DANGER IN OVERFEED???

[momanto]

LATE THIS AFTERNOON I BACKED MY CAR INTO THE COWPEN BARN SO I COULD RETRIEVE THE FEED I HAD JUST BOUGHT AND FEED THE CALVES WHICH WERE A FEW FEET FROM THE TRUNK.

AS I WAS REMOVING A FEED BUCKET OUT OF THE CAR A NEIGHBOR CAME. TOTALLY DISTRACTED CHATTING FOR A WHILE, I PUT 4 EMPTY POTS OUT THERE FOR 5 CALVES. AND PROCEEDED TO DUMP 50 # OF A HIGH QUALITY SWEET FEED/VITAMIN TYPE OF PRODUCT - IT WAS NUTRENA GROWER AND FINISHER FEED.

THEY WENT TO TOWN ON IT. THEIR HEADS ARE OF THE SIZE TWO CAN EAT FROM ONE BUCKET- BUCKETS WERE LIKE 20 GAL SIZE. I WENT ON TO FEED A COW I HAVE BEEN WATCHING IN ANOTHER PEN. THAT WAS 3 HOURS AGO. DO I HAVE TO WORRY THAT IF THEY ATE ALL THAT IT WILL MAKE THEM SICK? THEY HAVE PLENTY OF FRESH WATER AND ARE IN A TWO ACRE PASTURE.

THANKS. MOM

 

[Caustic Burno]

LATE THIS AFTERNOON I BACKED MY CAR INTO THE COWPEN BARN SO I COULD RETRIEVE THE FEED I HAD JUST BOUGHT AND FEED THE CALVES WHICH WERE A FEW FEET FROM THE TRUNK.

AS I WAS REMOVING A FEED BUCKET OUT OF THE CAR A NEIGHBOR CAME. TOTALLY DISTRACTED CHATTING FOR A WHILE, I PUT 4 EMPTY POTS OUT THERE FOR 5 CALVES. AND PROCEEDED TO DUMP 50 # OF A HIGH QUALITY SWEET FEED/VITAMIN TYPE OF PRODUCT - IT WAS NUTRENA GROWER AND FINISHER FEED.

THEY WENT TO TOWN ON IT. THEIR HEADS ARE OF THE SIZE TWO CAN EAT FROM ONE BUCKET- BUCKETS WERE LIKE 20 GAL SIZE. I WENT ON TO FEED A COW I HAVE BEEN WATCHING IN ANOTHER PEN. THAT WAS 3 HOURS AGO. DO I HAVE TO WORRY THAT IF THEY ATE ALL THAT IT WILL MAKE THEM SICK? THEY HAVE PLENTY OF FRESH WATER AND ARE IN A TWO ACRE PASTURE.

THANKS. MOM

Mater I wouldn't worry I just wouldn't stand behind one in case they cough.

 

[buckaroo_bif]

Mater I wouldn't worry I just wouldn't stand behind one in case they cough.

and wear high boots! :lol:

 

[cypressfarms]

Mater I wouldn't worry I just wouldn't stand behind one in case they cough.

Good advice caustic. Nothing worse than a high pressure blow. I wouldn't worry about it either. With the stomach system that cows have, the worst that they could do is to deposit your feed, mostly un-absorbed by their system, in the pasture.

Now if this were a horse, and you were talking corn, you might have dead horses on your hands.

 

[Vicky the vet]

Watch out for grain overload. Diarrhea is the least of the problems you could run into.

 

[milkmaid]

momanto - you didn't say how much grain those calves were used to getting. And how big they are. 50lbs of grain divided by 5 calves is *only* 10 pounds per head. How are the calves acting now?

Vicky - while you're around; are you thinking of something like acidosis? or what other problems might you run into? My neighbor lost an 800lb heifer last fall after she got into the grain bin (barley) and tanked up until she was too sick to move. Little too late when he found her. Tried drenching with Kao-Pec and mineral oil but it didn't work...again, probably too late at that point. For future reference, what would you suggest for treating a cow/calf that got into the grain like that?

 

[momanto]

THEY USUALLY GET ABOUT 1/2 THAT AMOUNT.

I HAVENT BEEN OUT TO CHECK ON THEM AS THEY ALMOST DISAPPEAR IN THE DARK.

THEY ARE AT LEAST 300 # AND ARE 7 MONTHS OLD. THEY ARE TAME AND NICE GIRLS....ONE IS A FURRY BULL. CANT RECALL WHICH ARE THEIR MOM'S BUT DAD IS REG. HEREFORD SIRE. O YEAH, SOME OF THEIR MOM'S ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE IN THE BIG PASTURE. THINK I WILL WALK OUT THERE NOW AND LOOK. IT IS 10:10 P.M. HERE IN SW FLA.
THANKS YA'LL!

