Stuart1
Member
At what age do you introduce other forage besides straw? I ad-lib my heifers on straw until 5 months then start introducing haylage.
They look super healthy!
All things Dairy
- Thread starter Cows 'n grass
- Start date
At what age do you introduce other forage besides straw? I ad-lib my heifers on straw until 5 months then start introducing haylage.
They look super healthy!
Dead Rabbits
Member
- Location
- 'Merica
Really depends on price of straw and what we have in stock re silage.
We usually try and make a clamp specifically for heifers and would start them on this from 5-6 months on
s line
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire uk
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We do the same here, what protein % are you using?,we were on 18% but we have dropped it back to 16 because they were very lose on it.
Sand lane doing its thing
frederick
Member
- Location
- south west
Have you ever thought of simply heaping it and using it again maybe just leaving it for 2 years.
Using it again for what?
frederick
Member
- Location
- south west
Bedding the cows.
But maybe yours isnt costing you £20 a ton like mine. I really want to find a recycling method for the mid size farm
Oh no way, from that yard weve milked 300 cows all winter, have not treated a single cow for mastitis, no prep, top bands.
Sands costing 14 quid.
Even at 20 quid I wouldnt jeopardise that
How much sand do you get through over the winter? Much solid in the second lane?
We "make" our own heifer blend of 70% Faba Fibre and 30% rapemeal. Can't find the breakdown for Faba but off the top of my head it works out around 18% protein in total.
Don't have a problem with the heifers being loose tbh
75% 1st land 25% 2nd lane
Between 22 and 25 ton month. If it's really windy a lot will blow out
frederick
Member
- Location
- south west
Again what am I doing wrong. 250 cows 20 tons a week. Your use is a quarter of mine. Spread 3 times a week. 3 day gap over weekend and 4 inch deep beds getting low.
Our beds get very low. Put in 2x month
frederick
Member
- Location
- south west
What are your beds. Mine are concrete slight slope 4 inch high wooden heel.
Theory being when I can no longer afford sand I can simply put mattresses on. Theory at the time was they also loose less sand than deep beds.
Was shown a photo recently of someone who had moved from mattresses to sand and had fixed a 15" angle iron to his heelstones then filled the cubicles up with sand. Apparently it works a dream and rarely needs topping up and the cows love them.
We would put sand in if we didn't have underground lagoons. Can't wack sand beds
jay
Member
- Location
- Co Down NI
First night grazing of the year, took the picture going for them this morning. There wasn't a cow on her feet until they saw me, a great sight in uncertain times.
15”. Do the cows need a running jump to get up? We had 12”, changed heelstone to 6” when we changed cubicles. Maybe a tad low but no cows lie half in/out.