What extras are you doing for your cows

[rjbovine]

Went out around 3:00 cows and feeders all got extra feed tonight. We had over and inch of rain today before it started snowing . Wish they could of got dried off before the wind and snow stared. Calves were all humped up . Cows seemed not to mind much with ice cycle hanging off of them . Go green bay . rj

 

[NC Liz 2]

FYI
Here is an interesting article with video on this subject.
Liz

Farmers Trying To Keeping Cattle Warm
http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/ ... ?id=158294

Also see
http://www.tractorhouse.com/list/list.aspx?catid=1138
As a possible answer to hay conservation during droughts and harsh winters.

 

[dun]

As a little extra I'm standing in the house and shivering in sympathy for the cows.

 

[NC Liz 2]

Was in a way kind of a disappointment after all the hype from our local weatherman about the big storm coming.
I only got about an 1/8 of an inch of rain and I had more ice on my waters last week then today.
Sun is out now.
Oh well, I will just write it off to " an once of prevention is worth a pound of cure".
Liz

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Was in a way kind of a disappointment after all the hype from our local weatherman about the big storm coming.
I only got about an 1/8 of an inch of rain and I had more ice on my waters last week then today.
Sun is out now.
Oh well, I will just write it off to " an once of prevention is worth a pound of cure".
Liz

You never did say where your place is located Liz.

 

[dun]

Was in a way kind of a disappointment after all the hype from our local weatherman about the big storm coming.
I only got about an 1/8 of an inch of rain and I had more ice on my waters last week then today.
Sun is out now.
Oh well, I will just write it off to " an once of prevention is worth a pound of cure".
Liz

Here they got it wwrong last time by about half, this time they were a little under in their guesstimates. Except the temps, those they predicted higher then actual.

 

[MistyMorning]

As a little extra I'm standing in the house and shivering in sympathy for the cows.

I can multi task I guess, ran out to check on livestock while chocking down a cig.

 

[dun]

As a little extra I'm standing in the house and shivering in sympathy for the cows.

I can multi task I guess, ran out to check on livestock while chocking down a cig.

I know you can do better then that. Hard to belive you left your beer behind while you were doing it

 

[MistyMorning]

As a little extra I'm standing in the house and shivering in sympathy for the cows.

I can multi task I guess, ran out to check on livestock while chocking down a cig.

I know you can do better then that. Hard to belive you left your beer behind while you were doing it

It's so cold here I left the beer inside cause I was afraid it would stick to my lips.

 

[WalnutCrest]

I put out hay this morning. Girls came up and nibbled then went right back out to the stockpiled fescue

+1

Told mine they better get in the woods.

+1

<snip> ... We had an embryo calf born last night! I was heat checking for the night, and noticed the recip cow not due until the 14th in the corner by herself. Brought her up to the barn, shut her in a pen with clean straw, and an hour later she gave us this:

... <snip> ... A wonderful heifer for my daughter, and she weighed 66 pounds so small (probably because she is early)!

<snip>

All I can say is I am NOT liking this weather!!! We have two more recips not due until next week, so I will look at them closely!!!!

Congratulations on your embryo calf ... and good luck on the next two to come!

<snip> ... As for extras?

It is winter time.

I look at them and walk back to the the house - if they cannot get on with it I cull them

+1

... make me a baby or fill my freezer ... our cows have two choices ...

As a little extra I'm standing in the house and shivering in sympathy for the cows.

+1

 

[BettyLandercasper]

I unrolled the best hay I could find in our stack. -23 this morning. Gave the 18 yr old cow some corn on the sly last nite. Weather is supposed to break on Wednesday. :clap:

 

[Jake]

I unrolled the best hay I could find in our stack. -23 this morning. Gave the 18 yr old cow some corn on the sly last nite. Weather is supposed to break on Wednesday. :clap:

Kind of a side note here but you are better off giving them some stemmy poorer hay when it is cold outside as it generates more digestive heat and will keep them warmer than good hay that runs right through them

 

[WalnutCrest]

If I mess with their rumen, I mess with their ability to process the inputs. That's about the last thing I want to do with my cattle in extreme weather. Maybe your situation is different?

 

[Jake]

If I mess with their rumen, I mess with their ability to process the inputs. That's about the last thing I want to do with my cattle in extreme weather. Maybe your situation is different?

The only way you are messing with their rumen going from fine roughage to a stemmier roughage is in some fashion a negligible length of digestion but for the most part it is in heat produced through digestion. This is if you're feeding strictly or predominantly fiber. If you're feeding starches it is a completely different story, but then again IMO a cow should never see starches(grain) out of a bucket.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I unrolled the best hay I could find in our stack. -23 this morning. Gave the 18 yr old cow some corn on the sly last nite. Weather is supposed to break on Wednesday. :clap:

Kind of a side note here but you are better off giving them some stemmy poorer hay when it is cold outside as it generates more digestive heat and will keep them warmer than good hay that runs right through them

That makes pretty good sense to me right there Jake. Thanks for the tip.