C- HELP! What should I be feeding her!

[oakhillfarm]

I just got a 4 year old Jersey that calved 2 1/2 months ago and is bred. She has 3 qtrs., and was being milked by machine. Now she is being handmilked and is producing 3 - 3 1/2 gallons per day - lower than her normal 5. Her cream is wonderful. She is in BEAUTIFUL condition and has nice conformation.

She came from an organic dairy with gorgeous, lush rye pastures and was eating about 10-12 pounds of grain a day as well. The grain was purchased in bulk from a local supplier (too far away from me) so I don't know what kind to buy. I brought some of it home with me initially and mixed it with a feed I bought at TSC - 12% Golden Stock. But that grain was NOTHING like what she had been eating (the old stuff was much richer and not all pelletized) and the cow didn't care for it much. She preferred the 10% sweet feed I have for my horses to that!

I've been asking around about nutritional needs of a dairy cow all over the place and everyone around here just says to "feed 'er silage." I don't have any silage. I don't even have a place to KEEP silage. My husband read somewhere that we should be using a 16% protein feed, the equivalent of half the weight of her milk produced each day. If I get 3 gallons that would mean about 14lbs. of grain a day.

The reason I'm stressing over it is that my pasture is small and not very good quality. She shares it part time with 4 horses (we move the horses back and forth between two small pastures to try and save what grass and weeds are currently growing!). And the place was not seeded or fertilized or well-cared for AT ALL before we bought it a year ago. It will take some time to reclaim these fields. In the meantime I have a cow that is growing a calf inside her and is currently in peak milk production too. I don't want her, or her calf, or my milk production to suffer - so what do I feed this girl?!

I know I need to give her hay because my pastures aren't great. And she drinks LOTS of fresh water everyday. She also has a mineral block available at all times. But honestly, between the grass-fed evangelists, the old time farmers who'll feed anything that's cheap, the extension office jargon, and the university research papers... I simply do not know what to use or in what amounts!

So, I'm asking - based on what you now know of my cow and my pastures - what are your suggestions for commercially available feeds and pounds per day? I need to buy feed soon, so I hope to hear from you.

Thank you.

Liz.

[Joann]

Liz, my book would be a big help to you. It answers all your questions. But for quick guidance, here are a few pointers, and I am sure others will fill in whatever I miss.

I suggest you give her all the good quality hay she will eat. have it available 24/7. YOur pasture sounds inadequate, plus she won't make it in with horses, unless you are moving them out when she is in.

My 6 - 7 gallon a day cow is getting about 7 or 8 pounds a day of a commercial dairy ration that is 15% protein. It contains molasses. Some readers are able to get their own milled mixtures which is probably better. My pasture is excellent right now. When it dries up I will increase the feed a bit. But the most important thing to provide is quality hay.

Get a weight tape ($5?) and keep close track of your cow's weight. The grain is meant to maintain her weight so she does not lose condition. The hay is for milk production plus maintenance.

Don't hesitate to ask again if I did not answer everything. Silage is a convenience, not a necessity.

....and glad to meet you.

[Janene]

You will probably get some more informative answers than mine, but here goes!
My 'pasture' isn't that great, either! We had grass, then it was dry and it all dried up. We got rain last week, so all is green again, but not for long I am afraid!
Alot of folks will use a 'horse' type of sweet feed or something called All-Stock. Most of these run at 9-10% protein. The label on the bag will tell you. You can then add in Black Oil Sunflower seeds [BOS] (high in protein) and a few other ingredients (Calf Manna or Wheat Mids, too) to 'up' the protien content. BOS aren't cheap, 50 pounds will run you $15-17 dollars. Some folks will also put Apple Cider Vinegar [ACV] in the feed, too. I am thinking it is higher in calcium? Also give her some *good* Alfalfa hay if it is readliy available! (A flake or two at each meal) It is high in protein and is really, really great for her digestive system! (Keep reading...!) Make sure she has acess to hay & water 24/7!

