Bread for cows
- Thread starter david922
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TexasBred
Well-known member
Won't hurt anything. Just don't overload them. They usually love it too.david922":329bg5jg said:
hillsdown
Well-known member
:nod:TexasBred":efqkekwg said:
Wasn't there someone on here that said they get stale bread ,donuts and muffins cheap from a bakery near them and their cattle love it. Cheap energy .
TexasBred
Well-known member
Yep....they prefer angel food cake. :lol2:hillsdown":1d9qiub7 said:
djinwa
Well-known member
Just remember the stuff is toxic in high doses. Very refined flour and sugar is not good for a cow in more than a few handfuls at a time.
I bought it for a short period. Was feeding some to a milk cow. One day I noticed her staggering around. Went and got some meds from the vet to treat for milk fever, or whatever. Then realized the kids had been feeding her too many donuts. She recovered okay.
Another problem was finding the kids out in the barn feeding on the donuts and pastries.
I also realized you get out of the milk what you put in. Milk made with donuts is healthy? Which reminds me of some people near here who sell raw milk for $13 a gallon. One day I was there and noticed a pickup with canopy full of old bread and pastries they were feeding the cows to make that "natural" milk.
I bought it for a short period. Was feeding some to a milk cow. One day I noticed her staggering around. Went and got some meds from the vet to treat for milk fever, or whatever. Then realized the kids had been feeding her too many donuts. She recovered okay.
Another problem was finding the kids out in the barn feeding on the donuts and pastries.
I also realized you get out of the milk what you put in. Milk made with donuts is healthy? Which reminds me of some people near here who sell raw milk for $13 a gallon. One day I was there and noticed a pickup with canopy full of old bread and pastries they were feeding the cows to make that "natural" milk.
hillsdown
Well-known member
djinwa":3o0pf0i3 said:
LMFAO :lol: :roll:
TexasBred
Well-known member
Only thing that might be toxic about bread would be some of the mold that might grow on it IF it's allowed to mold before feeding.
alisonb
Well-known member
I would not feed large amounts of bread, cattle are ruminants and as you know require adequate fibre in their diet for the rumen to function properly. Bread is something that ferments quickly so there is a possibility of acidosis occurring as well. I'm always careful of too many carbs especially if the animal is not used to it.
TexasBred
Well-known member
Starch overload is seldom a problem unless the amount of high starch feed ingredients, exceed the amount of roughage products. A well balanced diet combining the two could be 60:40 ratio (roughage:grain) down to 50:50 but if inverted to 40:60 (Roughage:Grain) acidosis would then be a definite problem. Most folks feed bread as a treat or a cheap addition to the ration (if it's free) but usually as a very small percentage of the diet. Dried bakery products which is a combination of many different items makes an excellent addition to dairy rations.
regolith
Well-known member
Always remembering that diet adjustments should be made gradually...
Not that I've tested it, but while it's true that cattle can cope with a high starch diet, I suspect my grassfed cows would feel pretty bad if they went straight on to one off grass.
I've heard of people feeding candy to cows (and their employees), what I wondered when I saw the boxes in said employee's house was whether anyone bothered to take the wrappers off for the cattle.
Not that I've tested it, but while it's true that cattle can cope with a high starch diet, I suspect my grassfed cows would feel pretty bad if they went straight on to one off grass.
I've heard of people feeding candy to cows (and their employees), what I wondered when I saw the boxes in said employee's house was whether anyone bothered to take the wrappers off for the cattle.
A
Anonymous
I talked to a guy awhile back that had 30 head of cattle on 2 acres( he said) and bought dump truck loads of bread for the cows. They ate it up, but almost all died. He didn't know they needed roughage as well.....DA
TexasBred
Well-known member
Rego I've seen the ground candy and no the wrappers were not removed. Just ground up very finely. Passes right thru the cow. Your cattle could adjust to a higher starch diet done properly and formulated knowing the cattle were coming off strictly a grass diet. Keep in mind that not all feed commonly referred to as "grain" is neither grain nor high starch.regolith":zijylif6 said:
