Feeding Nursing Cows

[cghoerichs]

I have 2 medium size black angus cows that are both about 5 years old. They both calved within the last 3 weeks. I'm replacing my fence so I don't have them on pasture yet and am feeding them corn, grass hay (brome timothy mix) and with some mineral.
Question – Anyone have suggestions on how much of each I should be feeding?

 

[dun]

All the hay they want if it's decent quality. If it's poor quliaty throw in a couple of pounds of grain a day.

dun

 

[jnowack]

DON'T OVER DO IT WITH THE CORN. ABOUT .2% OF THEIR BODY WEIGHT PER DAY IS GOOD AND WILL HELP THEM GET MORE OUT OF THE FIBER IN THE HAY. IF YOU FEED MORE THAN THAT YOU WILL LOSE SOME EFFICIENCY IN FIBER DIGESTION. IF YOU NEED MORE SUPPLEMENTATION TRY SOME SOY HULL PELLETS. PROTEIN IS CLOSE TO CORN BUT THE ENERGY IS MOSTLY FIBER. I HAVE HEARD OF PEOPLE FEEDING A SMALL AMOUNT (MAYBE 1 LB PER DAY?)OF WHOLE SOYBEANS AND GETTING GOOD RESULTS ON GETTING THEM TO BREED BACK QUICKER. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY OFFICIAL DATA ON THE SOYBEANS BUT THERE MAY BE SOME OUT THERE.

 

[cghoerichs]

So if they weigh 1200 I would feed about 20lbs of corn per day and as much hay as they want.
OK. I guess that's about where I am although maybe light on the hay. Not sure how much hey they will eat. I'll just keep giving it until they stop.

Thanks for the input.

 

[milkmaid]

20lbs? :shock: I would not feed that much to a beef cow. Shucks, most dairy cows aren't allotted that much per head per day! :lol: 2% of their body weight is a finishing ration - and you're not finishing and butchering these cows. If the hay is simply grass hay and only so-so in quality, 5-10lbs/hd/day in grain is plenty. Free choice alfalfa hay and they don't need anything extra.

 

[msscamp]

I would not feed beef cows 20 lbs of corn/day unless I was finishing them for butchering. I wouldn't even feed them 10 lbs/day - more like 2, maybe 3 - depending on what the hay test out for. Get your hay tested and see where it is for protein, then adjust their protein level with some kind of grain - doesn't necessarily have to be corn, either - to raise it if needed. I would not just be throwing grain at these cows, as it can cause more problems than it solves if not fed properly. Just my thoughts.

 

[milkmaid]

I think it all depends on the quality of the hay. I've seen folks shove some pretty crummy hay at beef cows - moldy grass hay - that you would have to supplement or the cows will (and do) turn into a bag of bones. Also seen hay that if you gave any grain in addition to it, the cows would look like blimps. LOL.

 

[la4angus]

DON'T OVER DO IT WITH THE CORN. ABOUT .2% OF THEIR BODY WEIGHT PER DAY IS GOOD AND WILL HELP THEM GET MORE OUT OF THE FIBER IN THE HAY. IF YOU FEED MORE THAN THAT YOU WILL LOSE SOME EFFICIENCY IN FIBER DIGESTION. IF YOU NEED MORE SUPPLEMENTATION TRY SOME SOY HULL PELLETS. PROTEIN IS CLOSE TO CORN BUT THE ENERGY IS MOSTLY FIBER. I HAVE HEARD OF PEOPLE FEEDING A SMALL AMOUNT (MAYBE 1 LB PER DAY?)OF WHOLE SOYBEANS AND GETTING GOOD RESULTS ON GETTING THEM TO BREED BACK QUICKER. I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY OFFICIAL DATA ON THE SOYBEANS BUT THERE MAY BE SOME OUT THERE.

Would you please take your Cap Lock off. All caps is considered yelling and is Rude.

Most on here can hear fairly well.

 

[UNCAS]

I DONT KNOW ABOUT JNOWACK BUT I DO EVERY THING IN CAP LOCKS SO I CAN SEE IT IAM NOT YELLING CANT SPELL GOOD SO I DO IN CAP LOCKS SO NO ONE WILL MAKE FUN OF MY SPELLING

 

[UNCAS]

RUDE

 

[mnmtranching]

Give those cows all the good quality mixed hay they want, and a supliment like range blocks, with protein, vitamin, mineral and salt.
And a couple pounds of corn.

mnmt

 

[msscamp]

Give those cows all the good quality mixed hay they want, and a supliment like range blocks, with protein, vitamin, mineral and salt.
And a couple pounds of corn.

mnmt

If cows are getting good quality hay, mineral, salt, and still need grain to maintain, there is something wrong with the basic program or the wrong cows are being selected for a specific area/purpose. Just my thoughts.

 

[dun]

If cows are getting good quality hay, mineral, salt, and still need grain to maintain, there is something wrong with the basic program or the wrong cows are being selected for a specific area/purpose. Just my thoughts.

BINGO, we have a winner!

dun

 

[Roadapple]

I may have failing eyesight, but in jnowack,s answer, I thought I saw a decimal point in front of the 2%. Let me see, maybe I have a speck on my screen. No, don't believe I do. Now "if" I'm right how many pounds is that for a 1200 lb. bovine?

 

[mnmtranching]

I would give the protein-energy supliment for milk. You know, at 1.30 to 1.50 for 4 weight calves dont you think it's worth the extra cost of a little protein and energy? :shock:

mnmt

 

[cghoerichs]

Math has been corrected. Thanks all.

 

[msscamp]

I would give the protein-energy supliment for milk. You know, at 1.30 to 1.50 for 4 weight calves dont you think it's worth the extra cost of a little protein and energy? :shock:

mnmt

If one is managing their program correctly, culling based on their goals and performance, all that 'extra cost' is doing is eating into the profit margin and taking up time that could be spent doing something that needs to be done. Just my thoughts.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

You can tell if they are getting enough protein from their hay, by the consistancy of their manure. If it's coming out like horse turds - not enough protein, if it's squirting - way too much. In between - probably about right.