Post by dunderi on Nov 3, 2011 22:21:00 GMT -5
Betty is currently a pasture only cow, but she is not in milk. she is fat and sleek and glossy, and is holding her pregnancy well. but i do expect i will supplement her with a little grain when she milks, depending on how she holds condition. she was wormy and ticky and hungry when i brought her home, but does incredibly well in the 3 acre grass paddock she's currently in - no supplement feeding at all.
Annie & Dime, the two BSxJersey girls, are a different story. they're on rotated paddocks, they get hay every day, morning & night, plus a COB dairy mix, with molasses, vitamin powder, and apple cider vinegar on top of that at night time. Annie has responded well, putting on weight and is very healthy, i think she is going to have an xmas calf.
Dime (who is going to pop any minute now) has not put on as much condition, however her belly is hugely swollen with calf - i'm hoping the vinegar in her diet has helped her soften up enough to bear it if its only one in there! Dime probably gets 2-3lbs of grain mixture every night - and i will increase this to maybe 5lbs if she does not gain enough condition to satisfy me.... i hate ribby looking cows with their backbones all up in the air!
I suppose i'm spoilt with my magnificent & beautiful black Betty, she is such a good do-er. I'll take some pics of her gleaming in the sunlight when i visit her next week! But Dime I will sell once she's calved, and properly milking trained... as she just doesn't hold her weight well for her feed intake, and while her temperament is now lovely, she'll be too much to keep.
All three of mine are regularly treated for parasites, but i know that's the first thing i think of when i see skinny cows... i know i saw a very dramatic improvement in the week after i first treated these girls... like watching a balloon blow up!
Annie & Dime, the two BSxJersey girls, are a different story. they're on rotated paddocks, they get hay every day, morning & night, plus a COB dairy mix, with molasses, vitamin powder, and apple cider vinegar on top of that at night time. Annie has responded well, putting on weight and is very healthy, i think she is going to have an xmas calf.
Dime (who is going to pop any minute now) has not put on as much condition, however her belly is hugely swollen with calf - i'm hoping the vinegar in her diet has helped her soften up enough to bear it if its only one in there! Dime probably gets 2-3lbs of grain mixture every night - and i will increase this to maybe 5lbs if she does not gain enough condition to satisfy me.... i hate ribby looking cows with their backbones all up in the air!
I suppose i'm spoilt with my magnificent & beautiful black Betty, she is such a good do-er. I'll take some pics of her gleaming in the sunlight when i visit her next week! But Dime I will sell once she's calved, and properly milking trained... as she just doesn't hold her weight well for her feed intake, and while her temperament is now lovely, she'll be too much to keep.
All three of mine are regularly treated for parasites, but i know that's the first thing i think of when i see skinny cows... i know i saw a very dramatic improvement in the week after i first treated these girls... like watching a balloon blow up!