Feeding lactating cows
- Thread starter Stevebech
- Start date
Jake
Well-known member
A small amount shouldn't hurt, but I would take every measure to prevent her eating any of it.
TexasBred
Well-known member
It carries a warning not to feed to breeding age cattle, however, it is also very short lived and doesn't stay in the cow's system very long. What kind of "steer feed" are you feeding??Stevebech":ar56ebvv said:
Stevebech":2s8ixy7z said:
I'm not trying to be accusatory or frighten you. It sounds like you're possibly feeding a single steer and maybe not quite sure of things. And I'm curious.
Anyway: Merck pulled Zilmax from the market and I'm not yet aware of it being brought back on the market. I don't believe Cargill or Tyson have changed directions and begun accepting Zilmax fed cattle for slaughter. Of course there are many other processors who might accept them. Never used it myself but I always understood it was to be fed only 20 days prior to butcher. There was a three day withdrawal period. It was claimed to be safe when used as directed and I believe Merck put a lot of emphasis on training and education about the use.
Your concern about the heifer getting into this feed says you are at least aware of some of the 'controversy' around Zilmax yet 18 pounds of feed a days doesn't sound like enough to really finish out a steer nearing butcher. I'm just wondering what your feeding program and ration looks like and how long and how much Zilmax have you been feeding? What's the final disposition of the carcass - freezer beef - sold on the market or what? How did you come upon the Zilmax?
TexasBred
Well-known member
So YOU are adding the zilmax rather than having a feed with it already in the mix???Stevebech":20xk5151 said:
Don't ask me... Haha I'm aware of that. The steer is actually a friend of mines show steer. It is show feed that he is feeding. But my show heifer has tried to get into his feed multiple times. So I was wondering if it would have any long term effects?
TexasBred
Well-known member
Your friend can basically get the same results with Bovatec, Rumensin or Amaferm. AND they're all legal.
not even close to the same results TB, two different feed additives. I can walk through a show and point at the steers eating zilmax. I would guess over 90% at our fair are on bovatec or another ionophore but zilmax steers POP when feed right.
TexasBred
Well-known member
Define or explain "POP" KH. Not that familiar with show terms. Thanks.KHereford":3s0jw4iz said:
Not many market heifers at the fairs I go to, I think 2 last year at our fair. I hope they are not feeding it to breeding females but I would guess some probably do, I've never seen it. I don't know everything about zilmax, but I live 30 minutes from a Merek research farm and know a lot of the guys that work there, that's were I have learned what to look for. What they have told me is that you spend all year feeding your steer to get him over finished so the last 20 days you can feed zilmax and get the right cover with the right amount of finish in the end. Zilmax will burn fat off while building muscle so you need to have some extra fat when you start feeding to end up with the right finish. I am no pro at feeding steers for show, I hope I didn't come off that way, these are things I'm learning as I go with my kids at the fair. TB, the steers are almost double muscled looking, cant give you a better written example and that's a very poor one, I have spent the last three years walking the barns with the workers mentioned above, just got the eye last year. I am sure there are other ways of getting the look but in my area zilmax is the thing for obvious reasons. I have not fed it. As far as the cow eating some once I don't think it will hurt it.
KHereford":2ln4vriv said:
I was meaning breeding females. I've heard several stories, and they are just stories, of folks who bought show heifers for breeding and they never bred and supposedly some never showed heat. Seems a lot of the folks I know in the business look down on show stock so I always wrote those stories off as just sour grapes. Hearing that someone is currently feeding Zilmax to a show steer and finding that it was available for sale at least in the past as a show steer feed in a bucket kind of surprised me since it was pulled from the market. I started to wonder if some folks might be feeding show heifers Zilmax(for breeding replacements) off label to get an edge in the ring and if that might impact the ability of the heifer to breed.
I would also like to know what they are feeding and could do a little more research and asking. I would assume and this is just my thoughts that it would be like feeding a gilt paylean. I had a few of those and it did seem like they were harder to breed but some of the show pigs were harder to breed anyway. You have me thinking about it now so I will ask about any research done on breeding females next time I see one of the guys that works there.
Kingfisher
Well-known member
Is this what makes the two headed ones??
TexasBred
Well-known member
Sounds good to me. I know more now than I did when I asked the question :nod:KHereford":2jt5iumr said:
branguscowgirl
Well-known member
Kind of concerns me also Kingfisher. I show breeding cattle, heifers and bulls. Neither I, nor anyone I show with have ever used this product.......I am sure it is probably around, just not in my circle of folks.Kingfisher":3krvckuk said:
TexasBred
Well-known member
Used mostly in feed lots. Been approved here in the US 6-7 years and overseas in some countries for over 20 years. You never know what causes things like the two headed calf. The one I saw was from a holstein dairy cow that had never seen beta antagonist, ionophores or anything else. Just happened. May go back to the egg and sperm.
branguscowgirl
Well-known member
I am sure.TexasBred":14funix7 said:
When we think of the intricacies of cell division and reproduction, you have to wonder why we don't see more strange things happen. It really is a miracle the way nature works. Until I started studying dog breeding, before I bred my Lab, I had no idea how complicated it could be! To do it right, there is all the blood work and genetic testing for the breed. Hip and Knee Certifications. Then hormone levels. Vaginal cytology. Nutrition. Ect. ect... Despite every precaution I took, I have a puppy with problems. (Hopefully only one, but not sure yet.) :frowns:
txffamom
Well-known member
Im not sure how to do a post directed towards a specific portion of the conversation, but in response to dega moo about the show heifers not breeding:
Our vet, after pulling a dead calf from a show heifer (not ours), explained that he sees breeding and or calving issues with 80% of the show stock he treats. He explained that for show, they get over conditoned and the extra fat blocks the hormones that need to be released to encourage the natural progression of breeding and calving.
We saw enough troubles with others that my daughters goal was to show up with healthy animals that would remain capable of earning their keep. She had the first healthy/unassisted birth calf born in the show barn in over 15 years.
So it's debatable whether it's the actual products they are feeding or the amount of fat they have. For shows, it's all about looking full and big and fat...
Our vet, after pulling a dead calf from a show heifer (not ours), explained that he sees breeding and or calving issues with 80% of the show stock he treats. He explained that for show, they get over conditoned and the extra fat blocks the hormones that need to be released to encourage the natural progression of breeding and calving.
We saw enough troubles with others that my daughters goal was to show up with healthy animals that would remain capable of earning their keep. She had the first healthy/unassisted birth calf born in the show barn in over 15 years.
So it's debatable whether it's the actual products they are feeding or the amount of fat they have. For shows, it's all about looking full and big and fat...
