Post by karhowane on Dec 7, 2008 8:28:27 GMT -5
am I on the right track in thinking that quality of hay and grass will be in proportion to amount of milk a cow is able to produce ?( within the usual parmeters of her breed ) The reason I ask is that when I first got my cow and started her on hay it was a mewdium to poor qualty first cut . ( that was what I could find at the time ) the next time I found some it was a very good quality 2nd cut mix of timothy and clover really nice and rich looks like it was cut yesterday.
My cows former owner recomended that I should feed her 3 flakes of first cut and 1 of second cut when she has no more grasss . So I feed her at the rate of four flakes a day (2x) of what I had . Now I have both a 1st cut medium quilty not much brown but mostly light green to pale yellow in color and the same 2nd cut as I mentioned above . I started to break her in to haveing both by gradualy ( over a week ) geting her up to what her former owener recomended . (3 flakes of 1st cut and one of 2nd cut).
I have noticed that her production has gone done a little (aprox 1/2 to 1.5 litters depending on the day . ( this is over the last week) so I am wondering if it has to do with the quality of her hay . Also it also coincides with her heat cycle and it could be that though I,m wondering if could also be both or just her hay ? ( i.e. having more of a lesser quality hay ) The first reason I didnt keep her on just the 2nd cut hay is I am worred that she will get to fat and have trouble to calf ( I plan on having her a.i.ed next month) . She is a dexter so I'm not quet sure how to tell if she is fat or just in her proper winter condition any suggestion's comments will be apercated .
My cows former owner recomended that I should feed her 3 flakes of first cut and 1 of second cut when she has no more grasss . So I feed her at the rate of four flakes a day (2x) of what I had . Now I have both a 1st cut medium quilty not much brown but mostly light green to pale yellow in color and the same 2nd cut as I mentioned above . I started to break her in to haveing both by gradualy ( over a week ) geting her up to what her former owener recomended . (3 flakes of 1st cut and one of 2nd cut).
I have noticed that her production has gone done a little (aprox 1/2 to 1.5 litters depending on the day . ( this is over the last week) so I am wondering if it has to do with the quality of her hay . Also it also coincides with her heat cycle and it could be that though I,m wondering if could also be both or just her hay ? ( i.e. having more of a lesser quality hay ) The first reason I didnt keep her on just the 2nd cut hay is I am worred that she will get to fat and have trouble to calf ( I plan on having her a.i.ed next month) . She is a dexter so I'm not quet sure how to tell if she is fat or just in her proper winter condition any suggestion's comments will be apercated .