Cow with the "munchies"!!!!!

whitewolf · #1 10/04/09, 12:31 PM

I have a 6 year old mid-size Jersey milk cow. She is bred (approx. 4 1/2 months). I milk her 2X's a day....1 1/2 gal. am and 1 -1 1/2 pm. Feed her a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of dairy feed and 9% sweet feed (1 1/2 large scoop each feeding), all the hay she wants and has several acres pasture. The poor thing acts "starved" all the time. She has white salt available too. I mean she just runs to get feed. Do you think she is "missing" some nutrient or something.....am I feeding her tooo little.....or is this just a bad habit? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. She looks healthy...slick and pretty.

arcticow · #2 10/04/09, 02:36 PM

If her hair is slick and she ain't boney, try a loose mineral mix or at least trace mineral salt block.

ozark_jewels · #3 10/04/09, 05:11 PM

Every cow I ever knew would come running for feed. Skinny, good or butterball fat, never mattered to the cow.
What is her condition??

Callieslamb · #4 10/04/09, 08:06 PM

I think she has your number. Every time the door to the house closes, my calves start mooing - they think it is the signal that I am coming to feed them. They would stand there and eat grain all day long if I would feed it to them. I agree with Ozark Jewels - what does she look like? Is she thin? Dry skin and dull hair?

Farm 36 · #5 10/04/09, 08:20 PM

What does the lable say on the dairy feed for energy and protein.The 9% sweet feed is low for a cow in milk Now your hay needs to be tested to know how good it is for protein and tdn . You mention no use of corn in the diet for energy . To much corn and protein can be bad more is not always better . If you are giving your cow a certain amount of feed and all the hay she wants if the hay is lower quality she will not have enough room to support milk and the calf and will demand more feed like the sweet feed

Ken Scharabok · #6 10/05/09, 03:32 AM

Like Pavlov's (sp?) dogs, cattle learn to associate events with feeding. When I am hauling sweetcorn stalks to them as soon as I start up the truck they will start bawling, even if a couple of hundred yards away. By the time I get back they are at the gate waiting for me. Probably would open it for me if they couldn't figure out how to do so (and I have had two cows who figured out chainlink fence gates. One bull simply pushed his head against it until it opened).

However, it can be a disadvantage also. I had a 3-4 year old Angus bull who went feed bucket crazy. You simply didn't get between him and a 5-gallon plastic bucket. After he put me on the ground and rolled me he went to work for Oscar Meyers.

Age old question on feeding. How much is too little and how much is too much. If I went with everything recommended by the local farmers' co-op, it would eat up what little profit there is beef cattle.

whitewolf · #7 10/05/09, 06:06 AM

Thanks guys for your input. She is in excellent condition. I am not sure about the energy/protein of the dairy feed. Will check my sacks today. As for hay, good quality hay and as I said plenty of good pasture. We keep the loose mineral mix available at all times for her, but she doesn't seem to "eat" any of it. May pick up a mineral block today and see how she does with that. Thanks again, she may just be spoiled and taking advantage of the "momma". LOL

ozark_jewels · #8 10/05/09, 07:21 AM

One cow is not going to go through a highly visible amount of mineral. Some parts of the year, my 6 cow herd seems barely to touch it. As long as it is a good mineral and she is eating any at all(a lot of times just a couple swipes of the tongue is plenty), I would stick with your loose mineral and not put a block out. Loose is better all round.

NEfarmgirl · #9 10/05/09, 07:11 PM

Our boys like the sound of the riding lawn mower starting. They will run from anywhere in the pasture to stand by the stock tank and cry for food. It all started when we threw some grass clippings over for them--now when they hear the mower they come running and act like they are dying--we know better!

Ken Scharabok · #10 10/06/09, 12:15 AM

When I first bought this place I cleaned out a number of box elders out of fence lines and spring runs. Bull came to associate the sound of the chainsaw with access to the leaves.

SpaceCadet12364 · #11 10/06/09, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NEfarmgirl

Our boys like the sound of the riding lawn mower starting. They will run from anywhere in the pasture to stand by the stock tank and cry for food. It all started when we threw some grass clippings over for them--now when they hear the mower they come running and act like they are dying--we know better!

We have a grass catcher for our mower.....and not only our cows start acting like they are starving when they hear the mower/catcher start up, but the neighbor's angus girls do the same darn thing!

Its funny to watch them all walk along their respective fences keeping an eye on me and what I am doing. Soon as the catcher gets shut off.......they all start complaining. I think they believe it is cow candy....which is probably close, because the yard is full of clovers.