Protein tubs

[denoginnizer]

Do protein tubs make cattle eat more or less grass? I put mine out a little early this year thinking that since my grass was a little short the tub would supplement the grass. I told another cattle farmer this yesterday and he said that the tub would cause the cows stomach to be hot and that the cow would have to eat more grass to cool it down . Whats the real deal?

 

[Big D]

If you have a low quality forage, such as dormant grass the protein within is not very digestable, the result is the depopulation of rumen microbes. With fewer microbes the cow can digest less and less feed. Although the cow will feel full, she is basiclly starving.

By supplementing protein, you feed the microbes and repopulate the rumen, which inturn the cow can digest the feed better and is able to eat more feed, which is what is needed when feed quality suffers.

If your grass is short, your money would be better spent on hay of a quality to meet protein needs. If your grass is of low quality but plenty of it, then a tub or other protein source would be acceptable.

 

[MikeC]

Do protein tubs make cattle eat more or less grass? I put mine out a little early this year thinking that since my grass was a little short the tub would supplement the grass. I told another cattle farmer this yesterday and he said that the tub would cause the cows stomach to be hot and that the cow would have to eat more grass to cool it down . Whats the real deal?

The protein aids digestion and helps move less than desirable forage through the cow better, at a faster rate, allowing her to absorb more nutrients. Too much protein and not enough forage can actually cause cattle to lose weight.

Non-natural protein such as UREA will compound the problem.