feeding hay on hillside

[brimmer X]

I was told that feeding late bred cows hay on a hillside or incline could result in calving problems. Have any of you heard of this. I do feed my cows out of rings on a hillside for draining purposes. Seems like a good way to utilize poor ground. Any thoughts?

 

[dun]

If that was the case all of the cattle in the Ozarks would have problems since it's about all hillsides.

 

[hillsdown]

I was told that feeding late bred cows hay on a hillside or incline could result in calving problems. Have any of you heard of this. I do feed my cows out of rings on a hillside for draining purposes. Seems like a good way to utilize poor ground. Any thoughts?

Would love to hear the theory behind this one . :cowboy:

 

[brimmer X]

Dun, I'm in the foot hills of the Ozarks, so I know what you are saying. You know how some people feel the need to shoot off a little at the mouth or look for reasons to a bad experience they had.

The theory, was maybe the calves laid up on one end or side too long and did not get turned right. The weight of the cow could cause a prolapse if she was facing up hill for extended periods.

This is NOT my theory, just wondering if any merit to it.

 

[Dave]

I know some hillsides in the southeast corner of this state that would cause calving problems. But that is because the hillsides on the Grande Ronde and the Snake are so steep and long that a new born calf wont quit sliding for a mile or two. The cow might have problems find the calf.

 

[JSCATTLE]

I've heard of heavy cows laying downfacing up hill and not being able to get up .

 

[TexasBred]

I've heard of heavy cows laying downfacing up hill and not being able to get up .

And they bloat and die right there too.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I was told that feeding late bred cows hay on a hillside or incline could result in calving problems. Have any of you heard of this. I do feed my cows out of rings on a hillside for draining purposes. Seems like a good way to utilize poor ground. Any thoughts?

I would be in trouble if I had to put out hay on flat ground. I feed on the side of a hill all the time.

 

[hillrancher]

I was told that feeding late bred cows hay on a hillside or incline could result in calving problems. Have any of you heard of this. I do feed my cows out of rings on a hillside for draining purposes. Seems like a good way to utilize poor ground. Any thoughts?

If this was true would never have any calves. The only almost flat ground that I own is where I cut hay on the river. The only trouble that I have is the cow getting in between trees on hillside and cannot get up when calving.
If you don't get the bail turned where it will unwrap will go over the fence on upon the back porch, has happened. We feed on the step the cows will not bed down on the hay and it get some fertlizer where we cannot get the litter truck.

 

[dun]

I was told that feeding late bred cows hay on a hillside or incline could result in calving problems. Have any of you heard of this. I do feed my cows out of rings on a hillside for draining purposes. Seems like a good way to utilize poor ground. Any thoughts?

If this was true would never have any calves. The only almost flat ground that I own is where I cut hay on the river. The only trouble that I have is the cow getting in between trees on hillside and cannot get up when calving.
If you don't get the bail turned where it will unwrap will go over the fence on upon the back porch, has happened. We feed on the step the cows will not bed down on the hay and it get some fertlizer where we cannot get the litter truck.

If they needed a level spot to be fed my wife would really get POed about me having them in the livingroom. That's the only level spot on this farm

 

[regolith]

It's what JScattle and Texasbred said and I got that from an older farmer the morning I found one of his cows dead and bloated trying to calve on a slope.
How often that occurs I've no idea, never seen another since. However, any cow suffering milk fever will get herself into trouble even if it's only a shallow depression in the ground in a flat paddock... she'll find it, lie down and not be able to get up again.

 

[randiliana]

That happens around here from time to time. If a heavy cow lays so her feet are uphill and she rolls to lick her self or even just lays out flat she can't get up. Can also happen if they are sleeping on a snow pack and they melt in a bit. It doesn't have to be a deep depression or even a big hill, any dip or rut can do it.

A few years ago we had about 10% of our calve were upside down. No rhyme or reason to it, big ones and little ones, heifers and bulls. I hear a rumor that it was cause we fed on a hillside. Haven't had a problem since and we still feed on that hill.....