I have a first calf heifer that is not due till end of January but noticed today that she is not eating but all she wants to do is lick on the everything. Whether it is the gates, woven wire fence, wood post it doesn't matter. They have had 12% mineral tubs in the lot but ran out the other day and waiting for the feed store to get more in. I have been hand feeding them hay so they wouldn't get too fat to calve and I even tried giving her some grain and she just picked at it a little bit and then would rather chew and lick on the feed trough rather than eat. Any ideas what it could be or is it just some signs of her possibly calving early. Thanks!
Heifer Acting Wierd
- Thread starter KMJCC
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DFSC
Well-known member
Can animals have pica (urge to eat strange things - dirt, paint ... etc) like humans? Just curious ...
firesweepranch
Well-known member
Yes, dogs are big participants of pica. Don't know about the cattle though. But, in my limited experience, sounds like your heifer just needs mineral. We keep loose mineral down, all the time. We have not used the tubs, since our hay has been tested and we know we are hitting our protein and TDN requirements. We have had heifers lick us A LOT, like we were their personal salt licks ;DDFSC said:
I always assumed it was because they were bored.
aandtcattle
Well-known member
I would sure encourage you to also feed a salt block or loose salt as well as mineral. This may not be why she is chewing and licking on everything but salt is very cheap 3.10 for a 50# bag and could very well be the cause of her strange behavior.
fed_champions
Well-known member
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- Mar 2, 2010
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Do you have acorns where you live, in one of my animal science classes, the instructor told us about acorn toxicity in cattle. Not sure if this is the case, but they get addicted and wont eat anything but acorns, he had a bull die from this, look it up on google.
Thanks, for all of the input. The next day she was acting fine. Like I said she is due in a few weeks and her belly has shifted so I am guessing that her calf was just moving in birth canal and she was felling it. Getting excited this will be my first calf crop in which I did the A.I.ing.
