Questions on polled and poop

[Anonymous]

I read in a book yesterday that Holsteins are almost always polled. My little 6 month old has horns growing. We are having them removed in the next few weeks. If a heifer is a holstein is a definite that they are polled or do some grow horns?

This next question I am not too worried about as it seems normal for her, but thought I'd ask. We live where we get an average of 9+ feet of snow a year. She is on 5 pounds of dairy 14 feed divided into 2 feedings. She has free access to alfalfa and Timothy, though I've cut back on the Timothy as I know it isn't as high in protein. Her poops aren't as ploppy as they were in the summer and fall. They are still wet, but have a definite consistency to them. Is this kind of the cycle for them during the winter or am I feeding her wrong. She drinks tons and when the snow melts I bring her to a now mostly dry "pasture" area to munch for about an hour. (On whatever the elk haven't eaten). She is a mini and is 200+ pounds at 6 months, so I guess I need to double check with you that the feed quantity is okay and the poop characteristics are normal enough.

Thanks.

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[Anonymous]

Holsteins, at least full size ones are rarely polled, this has been an on going thing with the dairy industry. Selection for polled or the de-horning issue. Throw the book away, or re-read it and see if that's what they really say! If it is, find another source for information. If they are that wrong on something that simple I'ld hate to see what else the may be very wrong about.

Poop sounds fine, it will normally by a little firmer in the winter due to dryer roughage. She should be growing and have enough fat covering her to not see her ribs. In your environment you might want to consider keeping her a little fatter, but not sluggy, then you would in a more moderate climate.

dun

> I read in a book yesterday that
> Holsteins are almost always
> polled. My little 6 month old has
> horns growing. We are having them
> removed in the next few weeks. If
> a heifer is a holstein is a
> definite that they are polled or
> do some grow horns?

> This next question I am not too
> worried about as it seems normal
> for her, but thought I'd ask. We
> live where we get an average of 9+
> feet of snow a year. She is on 5
> pounds of dairy 14 feed divided
> into 2 feedings. She has free
> access to alfalfa and Timothy,
> though I've cut back on the
> Timothy as I know it isn't as high
> in protein. Her poops aren't as
> ploppy as they were in the summer
> and fall. They are still wet, but
> have a definite consistency to
> them. Is this kind of the cycle
> for them during the winter or am I
> feeding her wrong. She drinks tons
> and when the snow melts I bring
> her to a now mostly dry
> "pasture" area to munch
> for about an hour. (On whatever
> the elk haven't eaten). She is a
> mini and is 200+ pounds at 6
> months, so I guess I need to
> double check with you that the
> feed quantity is okay and the poop
> characteristics are normal enough.

> Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

and dun is right again

in my part of the world (belgium) i've never seen a polled holstein, unless it came from the states. the dilemma here is thet we are trying to breed a good productive polled holstein, but they haven't been able to do so yet. thern again, here farmers have a max of 200-250 milking cows, so dehorning the calves is not a problem, just a day or two of work.

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