general feeding tips-including acerage recommendation

[Farmer Kitty]

Amount of acreage needed per cow

The recommended pasture for a cow is 1.5 acres. If you live where there is little rainfall you may need more acreage per cow. You can get by with less but, will need to supplement more with hay. Remember there will also be times when it's dry out or winter comes that you will need to feed hay.

Some small breed cattle maybe able to get by with a little less.

This varies so much from place to place. i would hate for anyone to assume that 1.5 acres where they live is adequate to support a cow without checking out the recommended stocking rate for their particular area. also it should be mentioned that cows are gregarious by nature and will benefit greatly from the company of another animal of their own species. i would encourage anyone who is going to own cattle to have at least a pair.

Hence the

If you live where there is little rainfall you may need more acreage per cow.

 

[kstaven]

The acres needed can change drastically. Where we live the old saying "A cow and a calf to an acre and a half is very true. By the time you get 75 miles west of us they need 5 acres and up.

It also changes with the quality of the soil and thus the forage from pasture to pasture.

 

[JerseyXGirl]

Feeding calves- New born calves need 2 quarts of milk/milk replacer per feeding for a 100-115 pound calf-smaller breeds it's usually 1 1/2 quarts per feeding. Read bag of milk replacer for amount of milk replacer to mix with water as it varies by milk replacer. Feed them twice a day. As they get older you will need to increase the amount of water added to the milk replacer for the mix. The sides of the calf, where the indent is, should be full but, not rounded out or really hard.

Have some grain available to the calf. I use a 8qt pail and as they get eating grain I cut the milkreplacer back-slowly. By the time they are eating roughly a pail full a day they are ready to come off milk replacer and go on water. You can then start adding hay to their ration. This usually happens around 2 months of age, some a little sooner and some a little later. The recommendations are one 50 lb bag of milk replacer per calf, again it varies with the calf.

Calves are born with two stomachs working and as they slowly go on grain they start developing the other two stomachs. Therefore, you don't want to push had to them until they are eating grain good because they won't be able to digest it properly. Yes, a cow has four stomachs!

I also start my calves on pails at about 3-4 days old. This not only makes it easier for you-nice bonus-but it keeps the "suckers" (calves wanting to suck after weining) way down. Since I started doing this, about 19 years ago, I haven't had any trouble with suckers.

I have two calves together and they share one pail of food, which they are now emptying everyday. We put aprox. 4 lbs of calf nutrena in it. They have done this for the past 3 days. Should we start to cut back on their milk? They will be 4 weeks old on Saturday. I think they would eat more grain if we put more in there.

Should we increase the water in the milk and make it weaker? We feed a 2 qts twice daily.

Thank You

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Yes, increase the water and decrease the milk replacer. Jersey crosses right? They could be getting between 4 and 6 quarts of water with 3/4 of the milk replacer you have been giving them.

4 #'s of grain a day is only 2 #'s a piece. Go ahead and up it. Go for 4 #'s/calf a day.

 

[Imissmygirls]

up the grain so they are eating 4-5 lbs a piece. Do they have grass or good hay? 4 weeks is a bit early to wean them. I like to go 8 weeks if you can. Even 10 weeks if they aren't eating and going strong.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

up the grain so they are eating 4-5 lbs a piece. Do they have grass or good hay? 4 weeks is a bit early to wean them. I like to go 8 weeks if you can. Even 10 weeks if they aren't eating and going strong.

Yes, to early to wean them but, in my experience as they start to eat grain good if, you don't cut the milk replacer back some you have extra runny poo due to the high amount of protein and that can be a problem too.

I don't start my calves on hay until 6-8 weeks-after they are at their goal for grain.

 

[Imissmygirls]

There was some research a few years ago on weaning at 4 weeks. I think they were trying to save $$. I never could see it. They are still just babies then and not eating enough to keep the good growth.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

There was some research a few years ago on weaning at 4 weeks. I think they were trying to save $$. I never could see it. They are still just babies then and not eating enough to keep the good growth.

Yeah, I don't wean until roughly 8 weeks, depending on the calf. Some longer if they just aren't ready.