Adding Fiber

[opensky]

My cattle are on turnips and cornstalks right now. I was hoping they would pick up enough cornstalks to balance out their diet but that doesn't appear to be the case. They could poop through a strainer... I have some brome and prairie grass hay that I can try feeding. I'd rather not but it doesn't seem like I have a choice. Do you think that will work or will I have to get alfalfa hay to get them to eat it? Any other ideas?

 

[TexasBred]

My cattle are on turnips and cornstalks right now. I was hoping they would pick up enough cornstalks to balance out their diet but that doesn't appear to be the case. They could poop through a strainer... I have some brome and prairie grass hay that I can try feeding. I'd rather not but it doesn't seem like I have a choice. Do you think that will work or will I have to get alfalfa hay to get them to eat it? Any other ideas?

The last thing you wnat to use is the alfalfa. Give them some grass hay.

 

[opensky]

There is also some rye that was aerially seeded into the cornstalks but there wasn't a ton and they have grazed most of that out by now. I have a few salt blocks out there but that's it for minerals/supplements.

 

[opensky]

Will they eat the grass hay though? I thought they would eat more cornstalks. I also forgot to mention that there is some grass that wasn't hayed this year. They don't have access to it currently but it didn't seem like it did much good when they did. I guess I should probably let them back into that before I use hay.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I'd give them hay before I turned them on to stockpiled grass if they are as loose as you say.

 

[greybeard]

Hay and as soon as the poop firms up, get some loose mineral out.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Can you strip graze to force them to eat the stalks/ hay?

 

[skeeter swatter]

How much turnips? Might need to cut down a bit.
They might eat the grass better, mine always seem to clean out the fencelines before they get down to eating stalks well.