cows won't eat the giant pumpkins? not pleased with silage

[mikecoen]

I've tried several ways to serve it but the cows won't eat the pumpkins I grew. They are very large, like over a hundred pounds and two different varieties of giants. Even cut up into 2 inch chunks with no outer skin, they aren't the least bit appealing. I have tried mixing it with my shredded broccoli plants and got them to eat it once I added "sweet mix" to it. Lots of work for little value but I still have a half dozen of these whoppers and it seems like a waste. The chickens don't like them either. Maybe I should taste some myself?

The silage I made seems to be ok with the cows if I mix it with protein supplement but the hay I have is much their preference. I may have let the corn dry a little too much before chopping it and it may be too coarse. They leave all the larger pieces of stalk and cob sheets but pick through it to get the leaves, corn, cobb, and the white pithy stuff from inside the stalk. I ground up garden residue with some of the silage to add moisture to some of the barrels. It seems to have fermented about right or maybe smells a bit like vinegar in spots.

Any comments or questions are welcome. Thanks to you all for your continued support for us who are learning.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

How long did you leave the silage to sit and ferment? You may have indeed let it go for too dry, and didn't pack it tight enough, hence the vinegary smelling stuff.

As for the pumpkins, it's likely either they don't know what to think of the stuff because they've never tasted it before, or that it just isn't appetizing.

 

[Queen Mum]

Darn, I wish I had them. My goats would PIG OUT!

 

[Beekissed]

Those pumpkins get sweeter the longer they are in storage and still sweeter yet if left to ferment. I've tried fresh pumpkin with the sheep and they would sometimes turn up their noses at them but would take a previously frozen, thawed, frozen, thawed, deflated and moldy looking pumkin and tear pieces off it like sharks eating a whale carcass...RIP! RIP!

Some of the giant pumpkins are not known for sweet taste, which is why I usually grow the pie pumpkins. They are more manageable, make smaller servings, are more easily thrown into the feed lot when they are older and softer, where they will split and break into parts that a mouth can bite from. Also easier to store.

It also seems like they appreciate them more the longer they have been without fresh forage/pasture. I usually have more success feeding these kinds of supplements in Jan/Feb.

 

[jhm47]

Question about the silage you are referring to---Did you find some cornstalks and cut them up by hand, or did you have it chopped by a silage chopper? The recommended length of chop is about 1/4", and I doubt that most people would have the time, patience or energy to chop any amount of cornstalks by hand. If the chop isn't fine enough, there will be lots of airspace in the product, and spoilage will occur. Molds and undesirable bacteria will produce toxins that will give it an off taste, and may cause health problems in the cattle. The secret to producing great silage is to have it "cured" by anaerobic bacteria that produce the correct acids to preserve it. Aerobic bacteria and molds will produce toxins and degrade the proteins and energy in the resulting product. There are preservatives and inoculants that will help to ensure that the correct bacteria are present.

 

[greybeard]

That's kinda like the watermelons I throw out for the cows when the first frost hits and kills the vines (last week). Some will eat them like there's no tomorrow--others would chew their own hooves off before ever touching one. Seen it year after year.

 

[mikecoen]

Update:
cows later ate the miniature pumkins ground up but not interested in the giant ones, maybe they aren't sweet.
the silage: my first barrels were metal with two large plastic bags of silage jammed into them. They got some mold on them in spots and some small areas were getting dark like they were trying to compost. My second barrels, a dozen of them thankfully, were packed tight without bagging, then a bag was pulled tight over the barrel and all the air pressed out of it. Those are perfect from top to bottom. The cows would eat the former if I picked out most of the bad stuff, usually the top two to four inches but even the bottom bag of the two in the barrel would have enough air get in the top closure that there would be mold there on the top couple of inches. If using bags, not barrels, I'd suggest taping the top completely tight and taping over any minor tears in the bag. Barrels were a lot simpler altogether.

 

[coldinnh]

If nothing else feed the seeds!! It is a naturals dewormer for both. My chickens and turkey loove pumpkins - depending on mood sometimes more than others but they will eat the pumpkins when not frozen given the current time of year.

 

[mikecoen]

Here it is February and I have been rationing out the silage while feeding hay and a supplement of pellets with about 15% protein. I give them about 5 to 10 gallons of the silage daily. The silage made in the plastic barrels is still perfect and I have enough to get me to spring grass at this rate. I'll get some more plastic barrels to have plenty for next year. I may use some sorghum to get more leaves and grain out of the crop, but all in all it was a successful operation. To improve the process, I would have a faster process of grinding than the cheap brush shredder I used last time.