Carrots

[Chief Dirtyface]

Anyone feed carrots before? Is it worthwhile? I can get 20 ton loads delivered for $225. This is in Canada

 

[MurraysMutts]

Hey chief!
I've never fed carrots as a sole feed.
But I have several that love them for treats!

Some cows, for whatever reason, wont touch em.

 

[Redgully]

I know someone who gets truck loads dumped in their paddock, not sure how they go about introducing them rumen wise so they don't get bloating.

 

[Nesikep]

Well, cows will go ape shyte to get them.. it's good for them, but I'd consider it a supplement rather than a mainstay.. I think if they ate 10 lbs of them each a day, together with hay and whatnot they'd be fine.. we used to grow carrots and the replacement heifer calves got all the culls..
They love onions too, and once we dumped a manure spreader load of culls in a paddock with a cull cow... I'll tell you her burps would kill a hyena, she never got sick from them, but we sure did from that stench!

Whereabouts are you?

 

[TCRanch]

Mine love them as treats, especially the baby carrots.

 

[Chief Dirtyface]

Well, cows will go ape shyte to get them.. it's good for them, but I'd consider it a supplement rather than a mainstay.. I think if they ate 10 lbs of them each a day, together with hay and whatnot they'd be fine.. we used to grow carrots and the replacement heifer calves got all the culls..
They love onions too, and once we dumped a manure spreader load of culls in a paddock with a cull cow... I'll tell you her burps would kill a hyena, she never got sick from them, but we sure did from that stench!

Whereabouts are you?

I'm from Hillsdale Ontario. Approximately 1.5 hours north of Toronto

 

[greggy]

I actually remove carrots from fruit and veg loads I get, read up on all these alternative feeds.....carrots can change the fat in the meat, so if selling for meat, you may need to consider and plan for this.

I feed them too sheep, which they seem ok with.

Lots of fruit and veg has things too consider if feeding in volumes, I mix so varied diet.

For example, califlour leaves are good, but also can kill cattle if bulk fed.

I strated threads on alternate feeds, but there was not that much response from memory.

 

[greggy]

Also, if buying, keep in mind costs on a dry matter and energy basis...

Also, consider how they will be stored, they will go off pretty quick in summer weather....I am not sure if you will need to bslance or watch acidity, fruit get acidic, but not the type that causes a problem, but I add some lime as fruits are going off.

If you can store them where they are cool, or, where they will just dry out rather than rot, that would prob work.

I hope you experiment, and start another thread as you tackle some issues and manage this feed.

 

[greggy]

Well, cows will go ape shyte to get them.. it's good for them, but I'd consider it a supplement rather than a mainstay.. I think if they ate 10 lbs of them each a day, together with hay and whatnot they'd be fine.. we used to grow carrots and the replacement heifer calves got all the culls..
They love onions too, and once we dumped a manure spreader load of culls in a paddock with a cull cow... I'll tell you her burps would kill a hyena, she never got sick from them, but we sure did from that stench!

Whereabouts are you?

Hi Nesi,

Have you fed any carrots in large quantity to animals that then went to slaughter, carrots are supposed to be a no no due to what they do to the meat fat.

Also, onion for cattle is supposed to be a no go, sheep can handle it ok, it is to do with a build up that cattle are unable to deal with well, I cannot recall what it is exactly.

I remove all carrots and onions, among many other things in what I feed to cattle, some here and there would not matter though...

PS here is some info https://csuvth.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants/Plants/Details/86

 

[Nesikep]

we never fed that many carrots, and this was during the winter, so long before slaughter time.. I have no idea what it would do to the meat, though I don't think it would harm it
Our cow handled the onion fine, you just couldn't stand being downwind from her... Not in any real quantity, but I have one cow that's the kitchen garburator, she eats and loves *anything*.. banana peels, lemon peels, onion, garlic, carrot, beets, apples

 

[Nesikep]

I think the WILD onion may be toxic, it's toxic to us as well... that link says more the 25% of diet DM is dangerous.. you'll hate the smell of the burps long before that!

 

[greggy]

Carrot wont do anything too meat, but to the fat.....

Many moons ago, I asked why no one ate Jersey, it was said the fat is the wrong colour. If we think about our markets, for anything, lok means more than taste or nutrition.

Onion, the ones we eat, I wont feed too cattle, pass them too sheep, becomes critical at 25 % it is said, but, cattle cannot handle them well.....just something too think of, like everything else......a few here and there wont matter....

 

[ga.prime]

A cousin of mine had some cows die from eating onions. He was having cull onions dumped in the field with unlimited free access to the cows I believe. Pretty ridiculous way to feed if you think about it.

 

[greggy]

It is ok I think to feed like that if the pile wont be rotting and getting mouldy before consumption.....

But

Not with onion, there are many veges where it has to be limited. As in, there is an upper consumption limit before damage starts to be done.

Also, to feed like this, you still have too introduce properly if it is a feed which is safe.