cattle losing condition

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Millerranch

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Quitman Texas
As the drought in texas continues, my cows are starting to lose condition. I have hay out for them, plus a protein tub. They are not really eating the hay at all, as there is some green grass here and there that they are eating, plus some taller brown stuff also.
What else should I provide them? Cubes, grain? Is the heat just making them not wqnt to eat?

Thanks for the help,

T
 
I've also got out a bale that they're showing little interest in. They are still eating the brown stuff on the ground and going after the liquid feed. I'm throwing out some 14% creep and they seem to be holding their own, so far.
 
I thought about confining them. We just got 2 inches of rain on Saturday, very isolated storm, and the green shoots are up. If I keep them off and we get some more rain this week, the grass may start to jump up. The other hand, I can conserve hay by letting them hunt and peck, but at what costs, loss of condition. I thought about throwing out 2 pounds of cubes per head/ per day. Would that help?

Thank you for the help
 
Millerranch":1ekjb3x1 said:
I thought about confining them. We just got 2 inches of rain on Saturday, very isolated storm, and the green shoots are up. If I keep them off and we get some more rain this week, the grass may start to jump up. The other hand, I can conserve hay by letting them hunt and peck, but at what costs, loss of condition. I thought about throwing out 2 pounds of cubes per head/ per day. Would that help?

Thank you for the help
wouldn't hurt on the cubes
the thing I would worry about on the pasture is what damage are they doing to it chasing the green and not giving it a chance to grow you may be spending more later to fix what they are destroying now
 
Angus Cowman":1mntol32 said:
Millerranch":1mntol32 said:
I thought about confining them. We just got 2 inches of rain on Saturday, very isolated storm, and the green shoots are up. If I keep them off and we get some more rain this week, the grass may start to jump up. The other hand, I can conserve hay by letting them hunt and peck, but at what costs, loss of condition. I thought about throwing out 2 pounds of cubes per head/ per day. Would that help?

Thank you for the help
wouldn't hurt on the cubes
the thing I would worry about on the pasture is what damage are they doing to it chasing the green and not giving it a chance to grow you may be spending more later to fix what they are destroying now
I agree, I'd rather confine em and feed a little hay now and have as minimal damage to pastures as I could.
 
Millerranch":1r4x1ia2 said:
As the drought in texas continues, my cows are starting to lose condition. I have hay out for them, plus a protein tub. They are not really eating the hay at all, as there is some green grass here and there that they are eating, plus some taller brown stuff also.
What else should I provide them? Cubes, grain? Is the heat just making them not wqnt to eat?

Thanks for the help,

T
What is the test analysis of the hay?
 
i know i am Canadian and y'all are further south, but pasture grass is relatively the same in theory. When we had our drought, our provincial Ag had a seminar about pasture grass. Anyways what i learned was: pasture grass roots is relative to what is above ground. Inch above ground will give you a very shallow root, unable to handle light to moderate droughts. Pasture grass which is longer has a longer root system, more able to handle drought which is why should try not to over graze in good years.

I understand that with the severe drought, pastures have been grazed down. But if you have a slight chance for pasture recovery because of this rain, take it. In the long run it will serve you better.
Use your drought wisely. Funny thing about them is they show the poor cattle more quickly. The ones who can not hold there own in lean times. In the good times we have a tendancy to keep some marginal cattle. Droughts will make them more visible, showing us where we can save on hay.

Edit...take vett's advice, get that hay tested. Find out what you have so you know where you are going. Poor hay is just about as bad of a train wreck as no pasture. In the end, it will be the next calf crop which will pay with low wean weights, poor breed back, slipped calves, and weak birthing calves and a minimum 5 year recovery.
 
Holding them off the little bits of green grass or not is my dilema as well.

I looked at it from this point of view:
If we get a good rain the green grass may shoot up, but knock on wood if we don't then that green grass will die. So wouldn't it be more benificial for the cows to eat a little green grass while you have it vs letting it die if it stays dry?

or you can look at it from the opposite. I guess it depends on how dry your area is and how your grass is doing.

My area had a few showers a couple of weeks ago. But none that helped. There was no signs that it had rained the next day.
 
BRAFORDMAN":5qtn41rt said:
Holding them off the little bits of green grass or not is my dilema as well.

I looked at it from this point of view:
If we get a good rain the green grass may shoot up, but knock on wood if we don't then that green grass will die. So wouldn't it be more benificial for the cows to eat a little green grass while you have it vs letting it die if it stays dry?
or you can look at it from the opposite. I guess it depends on how dry your area is and how your grass is doing.

My area had a few showers a couple of weeks ago. But none that helped. There was no signs that it had rained the next day.
It's not unlike "instant gratification"...Pay now or pay later....Of course the cows will benefit eating the little green grass.......but it comes with a cost which is the health you grass, next years green grass...... We are approaching the end of a growing season when plants should be preparing to go into dormancy....ant and grasshopper mode...storing up for winter (in the roots). Without green tops, photosynthesis cant take place, the grass uses it's stored reserves in the roots......weakens the plant during cold winters.......So if you sacrifice now, (I know it's not a concept that is understood today) your grass will be better off next year... and after frost you can still have the tops to graze. Now of course, it it's an annual grass this concept is moot.
 
I will be taking them out of the pasture this weekend. Where is a good place to get hay tested? How should I sample round bales and how many should I sample. Everything I have is from the same field, so in theory it should be the same.

If we would just get a little rain this week, my grass would really start coming back. But, we know how that goes.

Thanks for all the help.
 
Millerranch":181alh00 said:
I will be taking them out of the pasture this weekend. Where is a good place to get hay tested? How should I sample round bales and how many should I sample. Everything I have is from the same field, so in theory it should be the same.

If we would just get a little rain this week, my grass would really start coming back. But, we know how that goes.

Thanks for all the help.
Miller there use to be a little forage testing lab in Sulfur Springs. Don't know if it's still there or not.
 
Hay testing: Texas A&M University forage testing lab. SDK Labs in Hutchinson, KS. Both will supply you with labels, bags. Basic nutrient costs around $12 to $18. Cattle need average of around 10 to 12% CP from all sources to maintain condition. Do random sample test from all bales. Both labs will give you instructions for sampling procedures. Both have websites.
 

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