Feeding question

[JSteim]

We put a field in oats this winter to provide some grazing for our cows.
A couple of weeks back I let the girls out on the field for 2 days - all good - they seemed to really like the oats.
A week later I put them back on it for 5 days and they still seemed to like the oats but quite a few of them got very loose watery poops. When I lock them off the oats they get back to regular.
Whenever they are on the oats I have round bales of the hay they eat available in the feeder rings. They do not touch the hay when the oats are available.

Is there some schedule they need to be grazed at to avoid the runs?

 

[M-5]

You can limit graze for an hour or 2 each day. Or section off only what they can eat in 2 hours and then they will go back to the hay and should help some. Personally I don't worry about it much.

 

[TexasBred]

%

You can limit graze for an hour or 2 each day. Or section off only what they can eat in 2 hours and then they will go back to the hay and should help some. Personally I don't worry about it much.

Absolutely those oats are in excees of 25% on a dry matter basis and close to 90% warer as fed thus the thin manure cant blame the cow for not wanting the hay

 

[JSteim]

We do not live at the farm yet so getting them on and off the field the same day is not practical except on weekends.
No blame on them for liking the oats better than hay. Would you expect that runny manure to get better over time on the oats?

 

[TexasBred]

We do not live at the farm yet so getting them on and off the field the same day is not practical except on weekends.
No blame on them for liking the oats better than hay. Would you expect that runny manure to get better over time on the oats?

Not as long as they have plenty of them. Once they've eaten them down to where intake is not as much they'll be forced to eat the hay or go hungry. Should tighten up then.

 

[JMJ Farms]

We do not live at the farm yet so getting them on and off the field the same day is not practical except on weekends.
No blame on them for liking the oats better than hay. Would you expect that runny manure to get better over time on the oats?

Not as long as they have plenty of them. Once they've eaten them down to where intake is not as much they'll be forced to eat the hay or go hungry. Should tighten up then.

Yep. Let em enjoy those oats. A little loose is better than constipation :lol2:

 

[1982vett]

We do not live at the farm yet so getting them on and off the field the same day is not practical except on weekends.
No blame on them for liking the oats better than hay. Would you expect that runny manure to get better over time on the oats?

That's when temporary electric fencing becomes and effective tool. Fence off enough for several days, keep the hay out for when they run out of oats.