If you don't mind commercial feed, if you keep calling around, some folks will special order a 16% protein dairy feed for you. When they know you are SERIOUS about using quite a bit, they will order a ton or so & keep it in their backroom. I convinced my feed guy by telling him how much I projected feed my cow would go thru in a month etc.
I got fed up & had mine custom milled, thanks to AnnB & Joann's advice! I, however found only one NICE feed [nutritionalist] guy to work with me who knows his stuff. I raised some eyebrows when I said I didn't want soy, cottonseed or peanut hulls in the feed. (Personal choice of mine). One drawback to custom milling is...you need some place to put it all so mice, rats, bugs & other critters stay out of it! (21 bags at 75 pounds apiece!)
My minimum order was 1,500 pounds. In the long run, it cost me 10.5 cents per pound. Not too bad, I thought. It isn't perfect, but right now it works for me. Here is we came up with:

For an approximate 1,500-pound dry mix, this would come up to about 16% Protein:

600# Alfalfa Pellets
365# Crimped Corn
300# Crimped Oats
100# Wheat Mids
100# BOS (Black Oil Sunflower seed)
80# Soybean meal
15# 12/12 Mineral*
20# Calcium
1.5# A-D-E

Total: 1581.5 Pounds

(*We substituted ‘Right Now’ Gold [has a higher Magnesium content] made by Cargill)

The feed guy also said if Molasses were added it would bring down the protein content of the mix. He also informed me that we could add more wheat mids in, but the cows’ only digest 50% of it, so he thought I would be wasting my money by adding more……
(Also, Alfalfa hay is expensive down here and hard to come by, so that is one reason why there is so much in my mix.) I also add DE in, too.

Next time I won't add in the mineral mix, just leave it free-choice like I usually do. This is because Dolly was getting some edema & Ann told me to cut out the salt. So I go out with a strainer & get all the fine stuff out of her feed for now. (Oh joy--we live & we learn! I am also picking out most of the Alfalfa pellets until she calves to cut back on her calcuim.) The things we do for our beloved cows!!
I also bought some molassas in bulk to top dress if I need/want to.
The only reason why we added in the soy is because the mix we had was only at about 13%. So I did comprimise at that point to get the mix up to 16%.
As I learned from the Awesome Joann, in a nutshell, grass & hay make the milk, (here is where your good Alfalfa comes into the picture!!) and the grain gives her energy for milk production & to help keep her weight on. It is backwards to what I thought! (Grain for milk & hay for whatever else!) Boy was I WRONG!
I hope this helps!
Janene

PS I was told to give the cow 2% of her weight in grain feed. A 900 pound [lactating] cow=18 pounds per day.....of course some may need more and some less.
Give the cow what she likes...she will reward you with lots of milk with a good creamline!

[Claire]

Do you have a local feedmill that will do custom mixes for you? Our feedstore makes up 500 lb. batches of 16% dairy grain. My grain bins store about 200 lbs. and I keep the other bags of grain in plastic food grade 55 gallon drums with locking lids. Our feed lady also recommends storing extra grain in old chest freezers, since rodents can't knaw their way into them. If you can't find a local source you may want to consider doing a grain run and getting 1000 or more lbs. at a time from the cow's original feedmill.

I have been dealing with very poor pastures for 3 years. This year is the first season were my grass is actually growing and filling it. Right now it is so lush with clover blossoms I am in awe. I let my cow graze as much as she wants, overseed every spring or fall with a good pasture mix, and have good hay availible 24/7 year round.

As for the amount of grain to feed- keep her on the 10 lbs. a day for a while and then try lowering it by a pound or two and see how her condition and production hold up.

[sherry]

Hi Liz.

I feed my cow 16% dairy ration mixed with sweet feed, calf manna, alfalfa pellets and kelp. I think the kelp would be especially beneficial to your cow since she is pregnant again AND milking full-blast. It has lots of vitamins and minerals.

[oakhillfarm]

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful and understandable posts!

I think I will start seriously looking for a grain mill that will make some up for me. I'll start with the recipe contributed above and leave out the salt/mineral - she has a 50# block available all the time so I don't think I need that. However, I rarely see her take any of it... hmmm. I bought a big bag of alfalfa cubes thinking she might like them as treats whenever we come to "play" with her - but she doesn't seem to care for them much. Now I throw a great big handful of them in her grain bin at each milking just to slow her down a bit, since it takes me a lot longer to milk than a machine does and she gets bored/antsy.

I don't know anyone around here with alfalfa hay - but I might be able to get some delivered for $135/ton. plus a delivery charge. I think that's pretty reasonable considering I paid more than that for orchard grass last year for the horses' winter feed!

Right now my logistics are screwed up - I thought that I would be able to keep my cow and my horses in the same field, but the horses bully her for the hay - and if she needs higher protein hay then I need to be able to keep the horses out of it. Also, the horses don't get grain, except in winter or with after hard work. Today, they broke a stall door down where I had two baby bull calves just to eat their grain! Luckily they have no interest in the calves and no one was hurt.

I'm beginning to think I like cows a lot more than horses! Now I am going to have to redesign my whole pasture-plan. I have 3 small pastures, and one isn't properly fenced yet, the other has been seeded and needs more time, and the third is being shared by everyone right now. Today, I had 4 horses, my cow and 3 calves all in the barn at the same time to get out of the heat! You know, if I had tried to MAKE them share space all heck would have broken loose, but because they all undestand the need to get out of the 90* heat, they all just decided to hang out together!

