grain in the barn vs?

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GMN

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How many of you feed grain in the barn, and if not, what do you feed in replace of it outside?

GMN
 
we always fed grain in the barn.because feeding in the barn you can control the amount of feed each cow gets.
 
I used to feed grain in the barn. I quit because I was having issues with cows getting acidosis from the slug feeding. If I went over 4.5 pounds per milking I would see some cows start to show symptoms of acidosis. I also had to keep the grain quite coarse in order for the feed system to work. Because of the coarseness and the inability to feed higher levels of grain, I wasn't getting the production I wanted to have. I use the same grain as before only now it is ground very fine to get better utilization. The grain is now part of a total mixed ration. I have fed up to 15 pounds per day and had no issues thus far. The cows eat smaller meals of grain throughout the day with more even consumption. The only negative to changing grain feeding is getting cows into the parlor. I tried putting lick tubs into the stalls to encourage them but it didn't work very well. I have to go out to the holding area and bring them in to this day, but once in the parlor they will go right into their stalls. I am working on getting a crowding gate and hope that will get at least some of them coming in on their own.
 
Have done it both ways but prefer no grain in the barn and everything else in a TMR. We would grind hay in the vertical mixer, add alfalfa, whole cottonseed, wet brewers grain and the grain mix. Fed 28 lbs. of grain, 5 lbs. of whole cottonseed, 30 lbs. of wet brewers grain and 20 lbs. of hay per cow per day. With each mixer of TMR I would add about 1500 lbs. of water especially in the summer months. The grain mix contained all the vitamins, minerals, calcium, sod. bicarb, yeast products, etc. Never had any problems with accidosis.
 
Question?
Does quitting grain in the barn make for a rodeo when training newly freshened heifer to come in when it's their turn?
I'd think the lure of something to eat would help them to settle in to the routine.
 
francismilker":21ftgy00 said:
Question?
Does quitting grain in the barn make for a rodeo when training newly freshened heifer to come in when it's their turn?
I'd think the lure of something to eat would help them to settle in to the routine.

It does, its a nightmare without it, especially for heifers, who are sometimes clueless anyways! :)

GMN
 
francismilker":3o1zo3zi said:
Question?
Does quitting grain in the barn make for a rodeo when training newly freshened heifer to come in when it's their turn?
I'd think the lure of something to eat would help them to settle in to the routine.

We use to start letting heifers go thru the barn with the milk cows about a week before they were due to calf..just to sort of get use to being in the parlor, the sounds, the smells, etc....when they freshened we just mixed them in with all the other cattle and let them adjust. They sometimes would kick a time or two but it wasn't a rodeo.
 
francismilker":32xkwzw4 said:
Question?
Does quitting grain in the barn make for a rodeo when training newly freshened heifer to come in when it's their turn?
I'd think the lure of something to eat would help them to settle in to the routine.
So far I would have to say no it does not make for a rodeo. In fact I absolutely love how it has worked with heifers since I quit grain in the parlor. I always hand feed my heifers so they are tame to begin with. I usually have to push them into the parlor and stall. I'm guessing but about half the heifers never lifted a leg one time. After a couple milkings they came in no problem. In fact all but a few heifers will come into the parlor and stall all on their own. Most of my cows will not come in without me going out and walking them in. My hope is this happens with future generations of heifers and eventually most of them would come in on their own. Maybe I got lucky? Sounds like others haven't shared my experience.
 
novaman":wyyqqpbs said:
francismilker":wyyqqpbs said:
Question?
Does quitting grain in the barn make for a rodeo when training newly freshened heifer to come in when it's their turn?
I'd think the lure of something to eat would help them to settle in to the routine.
So far I would have to say no it does not make for a rodeo. In fact I absolutely love how it has worked with heifers since I quit grain in the parlor. I always hand feed my heifers so they are tame to begin with. I usually have to push them into the parlor and stall. I'm guessing but about half the heifers never lifted a leg one time. After a couple milkings they came in no problem. In fact all but a few heifers will come into the parlor and stall all on their own. Most of my cows will not come in without me going out and walking them in. My hope is this happens with future generations of heifers and eventually most of them would come in on their own. Maybe I got lucky? Sounds like others haven't shared my experience.

Do U ever notice how when they are brought in for the first time, it seems its easier, with or without grain? I have a theory that they are still in some form of pain from labor, that they really don't know what is going on too well, so they come in easier, my problems have come from the 2nd or 3rd times in the barn, where they get smart, and play games. Not every one is like that, and it usually only takes a few days for them to mellow out, but I do not think i could keep them standing in the barn without some grain in the feeders, because heifers especially like to dance around, and if brought in with other hiefers, its a recipe for disaster when they start acting up. Now when they are brought in with older cows they seem to do much better.
GMN
 
All milking cows were housed in the free stall barn where they received tmr only. We fed grain while milking it was set up that when the cows come in you push a button and grain would go into each stalls individual feeder, but contrary to popular belief they sh@t just as much not less so we stopped.