MOM

 

[momanto]

WALKED OUT TO THEIR GATE -ALL IS QUIET.....THEN WENT BACK TO THE HOUSE AND DROVE MY CAR TO THEIR GATE AND SHINED THE LIGHTS- ALL WAS QUIET.....NO CALVES TO BE SEEN. THE GRASS IS HIGH, THERE ARE SOME TREES AND BUSHES. THE LAND CURVES AROUND TO WHERE I COULD NOT DRIVE DUE IT IS TOO WET. IS ALL QUIET A GOOD SIGN? MORE TOMORROW.....FEMA IS COMING AT 7 A.M. FOR A 15 MINUTE INSPECTION OF MY HOUSE.....SHOULD BE DAYLIGHT THEN TO CHECK ON THE GIRLS....

 

[msscamp]

Momanto, are you sure about the weight on these calves? At 7 months old surely they weigh more than 300 pounds.

 

[cypressfarms]

Msscamp,

I thought the same as you. 7 months old shouldn't weight 300 lbs. If they are 7 months old, they should weigh considerably more; all the more likely that 50 lbs of feed between the 5 wouldn't hurt them. 10lbs of feed for a 600 lb calf is a lot different than 10lbs of feed for a 300 lb calf.

 

[momanto]

THEY ARE OK. DIDNT EAT ALL THE FEED. ABOUT 1/3 OF IS STILL N THE POTS OR WASTED ON THE GROUND WHERE THEY TURNED ON E OVER. THEY ARE GRAZING AS WE SPEAK.

THAT NEIGHBOR WAS INTERESTED IN BUYING THEM. HE THOT $300.00 WAS ENOUGH. HE ALSO HAS A FRIEND LOOKING FOR HEIFER CALVES.

MAYBE THEY DO WEIGH MORE. I DONT KNOW. MY GRANDSON WENT IN THE NAVY AND MY SON AND FAM. MOVED TO S. GA. RIGHT AFTER THAT.

GUESS I WONT SELL THEM NOW, TAKE THEM TO MARKET LATER. I LOOKED UP THE USDA MARKET PRICES FOR THE TWO MARKETS WE GO TO AND PRICE IS SURE MORE THAN $1.00 A POUND .

I SURE WONT OVERFEED AGAIN. THANK THE GOOD LORD HE PUT SOME SENSE IN OUR CALVES.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. IT WAS A COMFORT TO CONSULT YOU. THE ONLY HUMAN I WOULD TRUST OUT HERE WAS THE GUY WHO CAME BY AND DISTRACTED ME. IT WAS THRILLING TO THINK - O BOY- CAN GET THESE SOLD W/OUT THE EXPENSE OF GOING TO MARKET AT LEAST 50 MILES FROM HERE. HAVE TO HIRE SOMEONE TO DRIVE. WITH A TAME HERD WOULD PREFER SOME ONE WHO WILL LET MY GIRLS GROW UP TO BE MOMMY COWS.

 

[la4angus]

MOMANTO

WOULD YOU PLEASE TAKE YOUR CAPS LOCK OFF.

WE CAN HEAR YOU JUST FINE IN A NORMAL TONE.

THANKS

 

[preston39]

milkmaid,

Foundering comes to mind. A neighbor lost one couple months ago. She got into a standing cornfield for about 12 hours.

 

[J. T.]

Momanto,
You mention feeding your cattle in pots. You mean flower pots or what?

 

[momanto]

POTS ARE RUBBER POTS THAT 225# OF DRIED MOLASSES ARE SOLD IN. THEY ARE ABOUT 1/2 THE SIZE OF A 55 GAL. BARREL. THEY ARE NOT RECYCLABLE W/ THE FEED STORE. SO WE FIND MANY USES FOR THEM. I GARDEN IN THEM. USE THEM FOR RAIN BARRELS. THEY COME W/LIDS THAT FIT. CAN USE THEM FOR OTHER STORAGE WITH THE LIDS ON. OR TRANSPORT WITH THE LIDS ON. LARGE ENOUGH SO TWO CALF HEADS CAN EAT COMFORTABLE AT THE SAME TIME.

MOMS GOT SOME DISABILITIES......SO CAPS IT IS.

 

[preston39]

mom...,
Folks think you are hollering with the use of caps. Thats a cyber world rule. You may wish to reduce to avoid reactions rather than concentration on the subject.

 

[msscamp]

Msscamp,

I thought the same as you. 7 months old shouldn't weight 300 lbs. If they are 7 months old, they should weigh considerably more; all the more likely that 50 lbs of feed between the 5 wouldn't hurt them. 10lbs of feed for a 600 lb calf is a lot different than 10lbs of feed for a 300 lb calf.

Cypress, I wasn't concerned about the overfeeding - just the weights on these calves. I'm familiar with the Nutrena brand (We feed the AS70 Range and Gro to our weaning calves for a month or so following weaning) and it's unlikely that the amount fed would cause lasting problems with 7 month old calves, however, 7 month old calves weighing 300 pounds would be a major cause for concern for me, as we've got calves that age that weigh twice + that weight. Hell, I've got a 4-5 month old bottle baby that weighs 300 lbs or better! :shock: