Weight gain

[trin]

I have a few nurse cows I need to put weight on . Would you feed some real good hay and straight ground corn ? What ration would you think could help me to get some weight on my milk cows?

 

[Son of Butch]

To put weight on you need to increase energy

 

[Son of Butch]

To put weight on you need to increase energy (calories) so start by adding 3 lbs per hd of ground corn to existing
ration for 7 - 10 days then double to 6 lbs.

What are they currently eating?
poor hay? average grass hay?
Real Good Hay = Alfalfa = protein 18%
or
Do you mean real good grass hay? 12%
What options do you have available? What price?

 

[trin]

Have some real good orchard grass clover alfalfa mix rolls horse farmer been selling.. The cows are eating straight grass hay and about 8lbs of 12% feed. It is soy hulls cracked corn and distelers grain mix.

 

[Son of Butch]

Good orchard grass mix hay I'll guess at 14% + pro with the grain mix more than enough protein
I'm not clear on how long they've been on the 8 lbs of grain mix.

If nurse cows have already been cleaning up 8 lbs 12% grain and are still having trouble keeping weight on I'd add
another 2 lbs of corn to the mix for 10 lbs of grain mix which will increase energy but lower the mix to 11.25%
protein and rotate hay feeding with a roll of the real good hay and a roll of the hay they're eating now.

 

[TexasBred]

I have a few nurse cows I need to put weight on . Would you feed some real good hay and straight ground corn ? What ration would you think could help me to get some weight on my milk cows?

How many calves is each one nursing and how old are they??

 

[trin]

Each cow has 4 calves I turn in with them twice a day. Cows are 6.

 

[RanchMan90]

Each cow has 4 calves I turn in with them twice a day. Cows are 6.

I give mine like that a 5 gallon bucket a day of 16% commodity mix plus grass.

 

[TexasBred]

Each cow has 4 calves I turn in with them twice a day. Cows are 6.

She probably needs protein boost as well as a high energy ration. See if your feed company can take that same mix and adjust it up to 16-18% crude protein and raise the energy with added fat. Then increase the amount you're feeding her up to at least 22-24 lbs. per day. You're asking a lot of her so you gotta give her something to work with. I wouldn't expect any real gain at all as long as she's providing milk for that many calves but at least with the added energy she might be able to hold conditioning.

 

[brownvet]

any extra supply of energy won't be used to gain weight but will be to increase milk production, production increase by demand, so with that little extra amount of energy whe fill the udder.

 

[TexasBred]

any extra supply of energy won't be used to gain weight but will be to increase milk production, production increase by demand, so with that little extra amount of energy whe fill the udder.

Lost me.