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  #1  
Old 12/03/12, 09:21 PM
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Iowa
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Question how much hay?
Hey folks,
I have a feed amount question. How much hay should I feed my dexter cow? She weighs about 900/1000 pounds. I have researched and I have gathered that 25lbs is a good starting point. So, she will get 25 lbs hay and 6 lbs grain per day. Sound about right? Open to all opinions and advice. I will say that I don't have enough hay to be comfortable feeding free choice.
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Old 12/03/12, 09:42 PM
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what sort of grain?
Is she lactating? Pregnant?

If you feed hay free choice she will only eat what she needs and if your feeder is decent any leftover today will be OK tomorrow.
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  #3  
Old 12/03/12, 09:49 PM
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She is pregnant now and will be milked until february. Due to calve in early april. She is nursing her calf now until february and I am milking her once a day. Her grain ration is corn/oat/protein mix with free choice loose salt mineral. I guess while I am at it I should ask about the amounts for her 6 month old bull calf. 15 lbs hay plus all the milk he eats sound about right?
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  #4  
Old 12/03/12, 10:41 PM
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Dexters are designed to be a thrifty cow-- you do not need to grain her, a dairy quality alfalfa and minerals is sufficient.
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  #5  
Old 12/03/12, 10:44 PM
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Un fortunately the only hay I have is from our own field. It is grass/alfalfa mix hay. She came to me on 14lbs a day of grain and I have gotten her down to 6 and she is holding conditioning. I am afraid to drop her completely off grain because I am afraid to run out of hay. Drought killed our field this year.
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  #6  
Old 12/04/12, 07:01 AM
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: VA
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Can you post a photo of her? Is she a non-carrier? (I am guessing at that weight, yes.)

Usually about 3% of an animal's body weight in hay per day. But most Dexters need no where near that much grain, even when nursing a calf; that might be different if you're milking her too. Mine get unlimited hay in winter, some get no grain, others get 1#, free-choice minerals.

You might want to start looking for hay to buy because you're in Iowa and heading into winter. She will need hay!
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  #7  
Old 12/04/12, 08:21 AM
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Here she is. Took these pictures just a few weeks ago. I guess to play it safe I'll call her 1000 and start her at 30 lbs of hay per day and monitor from there. Obviously, if she needs more, she'll get more. I would have been fine, but I wasn't planning on over wintering a horse this year *UGH* I know I will end up having to buy hay. Just hope I can hold off as long as possible. Horses are a waste of space and hay. <<< Just a little rant!

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  #8  
Old 12/04/12, 10:15 AM
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: VA
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Looks far heavier from the side than from the back. But I would gradually decrease her grain. I don't milk any of our Dexters, so I defer to those who know what demands that places on a cow.

Hard to tell, but that calf looks old enough to be weaned??? Was he born in late spring?
You also might want to consider deworming her unless that was done recently.
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