it. If it's only 15" then I assume you've been drier than normal this spring, mine is as high or higher and I'm north of you a good ways. I doubt it's a concern, normally tetany is associated with the rapid growth of wet grass in the spring, if I'm not mistaken. Yours doesn't sound like that.

 

[Ebenezer]

Feed high mag minerals and don't buy some cheap junk that is so bitter that they will not touch it.