Grazing

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cjr

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 16, 2010
Messages
119
I have leased some milo stalks that have full heads of grain. Is there anything to worry about with that much grain to be consumed by the cows?
 

aandtcattle

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
489
Location
Hay Springs, Nebraska
Absolutely there is reason to worry.  I graze my cows on cornstalks and have lost cows from eating too much corn (acidosis).  I have 3 tips that might help you manage the abundance of grain in the field.  First, make sure your cows have had a C+D Clostridial (over-eating) shot.  Fill your cows up with hay before you put them in the field, if she's full, she isnt going to go down the row windrowing all the grain in sight and hopefully she will ease into the grain.  Add sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to your water.  This is a very easy and cost effective way of buffering the rumen against extremes in pH levels.  I put about 9 pounds of bicarbonate per 1000 gallons the first day.  Then about 6 pounds the next time I fill the tank.  Then 3 pounds each of the next 3 times I fill the tank.  By this point in time, the grain should be thinned out and the cows should be able to handle what they are getting.  But start the bicarbonate again if you move them to a new field with a lot of grain in it.  You can buy sodium bicarbonate in 50# bags at most feed stores.
 
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