Putting weight back on thin cows

[TCRanch]

Curious to what trouble you believe giving them chocolate milk would cause?

I have no clue. But back when there was a Hostess Outlet in town and I'd buy racks of the week old bred, bagels, etc., which would occasionally include chocolate chip muffins, chocolate cupcakes, Zingers . . . I asked my vet if it would be okay to feed them to the cows since I knew chocolate was toxic to dogs. Clearly, these products weren't pure chocolate and cows aren't dogs, but he said it's probably best if I didn't. He didn't have a definitive reason why, but better safe than sorry. As for chocolate milk? Personally, I wouldn't and see no benefit.

 

[Little Joe]

Pictures

 

[TCRanch]

They're thin, but not as bad as I imagined. Betcha they'll fill out in no time. And maybe @MurraysMutts will chime in and offer some of his wisdom. If anyone can turn a cow around, it's Murray!

 

[bird dog]

Those are the kind I like to buy. Money makers. They will look a lot different this spring. You might want to give them a shot of MultiMin and some vitamins along with a 7 way.

 

[kenny thomas]

One of my pet peeves, clean the tags off them. It will hang on and even leave a mark for months. If you want to sell them in the spring it will possibly still show. That hurts the selling price even if the cow is fine.
They are not as thin as i expected.

 

[farmerjan]

Agree, not as thin as I thought they might be... getting bellies full of good hay, the worming, and starting a little supplemental feed will do them wonders.

 

[Little Joe]

They actually look a little better today than yesterday, guess a belly full of hay and water helps. If I was putting them on grass right away I wouldn't have been concerned, I like my cows fat going into winter, especially with th calves on them. @kenny thomas i don't even give the tags a thought, I've fed some out and they were almost finished before the tags came off. I plan to sell the calves about May or June and keep the cows. Plan to put my bull with them end of December.

 

[Travlr]

Pictures
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Just worming and good hay will put a couple hundred pounds on them, and that's all they need. They are just in their working clothes.

 

[kenny thomas]

They actually look a little better today than yesterday, guess a belly full of hay and water helps. If I was putting them on grass right away I wouldn't have been concerned, I like my cows fat going into winter, especially with th calves on them. @kenny thomas i don't even give the tags a thought, I've fed some out and they were almost finished before the tags came off. I plan to sell the calves about May or June and keep the cows. Plan to put my bull with them end of December.

Then no worries about the tags. Its the cow trader in me that notices such things.

 

[MurraysMutts]

I'd a sure pulled tags off when I wormed em.
Around here wheat pasture is plentiful this year! I never have that luxury.
I ran up on some free soybeans one year.
I usually just feed mine some 20% cubes twice a day. And best hay I can muster.

They didn't get that way overnight.
Won't get fat overnight either.

This last one. The skinny arse red pair...
I was feeding her and giving her the good hay. Didn't go as well as I'd a liked with her. I finally said heck with it, and turned her and calf out at the lease place. There was still some grass there. Honestly I think she did better there than on feed and hay!

Shes still got a ways to go, but that pair was SUPER CHEAP! Her calf will bring what I gave for the pair already I think. The cow will bring what she brings this spring. I don't even care if she breeds or not.

Some years ago these fell off a truck. 38% cubes. Don't take much of em to get them cows to squirting. Some of them and good hay really get em going too. Don't know if it pencils out if ya gotta buy it tho!

 

[Allenw]

I'd a sure pulled tags off when I wormed em.
Around here wheat pasture is plentiful this year! I never have that luxury.
I ran up on some free soybeans one year.
I usually just feed mine some 20% cubes twice a day. And best hay I can muster.

They didn't get that way overnight.
Won't get fat overnight either.

This last one. The skinny arse red pair...
I was feeding her and giving her the good hay. Didn't go as well as I'd a liked with her. I finally said heck with it, and turned her and calf out at the lease place. There was still some grass there. Honestly I think she did better there than on feed and hay!

Shes still got a ways to go, but that pair was SUPER CHEAP! Her calf will bring what I gave for the pair already I think. The cow will bring what she brings this spring. I don't even care if she breeds or not.

Some years ago these fell off a truck. 38% cubes. Don't take much of em to get them cows to squirting. Some of them and good hay really get em going too. Don't know if it pencils out if ya gotta buy it tho!
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1 1/2 to 2 lbs a day is all I ever feed when feeding 38% cubes, usually 3 lbs every other day.

 

[Warren Allison]

Probably nothing ever be said but isnt it against the rules to feed a product from an animal to the same type animal?

There were prohibitions against such things in Mosaic law. Exodus 23 and 34, and Deuteronomy 14.

 

[Warren Allison]

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They don't look all that poor to me, @Little Joe . After seeing these pics, I'd say just keep on doing what you are now: Free choice hay and some feed.

 

[Little Joe]

They sold one pair that I thought on that sold for $700, cow was sure enough poor, I didn't bid because she was so poor and had the squirts real bad and my first thought was Johnnes so I just passed. I like a bargain but also don't like to push my luck.

 

[MurraysMutts]

They sold one pair that I thought on that sold for $700, cow was sure enough poor, I didn't bid because she was so poor and had the squirts real bad and my first thought was Johnnes so I just passed. I like a bargain but also don't like to push my luck.

I try n stay away from them as well!
There's a difference between one like that and one that has good manure with bright eyes etc

 

[Allenw]

You have to be careful, some old cows are too far gone to do anything with.

 

[Little Joe]

This is how I like my cattle to look. Grass, hay and minerals is all these have had. Those 2 yellow cows are bigge framed than I prefer but I got a good buy on them last year about this time and they're good gentle cows. The yellow steer between the 2 yellow cows belongs to the darker yellow one on left, calf weaned in September, he's a hoss. The lighter yellow one is the one that had a calf in 0 degree -20 windchill and calf lost a foot, it didn't turn out quite as good as the steer. The brown one was a cow I bought last summer during the drought and was a little thin when I got her but she looks good now, she had a good looking calf and was doing a good job raising it but it ended up with a hernia and died. Then of course that's my now almost 8 year old registered Hereford bull that I bought last year, gentle as they come.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Is that the coloring of your bull or he's bull of mud??

 

[Dave]

Those are the kind I buy. I would bother to raise my hand on your fat cows because I know the kill buyers would out bid me. Money is made putting weight on a cow.

 

[gcreekrch]

Agree, not as thin as I thought they might be... getting bellies full of good hay, the worming, and starting a little supplemental feed will do them wonders.

Not much different than a lot of our cows today. They don't need to be fat all the time.