cow wants coffee grounds

[Farm Angel]

hi guys... my calf is much better these days however i'm havin a real hard time getting him to eat calf manna grass or hay.... he will eat it just very small amounts and with the was he was sick in the past i dont want to wean him from milk in any hurry just to make him eat... i have found that whenever we let him out of the pen he finds old coffee grounds we have thrown out and he goes right to them every time he really wants them.... is this terribly bad to let him eat??? and also does that mean hes lacking in mineral... and if its not real bad for him could i put it on his grain to get him to eat.... hes spoiled and will eat if i'm standing there with him any suggestions?

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

Do you have any free choice minerals out for him? Sounds like a deficiency of some sort. Pregnant women have these peculiar cravings as well. My mother told me she used to eat a 1/2 tsp of fresh coffee groounds on occasion when she was pregnant. There is a term for it but I am having a brain fart and can't think of it. Sometimes will also eat dirt,or clay. Just put out some loose minerals. ;-) :cboy:

 

[Dee]

I would watch it with the coffee. I would assume the grounds have pretty high caffine level? My sister had a Husky puppy that drank two mugs of coffee and died at the vet clinic. All the caffine made it's heart pump too fast. Unknown if it will have the same effects on a calf, but I wouldn't risk it. I would provide it with a good mineral, it's definitely lacking something. Pica is what they call it (I think) when pregnant women crave dirt, clay, pla-dough, glue and whatever else. I think it's mainly from anemia, so lacking in iron, and maybe copper?

 

[SPRINGER FARMS MURRAY GRE]

I would watch it with the coffee. I would assume the grounds have pretty high caffine level? My sister had a Husky puppy that drank two mugs of coffee and died at the vet clinic. All the caffine made it's heart pump too fast. Unknown if it will have the same effects on a calf, but I wouldn't risk it. I would provide it with a good mineral, it's definitely lacking something. Pica is what they call it (I think) when pregnant women crave dirt, clay, pla-dough, glue and whatever else. I think it's mainly from anemia, so lacking in iron, and maybe copper?

PICA! Thats it! ;-) :cboy:

 

[Farm Angel]

the coffee is decaf so i'm not so worried about the caffenine levels but i'm looking into other minerals he need and may not be getting..... he has calf manna and sweet feed out for him along with grass and alfalfa hay so i'm imagining he has about everything any cow COULD have but thats just my guess

 

[Medic24]

When No1 was pregnant, she had to have Yahoo drinks.... and I mean lots of them.........now she can't bear to taste one... maybe I shoulda let her lick some minerals free choice. ;-) :cboy: Oh and I think they called that chocoholic at the time.

 

[Medic24]

Oh and failed to mention... Glad your calf is doing better, but also kinda curious.... does it prefer any particular brand of coffee over the others? :lol:

 

[Farm Angel]

foldgers ha ha its all hes had maybe ill bring him starbucks

 

[Swiss Cowboy]

I have heard and seen it a few times that animals, not only cattle, are fond of coffee. Specially after they had a hard time heath wise. There must be something in it we do not know about.
My opinion is that it can not harm him. But I would use it to get him to eat the food too.
Have you tried to sprinkle the coffee over his food and minerals?

Swiss Cowboy :cboy:

 

[Farm Angel]

just a couple of times sprinkling it on his food and hes eating it better... he also like the hay i put out for him hes startin to fill out better not looking so weakly and thin so i'm not worried baout the coffee anymore just wonderin if anyone else has had a cow like coffee?
:cboy:

 

[Beefy]

ooh play dough. i'm surprised i didnt eat that as a kid. or did i? :?:

 

[susie]

mmmm elmer's school glue

Susie

 

[Beefy]

i used to put elmers glue on my hand and then peel it off when it dried.

 

[Ryan]

i used to put elmers glue on my hand and then peel it off when it dried.

I did the same thing.

Ryan

 

[Tod Dague]

For my Wife it was pickles and pickle twang.

 

[Farm Angel]

remember paste????

 

[Medic24]

yeah I remember the mint flavored paste.... loved the smell, and a bit of a lick now and then was just dandy as well..... :cboy: Guess thats why I loved art class so much!

 

[Chuckie]

I remember the paste we used in the 1st grade. It came in a small white container with a brush attatched to the lid. It was thick and seem it had the texture of semi soft lard. It was sweet and I always made sure I had to lick it off of my fingers.

 

[msscamp]

For my Wife it was pickles and pickle twang.

What is 'pickle twang'?