Blackgold05
Ridin' The Range
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- Feb 2, 2022
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Do cows need to have any restrictions when it comes to the amount they graze like horses/donkeys? how much do y’all let your cows forage or graze?
How can you properly care for cattle if they reduce their pasture to dry lotHorse digestion is more delicate than a cow's. So if there is a sudden shift from dry graze to super lush spring graze that can mess up a horse, but will not mess up a cow. But if the pasture stays relatively constant in quality, a horse can be out there 24/7. A horse just can't handle sudden feed shifts. There are also some horses that put on fat super easily, so if they are out on "great" pasture they might get fat, and will need to be restricted.
Cattle handle sudden change in feed way better than horses, and don't usually have the weight gain/pasture too rich kind of issues. So yes, in general are kept 24/7 on pasture.
But, there are reasons why you might have to restrict graze on cattle.
Usually it isn't because of the cow, but because of the pasture. So, there is a drought and you have to drylot the cattle to save the pasture.
Or, you have them in a small paddock or drylot so you can keep an eye on a potentially problematic calving.
Not sure what you are asking?How can you properly care for cattle if they reduce their pasture to dry lot
cow alongside the minis in my backyard so I was concerned that the cow would rid the whole area of grassNot sure what you are asking?
If there is a drought... you either have to sell the cattle, or drylot the cattle (put them in a smaller sacrificial area) in order to save the pasture.
Or.... are you saying that if you keep cattle 24/7 in a pasture, that they will turn it into pure dirt?? In that case... you have way too many animals in way too small a space.
Ideally, you make sure that the number of cattle matches the number of acres. You have enough fence so you can keep moving cattle from one pasture to the next. You carefully watch the pastures to see when it is best to move the cattle. You only need minimal (as in tiny) amounts of supplemental feed that is used more to keep them tame, and help to move them easily than to actually feed them.
The cow will only "rid the whole area of grass" if there isn't enough area/pasture.I was planning to graze the milk
cow alongside the minis in my backyard so I was concerned that the cow would rid the whole area of grass