Post by Shawn on Jul 28, 2015 9:27:26 GMT -5
Make sure your grain hasn't molded!! Arghh.
Wow, 5 weeks of post calving ketosis and I'm about to lose my mind. I've tried coaxing Fern to eat her dairy ration. She eats it if I sprinkle broiler grain on top. On Saturday she completely refused to even do that. I mentioned to DH a week ago that I thought the cats were pooping in the grain since the tarp was back a bit. He said he thought it was the chickens. I commented on how the grain smelled chemical-ly to me, like bug spray. He said he thought it smelled fermented. Boy, that should have been a moment. Nope. Took me until Sunday, when I went to scoop more over to reach it that I got deep enough into it to see what really was going on. Under the layer of what looked to be good grain, it looked like dirt, almost like it had already composted. So no wonder my cow wouldn't eat it. Here I thought she was setting the world record for pickiest eating cow and all the time she was trying to tell me it was spoiled.
We buy the dairy grain in 1000# increments and shovel it into an open top bin (old combine bin) that's permanently affixed in the barn. The broiler grain was from April, when we scooped it into trash cans and left the lids off.
Normally, we don't have any trouble with our bin grain going moldy, because the top is open and the grain breathes enough. This time, DH was irritated with chickens pooping in it, so he laid a plastic tarp over it. Although it was loose, it was just too much.
Yesterday he cleaned out the tank, let it air out and bought 500# of fresh mixed grain. Fern tore into that like none other, barely leaving a couple of cracked pieces behind. So I think we're officially on the road to recovery now that I've stopped trying to sicken her. I did get some Diamond V yeast to add to her grain at which she didn't even bat an eye whilst inhaling.
I also think that was part of what was causing the calves all their tummy troubles, too. I'd get them straightened out with probiotics, and they'd start scouring again. So between getting her upset through the milk, they were nibbling on her grain I would put out, hoping she'd eat it overnight, so they were getting the yuckiness, too.
Live and learn I guess.
Wow, 5 weeks of post calving ketosis and I'm about to lose my mind. I've tried coaxing Fern to eat her dairy ration. She eats it if I sprinkle broiler grain on top. On Saturday she completely refused to even do that. I mentioned to DH a week ago that I thought the cats were pooping in the grain since the tarp was back a bit. He said he thought it was the chickens. I commented on how the grain smelled chemical-ly to me, like bug spray. He said he thought it smelled fermented. Boy, that should have been a moment. Nope. Took me until Sunday, when I went to scoop more over to reach it that I got deep enough into it to see what really was going on. Under the layer of what looked to be good grain, it looked like dirt, almost like it had already composted. So no wonder my cow wouldn't eat it. Here I thought she was setting the world record for pickiest eating cow and all the time she was trying to tell me it was spoiled.
We buy the dairy grain in 1000# increments and shovel it into an open top bin (old combine bin) that's permanently affixed in the barn. The broiler grain was from April, when we scooped it into trash cans and left the lids off.
Normally, we don't have any trouble with our bin grain going moldy, because the top is open and the grain breathes enough. This time, DH was irritated with chickens pooping in it, so he laid a plastic tarp over it. Although it was loose, it was just too much.
Yesterday he cleaned out the tank, let it air out and bought 500# of fresh mixed grain. Fern tore into that like none other, barely leaving a couple of cracked pieces behind. So I think we're officially on the road to recovery now that I've stopped trying to sicken her. I did get some Diamond V yeast to add to her grain at which she didn't even bat an eye whilst inhaling.
I also think that was part of what was causing the calves all their tummy troubles, too. I'd get them straightened out with probiotics, and they'd start scouring again. So between getting her upset through the milk, they were nibbling on her grain I would put out, hoping she'd eat it overnight, so they were getting the yuckiness, too.
Live and learn I guess.