Post by rosalind on Oct 20, 2021 14:45:21 GMT -5
This is awesome, thanks! I’m waiting to hear back from him...I asked him to clarify about feed amounts and exactly what kind he’s feeding her now. When he responds I’ll see if I can get that registration number. If she’s getting close to two gallons of feed/day now (I THINK that would be close to 10 lbs?) will it hurt her to cut back to 4 lbs/day after I get her?
We do plan to get a pig to use the excess milk but thought we’d wait until spring. I’ve heard there’s basically no point in keeping them through the winter because they don’t gain weight. Is waiting a bad idea?
Heifers usually don't get fed grain at all, so yes, you should be absolutely fine to reduce the grain. The risk is going from zero grain to too much grain in a short period of time. Cattle can develop "acidosis" from the rapid change in pH. Going the other direction, more roughage, the risk is minimal but might be lack of nutrition or constipation. The first can be prevented by feeding high quality hay or pasture (in season). Constipation can be prevented by ensuring clean water (that doesn't freeze in winter), providing molasses water at calving or in the grain mix, and the addition of soaked beet pulp if needed.
If I had to guess, I'd guess the farmer is feeding the "concentrate" as more of a forage supplement rather than a high powered grain.
Pigs: By spring, you may find that you're using all the milk, especially if you keep and raise the calf. It's better to get piglets when the cow is fresh, because pigs get slaughtered at 5-6 months old. You get them at 2-3 months old, so they're in prime mode to drink a LOT of milk. If you wait til spring, just know you might not end up having extra milk by then. Might, but might not (every cow's production is unique, so no magic ball to know what a heifer'll produce). By 5-6 months into a lactation, one calf is usually easily able to consume any extra milk the cow produces.