Range meal and day old bread

[J. T.]

Educate me please on the pros and cons of feeding range meal (CSM & salt) to brood cows. Also, any thoughts on feeding day old bread to cows? Any info is appreciated.

 

[hillbilly1234]

hi i have highlander cattle and they just love bread as a treat

 

[1982vett]

J.T. I used to feed range meal like it was going out of style. Fed the molasass tubs too till the feed prices went sky high and the cattle price hit a slump (around here). Spring of 2009 I stopped feeding the range meal and tubs because I had plenty green pastures. Had my hay tested and it was supposed to meet the nutritional needs of the cows plus I had winter pasture. Haven't fed either since and went thru this summers, fall and winters drought just fine without it. Cows were fat coming into winter on less than desirable pastures so I'm not sold on the range meal near as much as I once was. It almost appears they faired better not eating so much salt. Without looking up exactly what I fed, I'd say 80 cows might have eaten 150 lbs of salt a month compaired to the normal 600 lbs of range meal they used to eat in a week.

I probably should be feeding something now since the hay isn't all that great and absolutely no winter pasture, but some green pastures shouldn't be to far away now. I'm going to sacrafice a little condition and see what happens.

Guess I'm trying to say to supplementing salt and protien separately seems to have worked better this last year.

Never fed bread.

 

[kenny thomas]

The day old bread will do them good if you can get enough of it.
It will also make them come running when they see you. Must be something in the baking of the grain.

 

[TexasBred]

Educate me please on the pros and cons of feeding range meal (CSM & salt) to brood cows. Also, any thoughts on feeding day old bread to cows? Any info is appreciated.

Cattle love old bread once the realize what it is. Nothing wrong with range meal either if you need the extra protein supplementation. I'd just feed it based on quality of any grazing you might have as well as the quality of the hay your feeding. If you think you need it I'd get once close to 27% protein and 30=33% salt. They shouldn't eat over about 3 lbs. per head per day.

Vet 600 lbs. a week is hardly anything for 80 cows as most range meals are formulated for 3-4 lbs. per head per day consumption. Apparently they didn't need it anyway.

 

[1982vett]

Educate me please on the pros and cons of feeding range meal (CSM & salt) to brood cows. Also, any thoughts on feeding day old bread to cows? Any info is appreciated.

Cattle love old bread once the realize what it is. Nothing wrong with range meal either if you need the extra protein supplementation. I'd just feed it based on quality of any grazing you might have as well as the quality of the hay your feeding. If you think you need it I'd get once close to 27% protein and 30=33% salt. They shouldn't eat over about 3 lbs. per head per day.

Vet 600 lbs. a week is hardly anything for 80 cows as most range meals are formulated for 3-4 lbs. per head per day consumption. Apparently they didn't need it anyway.

Probably right about that.