SRBeef
Well-known member
I opened up some fresh corn to my March 2010 freezer beef steers that are being finished by grazing standing corn ahead of late April 2011 processing.
They finished their previous paddock to about the level I want: all corn consumed but not forced to eat much of the stalks. I will be letting cows graze this (in addition to their regular hay) and clean it up some time in February. May cut cow hay consumption and consume more residue ahead of spring strip till for more (corn on corn) in late April. Here is an "AFTER" picture of the area they have just left:
I was surprised to see all of the shelled cobs on the ground in the area they just left. About like what you would see behind a conventional combine! In past years when I had put cows on grazing corn the cows consumed the entire ear, cob and all:
Here is a "BEFORE" picture of the fresh corn that I just opened today:
Here is a picture of some steers heading into the fresh corn.
These steers in their first corn seemed to have perfected a method of getting a whole ear in their mouth, shelling the corn with their teeth then spitting out the cob, eating all of the grain. They also have been grazing husks and upper leaves.
Watching them this morning however they seemed to be eating the entire ear. Maybe as they grow they will eat more cobs.
The steers do not seem to be very interested in the hay bale in the feeder which is still available to them. They seemed to have made the internal transition to corn successfully. They look good. I can't weigh them in this subzero weather and snow but they look to be putting on the pounds.
Cows and heifers - In honor of the Packers/Bears game today and getting through a very cold week (mostly well below zero nights) on their own I put out a fresh bale for the cows/heifers. I unrolled a bit them let them have fun with the bale on the ground for a bit.
After the game today I will put the remains of the bale in a feeder and fill the rest of the feeders. In my opinion they look pretty good.
These have had no grain just the hay and Mineralyx tubs as shown in the last picture with a couple heifers:
Jim
apologies for photos being cut off on the right as bit. Evidently the new software here only shows 640x480, these are 800x600 but you get the idea. I did post these elsewhere but folks here have been helpful in getting started and will repost here. Thank you.
They finished their previous paddock to about the level I want: all corn consumed but not forced to eat much of the stalks. I will be letting cows graze this (in addition to their regular hay) and clean it up some time in February. May cut cow hay consumption and consume more residue ahead of spring strip till for more (corn on corn) in late April. Here is an "AFTER" picture of the area they have just left:
I was surprised to see all of the shelled cobs on the ground in the area they just left. About like what you would see behind a conventional combine! In past years when I had put cows on grazing corn the cows consumed the entire ear, cob and all:
Here is a "BEFORE" picture of the fresh corn that I just opened today:
Here is a picture of some steers heading into the fresh corn.
These steers in their first corn seemed to have perfected a method of getting a whole ear in their mouth, shelling the corn with their teeth then spitting out the cob, eating all of the grain. They also have been grazing husks and upper leaves.
Watching them this morning however they seemed to be eating the entire ear. Maybe as they grow they will eat more cobs.
The steers do not seem to be very interested in the hay bale in the feeder which is still available to them. They seemed to have made the internal transition to corn successfully. They look good. I can't weigh them in this subzero weather and snow but they look to be putting on the pounds.
Cows and heifers - In honor of the Packers/Bears game today and getting through a very cold week (mostly well below zero nights) on their own I put out a fresh bale for the cows/heifers. I unrolled a bit them let them have fun with the bale on the ground for a bit.
After the game today I will put the remains of the bale in a feeder and fill the rest of the feeders. In my opinion they look pretty good.
These have had no grain just the hay and Mineralyx tubs as shown in the last picture with a couple heifers:
Jim
apologies for photos being cut off on the right as bit. Evidently the new software here only shows 640x480, these are 800x600 but you get the idea. I did post these elsewhere but folks here have been helpful in getting started and will repost here. Thank you.
