Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2007 22:14:40 GMT -5
Sorry this one is long...I'm still fairly new to all this, and definitely feeling the learning curve! I'm hoping that some of you could give me feedback on nutrition/feeding for my cow. Feedback from anyone with Dexter experience would be especially helpful!
I guess I should start by saying that I have a 3 year old Dexter cow named Marigold, who is nursing a 2 month old heifer calf named Magnolia. I acquired Marigold because I had done a lot of research on Dexters and had heard from many sources that they do well on a grass-based diet, even during lactation. I bought Marigold to milk for my family's use, and really liked what I heard about the nutritional qualities of raw, grass-fed milk. Although this is Marigold's second calf, it is her first time ever being milked.
At the time of freshening (July), Marigold was in the pasture on fair to moderate quality grass 24 hours a day, was eating 2-4 flakes of moderate quality grass hay, and was eating approximately 2 lbs of alfalfa pellets a day (spread between two feedings). Production was extremely low (she was holding up terribly for the calf, who was and is still on her), and her milk had a VERY strong alfalfa taste. Due to the low yield during milking, nagging kicking issues (remind me to tell you about how Marigold thinks the kick stop is a bucking strap), and problems with alfalfa taste, I decided to let the calf take all of the milk starting about a month ago. I plan to start separating the calf overnight and milking OAD in the mornings starting in late October, and resume TAD milkings once the calf is weaned in mid-November. Around the time I stopped milking a month ago, I started Marigold on Blue Seal Hay Stretchers to help keep weight on her (she was losing fairly steadily), but didn't realize that the ingredients included just about everything BUT hay. She was doing okay weight wise for a week or so on the hay stretchers, but then started looking ribby again. Two weeks ago I started transitioning her off of the Hay Stretchers and on to beet pulp (she is currently eating 5lbs a day soaked weight, split between 2 feedings), with a handful of alfalfa pellets and a top dressing of molasses. She occasionally gets corn husks or watermelon rinds from the garden. She is also currently eating (and sharing with her calf) 2-3 large flakes of fair quality grass/fescue mix hay that is fairly weedy, and has free access to a 1 acre pasture that is not producing a lot of anything due to lack of rain. She has free access 24 hours a day to a large bathtub full of clean water and a spill-proof bucket of loose salt/iodized minerals.
I'm realizing as I type this that I have made a lot of changes to this poor cow's diet over the past 2 months. I have made changes gradually, but probably not as slowly as I could have. I'm honestly concerned because over the past several nights before feeding (except tonight) she has had a distinct bloated look to her, definitely bigger on her left side than her right, but always acts normally, eats her dinner quickly, and looks normal by morning. There is no alfalfa in her pasture that I know of, although there is clover.
I'm also wondering about de-worming...Marigold has never been de-wormed, and I'd like to do it as naturally as possible if it needs to be done at all, but I'm wondering if a worm problem might be contributing to her problems with maintaining weight? I guess I could always have a fecal done by the vet to know for sure.
I really felt strongly that I wanted to avoid feeding grain and keep her diet as grass-based or at least as fiber-based as possible, but I'm wondering if that is really in her best interest. I read in so many places and talked to several people who said that Dexters only need 1/2 acre of grass and no additional feed, but unless I managed to find the only high-maintenance Dexter out there I 'm beginning to think that is not the whole truth. I think I'm rambling now, but I guess I'll end with the request for any input on what I should or shouldn't be feeding Marigold to maintain her health and still get milk that will have at least some of the benefits of grass-fed. Any other pointers based on information I've given would be most welcomed as well!
I guess I should start by saying that I have a 3 year old Dexter cow named Marigold, who is nursing a 2 month old heifer calf named Magnolia. I acquired Marigold because I had done a lot of research on Dexters and had heard from many sources that they do well on a grass-based diet, even during lactation. I bought Marigold to milk for my family's use, and really liked what I heard about the nutritional qualities of raw, grass-fed milk. Although this is Marigold's second calf, it is her first time ever being milked.
At the time of freshening (July), Marigold was in the pasture on fair to moderate quality grass 24 hours a day, was eating 2-4 flakes of moderate quality grass hay, and was eating approximately 2 lbs of alfalfa pellets a day (spread between two feedings). Production was extremely low (she was holding up terribly for the calf, who was and is still on her), and her milk had a VERY strong alfalfa taste. Due to the low yield during milking, nagging kicking issues (remind me to tell you about how Marigold thinks the kick stop is a bucking strap), and problems with alfalfa taste, I decided to let the calf take all of the milk starting about a month ago. I plan to start separating the calf overnight and milking OAD in the mornings starting in late October, and resume TAD milkings once the calf is weaned in mid-November. Around the time I stopped milking a month ago, I started Marigold on Blue Seal Hay Stretchers to help keep weight on her (she was losing fairly steadily), but didn't realize that the ingredients included just about everything BUT hay. She was doing okay weight wise for a week or so on the hay stretchers, but then started looking ribby again. Two weeks ago I started transitioning her off of the Hay Stretchers and on to beet pulp (she is currently eating 5lbs a day soaked weight, split between 2 feedings), with a handful of alfalfa pellets and a top dressing of molasses. She occasionally gets corn husks or watermelon rinds from the garden. She is also currently eating (and sharing with her calf) 2-3 large flakes of fair quality grass/fescue mix hay that is fairly weedy, and has free access to a 1 acre pasture that is not producing a lot of anything due to lack of rain. She has free access 24 hours a day to a large bathtub full of clean water and a spill-proof bucket of loose salt/iodized minerals.
I'm realizing as I type this that I have made a lot of changes to this poor cow's diet over the past 2 months. I have made changes gradually, but probably not as slowly as I could have. I'm honestly concerned because over the past several nights before feeding (except tonight) she has had a distinct bloated look to her, definitely bigger on her left side than her right, but always acts normally, eats her dinner quickly, and looks normal by morning. There is no alfalfa in her pasture that I know of, although there is clover.
I'm also wondering about de-worming...Marigold has never been de-wormed, and I'd like to do it as naturally as possible if it needs to be done at all, but I'm wondering if a worm problem might be contributing to her problems with maintaining weight? I guess I could always have a fecal done by the vet to know for sure.
I really felt strongly that I wanted to avoid feeding grain and keep her diet as grass-based or at least as fiber-based as possible, but I'm wondering if that is really in her best interest. I read in so many places and talked to several people who said that Dexters only need 1/2 acre of grass and no additional feed, but unless I managed to find the only high-maintenance Dexter out there I 'm beginning to think that is not the whole truth. I think I'm rambling now, but I guess I'll end with the request for any input on what I should or shouldn't be feeding Marigold to maintain her health and still get milk that will have at least some of the benefits of grass-fed. Any other pointers based on information I've given would be most welcomed as well!