farmerjan
Well-known member
I think that @MurraysMutts is right. Confirmed safe in calf, just feed good... 16% protein is about right... you might add a couple pounds corn... cracked or whole... as that is more "fattening food" ... yes it will lower the protein but will up the "carbs" and help her put some meat on the bones...
I would be very hesitant to put the holstein out with the beef cattle... even with the creep feeder.. If he is using it now, I would make sure that the calves can clean up the feed daily, as you said to keep it fresh, and he will use it more and more... sadly, holsteins and dairy animals in general, are bred to "need grain".... they can do good on pasture with some supplementing... but in your case, the more grain he consumes... and yes it will hurt the bottom line but your situation has changed.....the faster he will not "pull her down" since he will be getting more nutrition from the grain and it will supplement and "round out" what the milk is giving him.
He also will not get a "pot gut" or a "hay belly"... and holsteins will get one if they are not getting enough "nutrition"... all the hay in the world is not enough if there is not enough protein and nutrition in it... They will eat and eat as their body is "craving" food...and get a "gut from the quantity.... but straight hay is usually not enough for any calf...
We feed orchard grass hay here as the "good hay" along with some alfalfa that I would give the nurse cows in the barn along with their grain... the pellets are a great way to get higher quality better concentrated feed into the cow and calves...
If the protein gets too high, the cow will get very loose... first thing that dairies will watch and cut back a smidgeon of the protein to get them to firm up the manure some... no sense in letting all the protein go out the back end without being utilized properly in the gut tract...
If the prices are good, I would pull the holstein and sell directly to not lose any weight and condition at the time... but the creep feeder for the calves might just do the trick with the increase of grain you are now giving the cow.
I would be very hesitant to put the holstein out with the beef cattle... even with the creep feeder.. If he is using it now, I would make sure that the calves can clean up the feed daily, as you said to keep it fresh, and he will use it more and more... sadly, holsteins and dairy animals in general, are bred to "need grain".... they can do good on pasture with some supplementing... but in your case, the more grain he consumes... and yes it will hurt the bottom line but your situation has changed.....the faster he will not "pull her down" since he will be getting more nutrition from the grain and it will supplement and "round out" what the milk is giving him.
He also will not get a "pot gut" or a "hay belly"... and holsteins will get one if they are not getting enough "nutrition"... all the hay in the world is not enough if there is not enough protein and nutrition in it... They will eat and eat as their body is "craving" food...and get a "gut from the quantity.... but straight hay is usually not enough for any calf...
We feed orchard grass hay here as the "good hay" along with some alfalfa that I would give the nurse cows in the barn along with their grain... the pellets are a great way to get higher quality better concentrated feed into the cow and calves...
If the protein gets too high, the cow will get very loose... first thing that dairies will watch and cut back a smidgeon of the protein to get them to firm up the manure some... no sense in letting all the protein go out the back end without being utilized properly in the gut tract...
If the prices are good, I would pull the holstein and sell directly to not lose any weight and condition at the time... but the creep feeder for the calves might just do the trick with the increase of grain you are now giving the cow.