Bringing a cow back...

[Wisteria Farms]

Hi all!
Just bought a cow with exceptional genetics...However she's in pretty bad shape. Owner just passed from cancer so no hard feelings...just too much for the family to deal with.

But...my plan is to ease her onto grain and her own corral for some fresh grass.
Anyone got any tricks for bringing them around or am I doing it the best way? Started her on 3pounds morning and night and will ease her up from there.

Thanks

 

[dun]

Only other thing would be to worm her (not a pour on)

 

[Wisteria Farms]

I've got injectable Dectomax so will do...thanks Dun...didn't think of that.

 

[chippie]

If you can get beet pulp pellets, give her a pound or two with her grain and free choice quality hay.
I buy the pellets at Tractor Supply.
Good luck with her.

 

[Wisteria Farms]

Wouldn't that be a LOT of beet pulp? I've fed it before...soaked...but are you saying 1-2 lbs dry?

 

[Putangitangi]

Get some now and later pictures, to see how hard or easy it is to get her right. What breed is she?

 

[pdfangus]

Wouldn't that be a LOT of beet pulp? I've fed it before...soaked...but are you saying 1-2 lbs dry?

beet pulp pellets are heavier than the regular beet pulp.....i would say a pint is a pound or two....I give my horses about this much every day and they think I feed them a lot of grain....I feed the pellets dry because I got tired of fooling with wetting the pulp.....no choke problems with the pellets....

 

[3waycross]

First thing I would do is hit her with some B-Complex.

 

[chippie]

Yes, feed it dry. It doesn't need to be soaked for a cow like you do for a horse because cows essentially swallow their food whole.
We have received dairy cows in poor condition. Adding the beet pulp to their daily feed has made a noticeable difference in their recovery.
1 to 2 lbs dry is not a lot because it is dense and pellets weigh more than grain mixes. A 16 oz drinking cup of beet pulp pellets weighs a little over 11 oz.
This is a 16 oz cup of pellets. I feed the milk cow 1 or 2 cups each feeding.

 

[Wisteria Farms]

We get the shreds...its what the elevator has. I got a bag today...she had a scoop soaked and mixed with her grain. I guess i dont have to soak it... it makes me feel like im feeding her more...lol

Going to worm her tomorrow.

As for breed...shes Murray Grey...the only breed we raise. For anyone up on Murray Grey genetics... her dam is Willow Creek Orchid (5x Grand Champion Female at Calgary Stampede in Canada) by Bundaleer X Roads.

I got before pics but would rather wait to post them til I have better ones to put with them...shes not to pretty right now...

 

[Putangitangi]

...I got before pics but would rather wait to post them til I have better ones to put with them...shes not to pretty right now...

Quite understandable. I've had a few of those myself. How old is she?

 

[HDRider]

Thanks for posting this. Good luck with her.

 

[Kingfisher]

How did she get so poor? Does the beet pulp have a lot of protein and vitamin?

 

[Wisteria Farms]

NO.
TexasBred and I were just talking... thinking back to when I used beet pulp in the past, it was when we were showing and we would feed it to add "fill" (just an appearance thing). He mentioned that the protein content of the beet pulp really isn't any better than good quality pasture... So, since I have the bag, I'll go ahead and feed it but I'm in agreement with him that having the pasture to herself and grain will do her well enough. She'll be on a mineral program as well.

As for how she got so poor... the friend who owned her passed away from cancer. His family did the best they could to get them through the winter.In truth it would have been nice to see them sold last fall but he thought he would beat it and so it did him good to know they were still there. They'll all be fine... there's been a great response from breeders who've come in and bought a lot of them. As for her age, she's a "V" model... DOB 11/10/2009. She's got lots of good years ahead of her.

 

[TexasBred]

With warmer weather and good grass growing you should get a huge amount of compensatory gain (making up what she lost in the winter). I wouldn't change a thing you're doing. Just put her in a place that will furnish her roughage needs without having to compete with the other cattle. She'll surprise you. BTW what is the cost of beet pulp these days??

 

[pdfangus]

I think I am paying 12 or 13 dollars for a fifty lb bag of pulp pellets.....forty lb bag of pulp shreds is nearly the same....

 

[chippie]

I hope that she does well for you. Although beet pulp is not high in protein, it is an easily digested fiber. It does more than just "fill" an animal.
It is easily digested and because of that, it is good for an animal in poor shape.

http://www.animalfeedscience.com/article/0377-8401(76)90015-8/abstract