Store cattle loose muck

[TomO]

We have some cattle 6-9 months old that are having silage/haylage ad lib and 1 kg rolled barley/concentrate mix per day. Plus straw when bedded. These are cattle to grow on a bit to turn out in the spring. Since settling them in there muck has gone really sloppy and not really what i expect on such a dry forage diet. Has anyone any ideals what could be the cause??

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Have you wormed them...

 

[TomO]

Have you wormed them...

Yes about a month ago.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Yes about a month ago.

If you’re silage isn’t too wet it Could well be just them getting used to the diet

 

[DrDunc]

Cobalt/selenium deficiency can loosen their dung.

Do you add a mineral supplement to the feed or put out mineralised salt licks?

Edit

Or have you analysed the forage? A lot of good stuff with very high protein was made this summer.

 

[TomO]

Cobalt/selenium deficiency can loosen their dung.

Do you add a mineral supplement to the feed or put out mineralised salt licks?

Edit

Or have you analysed the forage? A lot of good stuff with very high protein was made this summer.

Yes they get ad lib gp mineral.
We havent had it analysed but i dont think it will be that good.

 

[M-J-G]

It may be just them settling into the diet.

If loose dung persists, my first guess is that it is too much readily available energy and not enough protein.

Dry haylage can be very high in sugar if made with reasonably leafy grass and barley is high starch.
High starch and concentrated sugar is highly likely to scour cattle.

 

[C.J]

What is your " barley/concentrate mix "

 

[TomO]

What is your " barley/concentrate mix "

Just rolled barley with a protein pellet.

 

[C.J]

Just rolled barley with a protein pellet.

What % protein in your protein pellet?

What ratio of pellet to barley in your mix ?

Is it well mixed or are the " pellets sprinkled on top " ?

 

[betweenthelines]

It may be just them settling into the diet.

If loose dung persists, my first guess is that it is too much readily available energy and not enough protein.

Dry haylage can be very high in sugar if made with reasonably leafy grass and barley is high starch.
High starch and concentrated sugar is highly likely to scour cattle.

No, other way round,too much protein, Just feed silage and enough barley to carry the minerals. They will grow better in the spring (compensatory growth)

 

[Northeastfarmer]

No, other way round,too much protein, Just feed silage and enough barley to carry the minerals. They will grow better in the spring (compensatory growth)

You need protein for growth

 

[TomO]

I

What % protein in your protein pellet?

What ratio of pellet to barley in your mix ?

Is it well mixed or are the " pellets sprinkled on top " ?

Pellets 34% mixed at 8-10% through a mixer.

 

[C.J]

Pellets 34% mixed at 8-10% through a mixer.

8% by weight would give 11.9% protein mix,10% by weight would give 12.4% protein mix(assuming barley is 10% protein).

So no problem of having too much protein, in fact I would be working mine up to 2kg of 16% - it costs too much in buildings and bedding to have cattle not growing through the winter.

However if your mixing 10% by volume in your mix,your ration could be 14.8 % protein(the density of concentrate would be double that of rolled barley).This shouldn't be a problem unless your silage is "rocket fuel".

Did your wormer cover all stages of liver fluke and was it administered at the correct time after housing?

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Cut out the protein pellets.
I would bet the silage is good and you are overdoing the protein.

 

[M-J-G]

No, other way round,too much protein, Just feed silage and enough barley to carry the minerals. They will grow better in the spring (compensatory growth)

If the energy protein balance is off in either direction it will scour cattle. You are right to a point that too much protein will cause scour, but you are incorrect to think that could be the only dietary reason, too much energy without it enough protein will do the same.

There needs to be enough protein to allow the digestion of the energy.

 

[Skintagain]

Cut out the protein pellets.
I would bet the silage is good and you are overdoing the protein.

I would try this. If I try and feed too much Brewers grains it Scours stock