Post by simplynaturalfarm on Jun 6, 2015 13:23:40 GMT -5
I have read a bit about the grassfed dairy guys offering tubs of molasses. My personal concern is that it is relatively low in starch which is actually what the cows need more of when it comes to prime grasses - also, I do not need MUN off the charts, and that reduces milk production, that causes them to lose condition and actually burn MORE energy because of the MUN. And feeding a lot of molasses can decrease body weight and reduce reproductive performance.
Yet there IS some research showing depending on your forages, molasses can often be substituted for 1/3rd grain. (never more than 10-15% of diet)
The last 2 days Tildy has looked horrible - walking bow legged to get around her huge swollen udder, teats that I thought might split from edema, and swelling right up to her brisket. I pointed it out last night and DH said it is just extreme edema - pitting in the back of her udder going up. He told me if she needed something to call the local vet (since my problems only happen when he is not home) and to just watch her udder as it is looking huge.
I was stressed (we all know how bad edema is to deal with!), I've neglected putting out kelp the last while because it is stored on the other side of the property, so I quickly went out to dump out the kelp (I do have farm minerals, redmond salt etc always available), and walked by my 5 gallon pail of gm free molasses and thought "hmmm. . . if her udder size is any indication of milk production, maybe I should start early with the molasses." I usually feed molasses for calcium, a boost and to help keep mild ketosis away. My most recent dexter who freshened is not wanting to eat at night when I put her in with her calf and had a touch of ketosis so I gave her free choice molasses and it disappeared, thus the reason I thought of it again)
We know udder size doesn't have a lot to do with milk with most cows. I used to feed molasses in large quantities before calving if the cows would take it, and Tildy is the only cow I have who eats a lot of molasses free choice.
So I put out a pail of molasses and the kelp last night. She ate and ate and was eating when I left.
This morning her udder was tight but not edematous (if that is a word!). I milked her out and got 4.5 gallons when I finally stopped because I overflowed the machine and my hands got worn out from continuing by hand (how can ones hands get SO out of shape in 2 months). She had more milk in there to boot - it wasn't slowing down! When I sent her out, her udder was floppy like a normal cow udder instead of still bulging because of edema. (as floppy as it could be without me emptying it)
Observation . . . the last 2 years she only had a 45 day dry period. First time because I was so desperate for milk I chose to shorten it by 15 days. 2nd time because I forgot her due date was beginning of June and not end. She freshened with less milk this last time than she has had any other lactation - literature suggests that cows with too short of dry period have reduced milk production.
Every year I feed the same, and cows are on same pasture (which improves yearly). I feed same minerals yearly, I calve exactly the same time (except when my memory sucks - she calved last year on the 9th and thus year on the 6th). And yet she gave 2x more colostrum than normal. Very interesting!
I am going to try something new this year and give a bit of molasses. I used to stress about it being GM because of the sugar beets. My BIL (who is the mill wright for American Crystal sugar)told me they BUY in cane molasses because the molasses left over when they are done processing the beets is nasty and inedible and they actually dump it. So in order to bind the beet pellets together, they purchase bulk cane molasses. I found this out when I asked him if they ever sell their molasses to people and he said no because there isn't anything to sell. So I got 5 gallons from Azure to see how it will work. I have also ordered from webstaurant store in the past when I sprayed it on my pastures.
www.webstaurantstore.com/golden-barrel-5-gallon-sulfur-free-blackstrap-molasses/125BLKSTPP.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CKnGjKLo-8UCFYaRHwodnWYAcA
Has anybody else ever tried free choice molasses for edema before calving? I don't know if it helped, I"m simply curious!
Here is an article on the concerns of molasses
grazingguide.net/2011/06/molasses-supplements-to-grazing-dairy-cows-on-farm-case-study/
grazingguide.net/2011/06/effect-of-molasses-supplementation-on-ruminal-fermentation/
I don't think it is as beneficial as we grazing people might have thought at one time, and I still have my concerns about feeding a lot of it, AND if I had poor forage or it was end of year, stockpiled forage etc I would feed more I think.
Yet there IS some research showing depending on your forages, molasses can often be substituted for 1/3rd grain. (never more than 10-15% of diet)
The last 2 days Tildy has looked horrible - walking bow legged to get around her huge swollen udder, teats that I thought might split from edema, and swelling right up to her brisket. I pointed it out last night and DH said it is just extreme edema - pitting in the back of her udder going up. He told me if she needed something to call the local vet (since my problems only happen when he is not home) and to just watch her udder as it is looking huge.
I was stressed (we all know how bad edema is to deal with!), I've neglected putting out kelp the last while because it is stored on the other side of the property, so I quickly went out to dump out the kelp (I do have farm minerals, redmond salt etc always available), and walked by my 5 gallon pail of gm free molasses and thought "hmmm. . . if her udder size is any indication of milk production, maybe I should start early with the molasses." I usually feed molasses for calcium, a boost and to help keep mild ketosis away. My most recent dexter who freshened is not wanting to eat at night when I put her in with her calf and had a touch of ketosis so I gave her free choice molasses and it disappeared, thus the reason I thought of it again)
We know udder size doesn't have a lot to do with milk with most cows. I used to feed molasses in large quantities before calving if the cows would take it, and Tildy is the only cow I have who eats a lot of molasses free choice.
So I put out a pail of molasses and the kelp last night. She ate and ate and was eating when I left.
This morning her udder was tight but not edematous (if that is a word!). I milked her out and got 4.5 gallons when I finally stopped because I overflowed the machine and my hands got worn out from continuing by hand (how can ones hands get SO out of shape in 2 months). She had more milk in there to boot - it wasn't slowing down! When I sent her out, her udder was floppy like a normal cow udder instead of still bulging because of edema. (as floppy as it could be without me emptying it)
Observation . . . the last 2 years she only had a 45 day dry period. First time because I was so desperate for milk I chose to shorten it by 15 days. 2nd time because I forgot her due date was beginning of June and not end. She freshened with less milk this last time than she has had any other lactation - literature suggests that cows with too short of dry period have reduced milk production.
Every year I feed the same, and cows are on same pasture (which improves yearly). I feed same minerals yearly, I calve exactly the same time (except when my memory sucks - she calved last year on the 9th and thus year on the 6th). And yet she gave 2x more colostrum than normal. Very interesting!
I am going to try something new this year and give a bit of molasses. I used to stress about it being GM because of the sugar beets. My BIL (who is the mill wright for American Crystal sugar)told me they BUY in cane molasses because the molasses left over when they are done processing the beets is nasty and inedible and they actually dump it. So in order to bind the beet pellets together, they purchase bulk cane molasses. I found this out when I asked him if they ever sell their molasses to people and he said no because there isn't anything to sell. So I got 5 gallons from Azure to see how it will work. I have also ordered from webstaurant store in the past when I sprayed it on my pastures.
www.webstaurantstore.com/golden-barrel-5-gallon-sulfur-free-blackstrap-molasses/125BLKSTPP.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CKnGjKLo-8UCFYaRHwodnWYAcA
Has anybody else ever tried free choice molasses for edema before calving? I don't know if it helped, I"m simply curious!
Here is an article on the concerns of molasses
grazingguide.net/2011/06/molasses-supplements-to-grazing-dairy-cows-on-farm-case-study/
grazingguide.net/2011/06/effect-of-molasses-supplementation-on-ruminal-fermentation/
I don't think it is as beneficial as we grazing people might have thought at one time, and I still have my concerns about feeding a lot of it, AND if I had poor forage or it was end of year, stockpiled forage etc I would feed more I think.