fear of poop

No matter what the amount, viscosity or whatever texture of the poo, you will get used to it eventually.

My husband cracked me up when he told me about how he was before he started the dairy here. He used to go visit his friend who owned and operated a dairy. Said friend would use his hand to wipe poo off of the milk hoses...etc and hubby would totally gross out.

Then hubby started his own dairy; after a very short time he was used to the poo and would use hands to wipe poo off hoses himself and not think anything about it, just washed hand off and went about work. Said he used to eat out in the milk barn.

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http://dairydaze.blogspot.com/

THANK YOU!!!

I have read the first and I think this might be what the rep and my vet was talking about.
"The consistence of feces largely depends on water content and is a function of feed moisture content and the amount time feed remains in the animal."
Zebu as a breed is known to tolerate heat and drought and not on their own consume a lot of water.

How should I handle this? Should I increase their grain? If so how much should I increase it to daily? They weren't given any when I got them so I have been afraid to give too much

The cow is now (according to a dairy tape) 550lbs she was 480 when I got her. Giving 1 1/2 to 2 quarts with one milking and calf on her the rest of the day. She gets 3lbs of 16 % dairy, 2lbs of A cubes and 1/2lbs calf manna at milking. 1 lbs dairy at lunch. 2 lbs of dairy at night.


The big bull I dare not tape so would say 800 lbs
he gets 2 lbs of dairy in the morning 1lbs at lunch and 1 at night

The little bull taped 240lbs
2lbs dairy in the morning

and the calf 270lbs.
1lbs of A cubes at night.

Should I change this?

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He who thinks he knows, doesn't. He who knows he doesn't know, knows.~ Joseph Campbell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeMrK...AE7062ADE5A19C

Your welcome.

I was reading that a dexter can do well on 15 to 25 lbs of hay per day, so maybe you don't need that much grain from what you think. I dunno about the calf manna, but I tend to think they don't really need that either, or as much as they are getting. So I think I'd increase their hay rations and back off on the protein supplements, especially with your mature animals. The calves, they need the protein, so they should be getting the calf manna and alfalfa cubes, and the cows and bull getting hay with maybe 2 to 3 lbs of cubes per animal per day as supplements. I'm assuming when you say "dairy" you mean purely alfalfa hay?

Like I said I know very little about dexters, as those answers are just guesses on the nutrition requirements of dexter cattle...though I'm sure the nutrition plane for dexters is the same or similar as beef cattle, and they can do fine on forage with lower protein. So please don't take my response here word for word because I could be wrong.

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NO LOL I have mini zebu not Dexter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebus

When I say dairy I mean feed made for milk cows. It is 16 %.

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He who thinks he knows, doesn't. He who knows he doesn't know, knows.~ Joseph Campbell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeMrK...AE7062ADE5A19C

Okay, I got that, but I don't understand what you mean by 16%... is it 16% protein?

Now that I see what you have, zebus are a different subspecies from the european breeds I see as beef cattle. So in that case, I think the zebu would have a different fecal consistancy than the Bos taurus species, probably like that of deer. But to be honest, I know far less about the Bos indicus species than Bos taurus like the Dexter. So maybe the poop consistency of your zebu shouldn't be much to worry about, as it could be because of its genetic make up.

At least, I hope that's what I think what it is.

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I keep Muscovy ducks to break up the manure piles so they dry out quickly. The ducks follow the cows around, waiting for a new pile. As soon as it hits the ground, they are into it with their bills. When they finish with it, there is usually just a scattering of small pea-sized pieces.

The manure dries out quickly. Flies don't readily hatch in the remainder, so the fly problem is greatly reduced.

I like to ask visitors to look at all the cow piles in the pasture, and wait for the response, "There's not any!"

I haven't had to drag the pasture for three years now. Ever since I got my Muscovies.

I try to keep 4 ducks per Dexter cow.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

If your okay with having goose and duck droppings around you should be able to easily deal with cow pies. I've always thought geese and ducks were some of the nastiest critters there are.