In the freestall barn the milking parlor was housed inside as well so the cows were gotten up while we raked stalls and moved into the holding area.

The fresh cows even heifers were moved into the maternity pen in the freestall barn a few days before they calved ..Usually our first calvers were really good to go into the parlor ,the odd ding bat that needed a hard lesson, but because I spent so much time with them from day one and they were handled quite often as heifers (100% were AI'd at least once) they were quite calm and reasonable..

In fact the new owners only complaint about the herd is that they were too calm.. :? Calm cattle make for lot's of milk. :nod:

I will have to dig up some pics ,they have to be around here somewhere ,to show our set up. We were not large by any means we only milked around 130 ,but we liked the set up where you do not have to move cows from place to place all the time ,as it wastes too much time.
 
All milking cows were housed in the free stall barn where they received tmr only. We fed grain while milking it was set up that when the cows come in you push a button and grain would go into each stalls individual feeder, but contrary to popular belief they sh@t just as much not less so we stopped.

HD...you're suppose to put a sign up..."no sh@tting in the parlor". Mine were trained. :cowboy: Actually they wern't....when the urge hits....they're gonna let it fly. Manure don't bother me but hot steamy pee on a cold morning is baaaaaaad :mrgreen:

Nova when we took grain out of the parlor everybody seemed to just settle in and relax much better.. Our barn was a side opening tandem parlor so individual cows were coming and going all the time and I just converted the feeders to waterers which they really looked forward to in the very hot weather.
 
Ha ha TB I did I guess they couldn't read. The pee thing, in -40 weather and you get it inside your boots not a good thing. :roll:

Nova I think you are the norm rather the exception. Your herd sounds like ours.

Any of you have the those pesky cattle that have to be in the first stall in the parlor or they won't go in. Sandy our herd boss and old bootmaker daughter was like that. She had to be first or she would wait until the next group. Sometimes she would get shoved out of the way and miss her turn, so occasionally we would have to milk her all by her self dead last after all the others had been done just to get her to go in..She was a stubborn old gal but no matter what she had to be first there was no way you could get her in unless it was her own idea.

She was 14 yrs old when we sold ,still giving us around 40 litres day average, she gave us and the previous owner 11 calves in total ,of all the calves only 2 were daughters. It figures.. :lol2:
 
yes we had a few cows that had tobe milked in the front stall.an they would butt other cows out of the way.an even had a few that would milk on 1 side of the barn.an refuse to go into the otherside.
 
I had one old cow, almost solid white, that would stand at the entrance to the parlor....when the gate opened she would turn and walk away...whenit closed, she came back.....I guess she was always curious but also insisted on always being the very last cow to be milked.
 
TexasBred":22azwrpd said:
I had one old cow, almost solid white, that would stand at the entrance to the parlor....when the gate opened she would turn and walk away...whenit closed, she came back.....I guess she was always curious but also insisted on always being the very last cow to be milked.
If you have more then 2 cows you will always have the odd bodkin. The one that has to be first the one thats has to be last the one that will only go in one side, the one that can me milked anywhere except first, the the one that can me milked anywhere except last, etc.
 
dun":ozqj2qir said:
TexasBred":ozqj2qir said:
I had one old cow, almost solid white, that would stand at the entrance to the parlor....when the gate opened she would turn and walk away...whenit closed, she came back.....I guess she was always curious but also insisted on always being the very last cow to be milked.
If you have more then 2 cows you will always have the odd bodkin. The one that has to be first the one thats has to be last the one that will only go in one side, the one that can me milked anywhere except first, the the one that can me milked anywhere except last, etc.
Don't forget the one(s) that have to crap the second they step in the parlor. The one that knows how to open the gate to her stall before she's done.
 
dun":3bfsiqz3 said:
TexasBred":3bfsiqz3 said:
I had one old cow, almost solid white, that would stand at the entrance to the parlor....when the gate opened she would turn and walk away...whenit closed, she came back.....I guess she was always curious but also insisted on always being the very last cow to be milked.
If you have more then 2 cows you will always have the odd bodkin. The one that has to be first the one thats has to be last the one that will only go in one side, the one that can me milked anywhere except first, the the one that can me milked anywhere except last, etc.


Dun we had one cornball that liked to be milked very last , but would not ever stand in the first stall. So we had a double 10 parlor and we're milking exactly 121 at the time, so we always had to keep one cow in so she could stand in the stall behind to be milked.

It p'd hubby off to no end, even after a few stern suggestions she still had her mind made up. No way would she stand in the front of the parlor. :roll:

We had the one sided twits as well, it only got to be annoying when you were milking odd numbers and "their" side was still milking but the one they didn't like was ready for a new group.
 
hillsdown":3nxaicji said:
This thread sure brings back memories, some good and some ,,well ,, memorable. :lol2:


Lots of "manure" down the drain and lots of milk into the tank. Hard work but a lifestyle we truly loved.
 

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