cows are way to loose! UPDATE

[triple'S']

it's that time of year again, my cattle are way too "loose" due to the green ryegrass. They have acess to high mag minerals and hay but you know they won't eat much hay. Any economical ways to treat a whole herd. I'm worried it might lower my conception rate with breeding starting next month. One man suggested terramycin, but this is not a disease? when you got crap on the other side of the fence, your cows need to be stiffened up some. they have manure all over there butts and to be honest I'm embarrased. I like to be proud of my cattle.

 

[randiliana]

It is because of the lush grazing (lots of protein and energy). As far as I know there is not much you can do about it other than lock them up in a dry lot and force feed hay. I wouldn't worry about it, but you might want to be careful where you stand when you are out with them :lol:

 

[Tod Dague]

it's that time of year again, my cattle are way too "loose" due to the green ryegrass. They have acess to high mag minerals and hay but you know they won't eat much hay. Any economical ways to treat a whole herd. I'm worried it might lower my conception rate with breeding starting next month. One man suggested terramycin, but this is not a disease? when you got crap on the other side of the fence, your cows need to be stiffened up some. they have manure all over there butts and to be honest I'm embarrased. I like to be proud of my cattle.

I say let 'em blow and save the hay for hard times! My cows squirt every year and they will look a little gaunt from not having feed sitting in their gut, but come late spring they and their calves are fat as pigs. ;-) It is a fight every year (but this one) to keep the grass from running away from me. It was a little late this year but the grass is starting to get ahead of the cows and they are starting to squirt and the cows are fleshing up.

 

[D.R. Cattle]

I've seen herds lose body cindition as a result of the squirts over a period of time. And the squirts were a result of rich rye. Put them on other pastures if it is available and rotate through the rye on short schedules. Heck rye is about done and over with here already.

 

[triple'S']

thanks ya'll. I go through this every year and I always have taken the approach "let em squirt" justt wondering if there was anything else. All my pastures are rye/fescue mix so they will get better about May. Just seems worse this year. I think I hit them with it more abruptly this year though. hay one day, green ryegrass the next. Next year I will try more gradually.

 

[MoGal]

Last year, we threw some aeromycin crumbles in with a little bit of grain for about 3 days straight. Probably would work the same if you used medicated minerals.

 

[MoGal]

There probably isn't enough tetracycline in the minerals to completely stop it, however, its probably less squirts than it would be w/o it. Just increase the amount of tetracycline and it will clear up.

 

[rk]

MHO.....If the ryegrass is really lush, it sounds like a problem with the high moisture content of the forage. They'll fill up on ryegrass, trying to satisfy a requirement of about 2.25% BW total Dry Matter. They squirt because they are getting so much water and can lose condition because they just can't get enough dry matter from the lush ryegrass alone. About the only alternative to waiting for the grass to mature some and become drier is to get some dry matter into them....good quality hay that they will eat or a few pounds of a high fiber feed. Again, MHO.

 

[Farminlund]

I love the squirts - means lots of protien & thank goodnes i'm likely done with the hay thing (not this year as they ate all the rye in less than 2 weeks - back on hay)! My mentor (he's now nearing 90) said to me many many years ago that this concern over the early grass squirts was a wives tail & to be happy to see all that green crap on their butts. We have never worried about it nor have we ever seen any determental effects in the cattle - they just get fatter. High protein always gives loose stool.

 

[fitz]

Hey Farminlund,

You all getting any rain on that grass over there? I think March was our 2nd driest on the books. We're in need of some wet weather here.

fitz

 

[Farminlund]

fitz-

Same story - got you beat by one though; March was the driest month on record around these parts. We planted some extra rye last fall with hopes of reduced feeding this spring. As I mentioned, cows went on rye a few weeks ago only to go back on feed last week. Most discouraging as our previous Sept was the second driest on record, so I was feeding in mid-Sept thru mid-Nov before I could go back on a little stockpiled fescue & what little rye growth had accumulated. It's been a tough fall & spring but I think we are still having an easier time of it than some of our friends in Texas - our thoughts & prayers go out to those in the drought ravaged wild fire area.

 

[Bret]

I think last year, with a serious attempt at MIG, I kept the cows squirting all summer, right into October. That was not my goal....just my observation. I reasoned that this was a good thing. The cows gained well and fed calves well, except the last two calves that came in July and August. (late arrivals were also, not my plan.)

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

You should NEVER treat with an antibiodic when the cattle are not sick. And grass squirts are not a disease.
If your area is Selenium deficient, this will also cause "looser" than normal stool. All cattle get the "squirts", but it can be at different degrees. We supplement HEAVY with selenium year round, but I have some cows that are "more deficient" than others, and I have to give them a Se shot spring & summer to keep the squirts away for them. (just two head).

GREEN GRASS - what's that??? I wish. Snowing this AM, which is a real bummer, after having 75 last Friday.

 

[triple'S']

UPDATE

I had an idea yesterday and I think it might work. Alright, the green grass is way to tasty for the cows to want any of my hay, so that meant going and buying some really tasty hay and I am way to cheap right now for that. So here was my idea eventhough I'm sure I'm not the first one to do this. I hooked up to the sicklebar mower that we haven't used in 20 years. After a lot of burnt oil and grease she started moving pretty good. Went out to the pasture and cut some streaks just randomly in the ryegrass. Not too much. Today the cut grass is starting to dry and the cows are loving it. Just like really fresh hay. I think if you had a mower conditioner it would work even better.

Anyone see any problems with that??

 

[rk]

UPDATE

I had an idea yesterday and I think it might work. Alright, the green grass is way to tasty for the cows to want any of my hay, so that meant going and buying some really tasty hay and I am way to cheap right now for that. So here was my idea eventhough I'm sure I'm not the first one to do this. I hooked up to the sicklebar mower that we haven't used in 20 years. After a lot of burnt oil and grease she started moving pretty good. Went out to the pasture and cut some streaks just randomly in the ryegrass. Not too much. Today the cut grass is starting to dry and the cows are loving it. Just like really fresh hay. I think if you had a mower conditioner it would work even better.
I think the fact that they are eating the dried ryegrass supports the fact that the squirts were not resulting from too much protein.....just a lot of water and not enough dry matter intake due to the lushness of the forage.

Anyone see any problems with that??