Heifer calf with rabbit-like poo pellets?

[Thewife]

I found a pile of elk like calf droppings today.

As far as I know, the only thing me and Amy calves have in commom is the weather!
Mine are on mama, grass hay and a maybe a tiny bite or two of the green grass that is trying to grow!

Like I said, I was always told it had to do with the salt/minerals, I will admit the person who tlold me this, told me "a lot of things"

So I will make sure they have access tomorrow, and try to figure out who did it!
Then go from there!

 

[kstaven]

It is just one of those areas where one comes along to throw a new curve at you. Raise enough animals and you will no doubt see things you never dreamed of. We never stop learning.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Yes I do know you can get custom milled grains, as we have a nearby mill. But for this one mill there are at least five feed stores, if not more, within a 20 mile radius. That mill is not very busy but the feed stores are very busy.

There are a lot of people who prefer the convince of walking in and having it ready, which you can have with a feedmill too if you plan ahead. Plus, many people don't understand the differences in grains. These could be why the stores are more busy or maybe it's a bad mill, I don't know but, it's food for thought.

Oh, and they can custom mix minerals too. So if you have a free choice mineral feeder that is an option. There are laws about how much they can add of somethings though. But, note how I said they. If you want more added because you know it's needed, work with your feedmill so you can be there when they are making your mineral. You can add more.

As far as I know, the only thing me and Amy calves have in commom is the weather!

And there is the one factor we can do nothing about.

 

[allenacres]

No the mill is fine, I know someone who gets organic custom mixes from them, but not for cattle.
But you are missing my whole point. You keep pushing grain grain grain...and grain is not necessary for beef cattle, and especially not as a new food for a calf with an upset system.

Exactly kstaven, "you never stop learning", or at least you shouldn't. Right! It really bothers me when people say they have been doing something for many many years, or they learned it from such and such who has been doing it that way for their whole life. That is great, that someone is willing to share their wisdom. But do you know why? I challenge anyone to take it further and find out why it was done that way? What is the reason behind it? Is it the correct way, or is there a better way? Better for the animal and better for your wallet.

In the case of the elk pellets and someone saying someone told them its because the animal needed salt/minerals? Why? Is this related to the elk pellets or by giving the animal salt and they in turn drank more water and their manure became hydrated. So is this really a case of the animal needing salt/minerals or were they dehydrated and the salt made them thirsty and they drank more? So it really didnt have anything to do with the salt/minerals, it really had to do with the animal not drinking enough and being dehydrated. Thus my point, continue to ask questions and continue to learn, even if you have done it that way for many years. (Im just using the elk pellets as an example. Im not saying anyones animal needs salt/minerals or was dehydrated)

 

[Farmer Kitty]

In no way was I pushing grain in my last post. Just showing there were other options to the mixes in the feed stores and why many people buy those mixes instead of custom. You had brought up the fact that many of those mixes have a lot of garbage in them, I was trying to point out to those who choose grain that there are other options. Many feed mineral free choice but, are not satisfied with the premixed minerals out there so I thought I would let them know there is another option.

You want to raise your cattle grass fed but, remember there are some who prefer to use some grain too. It's not necessary to run either way down.

Using the elk pellets as an example again, how would you suggest that they try to get the calf to drink more, if it were dehydrated? If you have a free choice salt/mineral block out there and they lick it, then by theroy they needed it. Assuming of course that water/milk is available at all times, so that isn't the issue.

 

[beefy]

everybody calm down. pellets happen all the time.its more along the lines of the calf being a little dehydrated than anything. this is fairly common when a young calf starts to eat more roughage than it has been eating, especially if it pigs out on it. the calf will correct itself, so long as it does not get too constipated (and it sounds fine). if it gets constipated you will notice its discomfort, it may lay down a lot and roll to its side slightly, or kick at its stomach. if you notice this it may help to walk the calf around a while or give it some mineral oil to help things slide by. the calf should be getting plenty of protein from its mothers milk and the mother should be getting plenty from the grain and alfalfa she is receiving. i wouldnt recommend giving the calf grain either, although it will probably have corrected its bowel problem by the time it learned to eat the grain anyway if you did try to feed it some. the best thing for it will be milk or water (which they get mostly from milk)

 

[amysflock]

The outcome of this story, as it relates to my original post is:

1) Haylage has been gone for almost a week, mamas (and calves) are back on timothy hay, babies are nursing, nothing about free choice minerals changed.

2) Several other sources concurred that it was likely milk scours caused by the dietary change in mama, and as predicted, she's gotten over it.

3) We fed grain (less than 3 lbs per day) to both Bridgit and Sheila every evening for the month before and two months after the calves were born to supplement their diets, this in addition to soaked beet pulp and some alfalfa pellets. This has stopped, too, because it's no longer needed and because the bull comes on Saturday and we have no business bucket feeding two cows with him in the same paddock.

We learned (since this is all a learning process for everyone) that haylage isn't good for calves as young as ours...another two months older and it likely would have been fine, and even being just two weeks older than Annabel, T-Bone had no ill effects. Also, for us, the haylage, while convenient, didn't turn out to be a good deal financially, since they consumed the $40 bale in less than two weeks (whereas our hay was purchased at $3/bale).

Maybe someday in the future we might try haylage again, but for now we'll utilize our round bale feeder for timothy grass hay and call it good.

And, our beef cows, for the most part (and certainly for any we butcher) will be grass fed, so we will not be making grain a permanent part of any of our animals' diets.

Thanks.

 

[wynedot55]

ok i just did some quick math.tobe safe you need to feed 2sq bales a day to the cows/calves.now thats $6 a day or $1.50 a hd a day.or $42 of hay a week.where your giving $40 a bale for the baleage.an it last 14 days.thats $3 a day for 4hd wich is .75 a hd/day.so youd be cheaper to feed the baleage.an feed 1 bale of hay for roughage.an you would still be at $1.50 a hd.but your costs would be split.8 months feeding hay,means youd need 16 balageage bales.the cost for those would be $640 a yr.now sq bales youd need 500 bales.thats $1500 a yr.now feed 250 sq bales thats $750.now add them togather thats $1390 a yr.thus your saving $110 a yr.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

since they consumed the $40 bale in less than two weeks

They ate the bale in less than 2 weeks so she would need more hayledge bales than your figuring. Plus, the young calves shouldn't have them.

amysflock, did you purchase your hay locally? If so, did you buy it off the field or after they had put it up? The reason I'm asking is sometimes you can buy it cheaper if you buy it off the field. The farmers don't have to handle it as much or store it so sometimes they will lower the price. This could bring down your feeding costs too, if your able to take advantage of it(finding someone locally and storage).

 

[wynedot55]

to tighten the figures i need to know how long the bale lasted.an the size of the bale.as you knopw a haylege bale will wiegh more than the same size dry bale of hay.