Post by lil*farm*angel on Aug 25, 2016 17:53:28 GMT -5
Probably seems like I'm beating a dead horse, but we've had a very rough 12 months (and that's giving credit that it's ONLY been 12 months, feels like it's been forever). Time seems to be my enemy, and every time I start thinking I'm getting a grasp on one issue, another pops up while yet another is on it's way to being noticed. So, sitting and studying has ranked a bit lower on the priority list than normal for me.
Roof blew off the house... ALL the goats had a bacterial infection that the vet mis-diagnosed... nearly lost 2 goats trying to figure out how to get the infection cleared up during a wet, cold winter... kid goat died a couple days after being born, it's dam lost one side of her udder but was still able to feed the other 2 kids she delivered, nearly lost her too.. my heart's delight, Lily - my milk cow died... please don't ask, I am still struggling with it. And that's just the highlights of the onslaught trying to beat us down. Right now, things seem to be back to normal... I'm sure the "other shoe" will drop soon, until then I have some more questions on a thread I started a few months back (More questions than answers... can we revisit this topic?).
I finally found time to study the chart on a website given (http://beefmagazine.com/nutrition/feed-composition-tables/feed-composition-value-cattle--0301) and understand the definitions and acronyms. I am starting to get a good idea on the different feeds and how the cow's body utilizes/converts the feed during digestion. I did post this in that discussion, but I'm concerned that my questions will be missed since they are in the thread and not part of the original post.
I'm hoping the answers to these last two questions will tie it all together...
The questions:
1 - Would it be safe to assume that the total digestible nutrients (TDN), after the calculation to convert it to Digestible Energy (DE), would be similar (if not equivalent to) a digestible carbohydrate? (Where as, the Crude Fiber (CF) would be equivalent to non-digestible carbohydrates?)
2 - If so, what would be a fair ratio between TDN/DE and protein to maintain a cow that is already in good condition?
I figure if I set a base against what a cow in good condition should consume (as an average, knowing full well what works for one animals will NOT necessarily work for another), then adjusting her ration based on body condition (and other conditions) would just be a matter of increasing/decreasing a specific feed in her ration to get the desired ratio for that specific cow. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this theory too. I'm trying to translate these terms into ones I can relate to and already have a good understanding of.
Roof blew off the house... ALL the goats had a bacterial infection that the vet mis-diagnosed... nearly lost 2 goats trying to figure out how to get the infection cleared up during a wet, cold winter... kid goat died a couple days after being born, it's dam lost one side of her udder but was still able to feed the other 2 kids she delivered, nearly lost her too.. my heart's delight, Lily - my milk cow died... please don't ask, I am still struggling with it. And that's just the highlights of the onslaught trying to beat us down. Right now, things seem to be back to normal... I'm sure the "other shoe" will drop soon, until then I have some more questions on a thread I started a few months back (More questions than answers... can we revisit this topic?).
I finally found time to study the chart on a website given (http://beefmagazine.com/nutrition/feed-composition-tables/feed-composition-value-cattle--0301) and understand the definitions and acronyms. I am starting to get a good idea on the different feeds and how the cow's body utilizes/converts the feed during digestion. I did post this in that discussion, but I'm concerned that my questions will be missed since they are in the thread and not part of the original post.
I'm hoping the answers to these last two questions will tie it all together...
The questions:
1 - Would it be safe to assume that the total digestible nutrients (TDN), after the calculation to convert it to Digestible Energy (DE), would be similar (if not equivalent to) a digestible carbohydrate? (Where as, the Crude Fiber (CF) would be equivalent to non-digestible carbohydrates?)
2 - If so, what would be a fair ratio between TDN/DE and protein to maintain a cow that is already in good condition?
I figure if I set a base against what a cow in good condition should consume (as an average, knowing full well what works for one animals will NOT necessarily work for another), then adjusting her ration based on body condition (and other conditions) would just be a matter of increasing/decreasing a specific feed in her ration to get the desired ratio for that specific cow. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this theory too. I'm trying to translate these terms into ones I can relate to and already have a good understanding of.