Recent content by Miss Daisy

I've been researching possible adverse effects of mouse urine/feces in hay and haven't come up with much. Other than the feed being unpalatable, is there any correlation between eating soiled hay and sickness/disease in cattle? (We have a two year old oat hay pile and they have made nests in it.)

And durability. I don't want to have to replace something every year because it wears out. It should be made to last. What gets me is tires. If they made them any cheaper they would hold air the first time.

The cows mob the feedwagon, but they follow it all the way to the end, they don't stop to eat right away. They were hungry, but not starving. We overfed the heck out of them, which taught them to munch all day rather than gorging. So they just kind of followed you around and then nibbled a...

Our dogs end up with whatever name comes to mind. It seems most of the dogs and horses start with S, but that wasn't intentional. Sierra, Shasta, (both mountains, ironically) Cheyenne, Scrappy, Spunky, Sage. It doesn't really matter though because we end up giving them indian names. Cheyenne is...

we did stool and blood samples last night. we will test blood for selenium, copper, iron, sulfur, zinc, and magnesium. stool will be tested for various parasites and just a general culture. 3 animals will be tested for johnes.

We are grasping at straws at this point and will consider anything. How long will symptoms last after the source has been removed?

This is definitely something to pay attention to. Are you saying the rain may have leached the minerals into the water? If that is the case, will they still be around for testing this fall or will they be flushed? The vet has confirmed and will be coming out this week for stool and blood sample...

No it has not. As per my post, we do not have access until the fall after the canal dries up, otherwise, its mixed. I did know about the moly and sulfur tying up copper. We use a mineral with chelated copper, so its very available. They are eating it at the proper level. Cattle have been run...

No it does not, at our end anyway.

No, there are abstracts of the ranch dating back 300 years ago and the spring is mentioned. If these are correct, it originates up in the sagebrush and come directly to where the cows drink. There are no other cattle pastured above it/on top of it, its just empty sagebrush. Cattle have been on...

In the winter, its a spring. Its always running and it doesn't pool so they are not drinking water that they have stood in. In the summer, the drink out of the canal. We are at the top so no wastewater spills into it before the cows drink. It comes straight from the melting snow in the...

33 pair, about 10 are first calf cows. We are in Central WA. They began calving January 18 and finished in April. Beofre the calving season began, their BCS was around 5-6, the heifers were good solid 6-6.5s. The cows began dropping weight, and the heifers were worse. I mean 300 lbs, skin and...

also known as a molasses tub. they are formulated with protein and minerals so the cows can get what they need if they are not getting it from hay alone. its like a healthy lollipop for cows. oh yea, and they lick it

Exactly. And some corn on the cob with pie for dessert.

Sitting around the supper table tonight telling my frail elderly grandmother that she needs to eat her beef because she needs the protein. She is protesting and says she can't chew. I offer to grind it up, she says no way. How about hamburger? Nope. After exhausting several options and getting...