Forage and Calves

[Rossymons]

In the past we've always had our calves on straw and rearer nut. On the whole I've been pleased with the results. But I've got a stack of decent, stemmy first cut. Was going to start offering an arm full alongside the straw.

I've had it in the past with hay where they get that horrible pot belly and I don't want that happening again.

Am I worrying about nothing and just crack on?

 

[Zippy768]

Sell it

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I personally wouldn’t have youngstock on straw or hay…I reserve the best silage for them

 

[Scholsey]

The money you save will be the worst money you’ve ever saved.

 

[Guiggs]

I personally wouldn’t have youngstock on straw or hay…I reserve the best silage for them

What age would you start offering calves silage?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

What age would you start offering calves silage?

As soon as they are housed, they are on creep in the fields atm….once housed I give them the best silage

 

[Overrun]

Short of silage this year, thought weaned calves could go on straw and alpha treated barley. Barley knocking on 18% protein.
Aim to save silage for post calved suckler cows.

 

[som farmer]

i think there is a big difference in 'types' of hay, years ago, would keep back the best soft hay, for the calves, and they were potbellied, which promptly stopped when we changed to straw, that 'nice' hay was just to pokey for them.
This would be for dairy bred calves.

We feed straw till weaning, then could be either stemmy hay, or barely straw, depends on what the calves are like, how much conc you feed them, the more conc, the more for straw, but stemmy, or a bit 'overstood' hay, isn't bad. The big problem with hay, is the huge difference, feed value wise, between even fields, straw provides a more reliable steady feed value.

 

[puppet]

What age would you start offering calves silage?

Mine are chewing it at 2 weeks old

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I was told to never feed hay at least till over 12 weeks , barley straw every time ,it has the right sort of fibre to simulate the rumen ,I did not Google that , used to have 400 bought in calves here and did the rearing for the dairy herd
Having said that do what works fpr you

 

[Martyn]

In the past we've always had our calves on straw and rearer nut. On the whole I've been pleased with the results. But I've got a stack of decent, stemmy first cut. Was going to start offering an arm full alongside the straw.

I've had it in the past with hay where they get that horrible pot belly and I don't want that happening again.

Am I worrying about nothing and just crack on?

I would think that just fine, we feed oat straw to 10-12 weeks then calves go onto tmr (same as dairy mix) or if I'm rushing bale or two of stemy red clover bales, I wouldn't say we see a pot belly here.

 

[unlacedgecko]

In the past we've always had our calves on straw and rearer nut. On the whole I've been pleased with the results. But I've got a stack of decent, stemmy first cut. Was going to start offering an arm full alongside the straw.

I've had it in the past with hay where they get that horrible pot belly and I don't want that happening again.

Am I worrying about nothing and just crack on?

Sell it and offer only straw. Ground straw is even better as it improves intakes and speeds rumen development.