Post by Applelonia on Oct 21, 2017 2:02:13 GMT -5
Applelonia has never had an issue being overweight. She has always been an exceptionally picky eater since the day I got her. After Walter was weaned and sold, a couple months ago, she’s almost like a completely different cow. She eats all her hay! She used to push it around and pick at it and throw fits when she wanted different hay - she now eats every last piece....she acts like she’s starving and just wants to eat and eat....
She’s getting way, WAY overweight. She is on pasture all day - but the pasture is about gone for the season. She basically walks around looking for small bits of grass here and there - gives her some exercise at least.
She was getting free choice hay, but she was gaining so much weight that I cut it back to a few flakes in the morning and at night. Still gaining weight very quickly so I have been feeding her only at night - first cutting hay. I ran out of first cutting hay today - only have third cutting alfalfa/grass mix - heavier on the alfalfa. In the next two weeks, hopefully we will have some grass hay delivered. She never gets grain or beet pulp or anything like that - straight hay/grass fed.
The plan was to not breed her again. She is five-years-old. She has had some lung issues - most likely damage as a young calf before we got her from an illness. Calving was hard on her and her lungs and I don’t want to risk a third pregnancy with her - the first two were unnerving towards the end with her breathing issues. She was supposed to be retired as a pasture pet, but I don’t see this as a promising long term thing if she is getting this heavy so quickly after being dried up. How can she be a pasture pet come next summer - eating grass all day - her lungs won’t be able to support her weight!!
The pictures don’t do justice to her weight gain - think the black is slimming ...it looks like it’s getting harder for her to move her bulk - she’s never been anywhere near this heavy - she’s always had more of the dairy Randall look - not the beef.
How much hay should she be getting to eat? I’ve only been giving her a few flakes a day recently - she’s hungry and moos and moos. I feel bad for her but she can’t have free choice 😕 Does she need to be given enough to have a full rumen? Long term, how do I keep her at the proper weight if she’s no longer being bred and producing milk?
Her neck used to be narrow and dairy looking - she’s even gaining weight in her neck!
She’s getting way, WAY overweight. She is on pasture all day - but the pasture is about gone for the season. She basically walks around looking for small bits of grass here and there - gives her some exercise at least.
She was getting free choice hay, but she was gaining so much weight that I cut it back to a few flakes in the morning and at night. Still gaining weight very quickly so I have been feeding her only at night - first cutting hay. I ran out of first cutting hay today - only have third cutting alfalfa/grass mix - heavier on the alfalfa. In the next two weeks, hopefully we will have some grass hay delivered. She never gets grain or beet pulp or anything like that - straight hay/grass fed.
The plan was to not breed her again. She is five-years-old. She has had some lung issues - most likely damage as a young calf before we got her from an illness. Calving was hard on her and her lungs and I don’t want to risk a third pregnancy with her - the first two were unnerving towards the end with her breathing issues. She was supposed to be retired as a pasture pet, but I don’t see this as a promising long term thing if she is getting this heavy so quickly after being dried up. How can she be a pasture pet come next summer - eating grass all day - her lungs won’t be able to support her weight!!
The pictures don’t do justice to her weight gain - think the black is slimming ...it looks like it’s getting harder for her to move her bulk - she’s never been anywhere near this heavy - she’s always had more of the dairy Randall look - not the beef.
How much hay should she be getting to eat? I’ve only been giving her a few flakes a day recently - she’s hungry and moos and moos. I feel bad for her but she can’t have free choice 😕 Does she need to be given enough to have a full rumen? Long term, how do I keep her at the proper weight if she’s no longer being bred and producing milk?
Her neck used to be narrow and dairy looking - she’s even gaining weight in her neck!