My cow is wonderful. She is sweet and loving and follows me around everywhere I go (when I'm working in barn or field). She even followed a guest right out the barn door into the driveway this afternoon before he could stop her and she never went a step past me. I'm seriously in love with my cow.

I was a little afraid that milking would be a drag, but you know, it's getting easier and more enjoyable all the time. We'll see how I feel in January I guess! LOL

Again, thanks for all your encouragement and help.

Liz.

[Claire]

Horses do tend to bully cows around. A neighbor's calves just got loose because he let the horses in the same pasture and they drove them through the fence.

[Midgimoo]

Welcome Liz,
Sounds like you were as lucky as Nene in getting a great cow to get you started

I can't add anything to your feed questions as I'm a pasture and lucerne (alfalfa) girl unless I have a skinny cow that I want to build up. Then I just feed boiled barley.

Cows need long pasture as they don't have top teeth so wrap their tongue around the grass to pull it. So let the cow be the first to graze your wee paddocks and have the horses follow her.

I used to be a horse girl too and have found the cows give me as much pleasure as they did

[Deleted]

I was a little afraid that milking would be a drag, but you know, it's getting easier and more enjoyable all the time. We'll see how I feel in January I guess! LOL

If you are like me, you will be glad you got out early enough to enjoy the day. I never am cold milking, the warm udder and soft warm side keep me cozy in my coat. I am very cold natured. My hands only get cold on the walk back, so I tuck them in my pockets while buckets hang from my elbows. In the worst of winter I wear coveralls, big loose ones where I can pull the sleeves to my elbows and milk. If you sing something with a perky fast beat, it will make milking go faster and also relax her after she gets used to it. They like routine, same thing over and over, like the movie groundhog day...thats a cow for you

[Selden]

claire said:

Horses do tend to bully cows around. A neighbor's calves just got loose because he let the horses in the same pasture and they drove them through the fence.

Not all horses are bullies with cows, but most equines are. My standard donkey, Jiminy, is the king of my herd. He is the same height as (though at least 450 lbs lighter than) Katika -- but much more aggressive. I have always had to be very careful to keep everyone apart at feeding time; otherwise, Jiminy, who should eat least, would squeal, threaten to kick, and scarf the most. Introducing my calf Ferdinand to him last month (I waited until Ferdy was a sturdy 5 months) was a nightmare of chasing through fences -- the quick hot zap of the fences being much less terrifying to a calf than the sight of a galloping donkey descending with teeth bared. Last week, however, Ferdinand got his own back. It was pouring rain, cold and dank, for perhaps the 12th day in a row, and Jiminy was crowding Ferdinand in the run-in stall threateningly, as if to say, "Get outta here!" Ferdinand turned -- and MOUNTED HIM! I happened to be cleaning the cow stall next door at the time and I caught sight of Jiminy's terror-stricken expression. It was priceless! He scurried away! Since then he has dropped all bullying tactics and kept a wary eye cocked at Ferdinand, the way you would with someone who looked harmless but might turn loco at any second.

I love animals.

[rawmilkertx]

midgimoo said:

Welcome Liz,
Sounds like you were as lucky as Nene in getting a great cow to get you started

I can't add anything to your feed questions as I'm a pasture and lucerne (alfalfa) girl unless I have a skinny cow that I want to build up. Then I just feed boiled barley.

Midgimoo,
What is "boiled barley" ? Here, I know we can get whole barley or crimped barley. Do you actually cook the barley, or is that just another name for crimped or rolled barley?

Thanks, Kathy in TX

[Midgimoo]

Hi Kathy,
Yes, it is just whole barley boiled. Just cover with water in a stockpot, bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. I sit it outside after this and by morning it's absorbed all the liquid and has cooled down nicely. Some folk can't stand the smell of it cooking but it doesn't bother us.

I feel that the cows get more benefit out of barley boiled than crushed or rolled. There is very little evidence of them having had barley in their dung so this tells me it's being well digested.

Results are very visable within two or three weeks of feeding it to skinnies. I add molasses, ACV and the other minerals to it. Then depending on the cow, she will just be fed alfalfa, straw and minerals like the rest of the herd to maintain her condition.

[Joann]

This thread to me demonstrates that "the eye of the herdsman" is the most factor in choosing a suitable diet for a cow. Midge's boiled barley and her additives may not appear in any text book. But she makes keen observations and has adjusted her methods based on these observations and gets results.