Re: supplemental feeds for grass fed cattle

[Guest guest]

Another major concern with soybeans (and corn for that matter)would

be the genetic mutating going on with MonSatan and the problems

feeding their garbage to animals causes. Acres USA has had many

articles on the ill effects of GMO grain. The chemical residue is

another factor.

I would suggest feeding small grains or open pollinated corn if he

wants to feed grain. Also, consider sprouting the grain.

Good hay will keep beef cows gaining fine. It needs to be a grassy

mix though as pure alfalfa has too much soluble protein and not enough

energy.

He could plant some oats and turnips to extend the grazing season

and keep high quality forage going into the animals. I can make it to

Dec. in northern WI if it doesn't snow, so further south one could

easily add a month or two onto that.

Cheyenne

>

> Hey friends,

> I just got a call from a friend who believes strongly in grass feeding

> and WAPF. He has a deal with a cattle farmer close to him where this

> farmer will raise the cattle and my friend markets it. However, the

> farmer was wondering about possibly supplementing the cattle in the

> winter with feed--and not just any feed, but SOYBEAN hull pellets.

>

[Guest guest]

>

> We feed no grain to beef animals winter or summer and they do fine.

It is a matter of genetics.

I have a question:

Grain is derived/evolved from grass. If you let your lawn grow long

enough, eventually it will go to grain-like seed. In the summer, it

only takes a growing lawn of grass a few weeks to get long enough to

produce seed.

So, my question is, in the wild, wouldn't the ancestors of the modern

cow have eaten this grass with grain/grass seed on top?

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

just wanted to let everyone know that I have been really enjoying the

didactic learning from all these points of view. I remember reading

in " Farmer Boy " that here in upstate NY, they used to use pumpkins to

supplement the cows for the winter. I think turnips were also

mentioned. My neighbors have one of those big pumpkin farms and I know

they feed their cows all winter on the leftovers, but our dairy cows

mostly won't eat it. They do like the pomace from cider pressing (our

own apples), and the beefers will eat pumpkin. I was wondering if the

pumpkin would also give you yellow cream in winter....

The pomace seems to give us richer milk.

We are a very small, more like a sustenance farm, place. I don't know

how this would work on a large scale.

[Guest guest]

They would have eaten some grain. Of that there is no doubt. The problem with grain and ruminants, is its effect on the meat and milk that comes with quantity fed. Like everything that we eat, it can be beneficial at times, and too much can be detrimental. This varies from person to person and also to some degree based on your ancestry, just like it does with animals.How much, or if any grain, really is going to depend on the forage you have available and if you can access good quality hay in the winter. We are lucky here in that regard. Our jerseys do very well with no grain because of the forage we have available and the hay mix we can get when we need it. >> We feed no grain to beef animals winter or summer and they do fine.It is a matter of genetics. I have a question: Grain is derived/evolved from grass. If you let your lawn grow longenough, eventually it will go to grain-like seed. In the summer, itonly takes a growing lawn of grass a few weeks to get long enough toproduce seed.So, my question is, in the wild, wouldn't the ancestors of the moderncow have eaten this grass with grain/grass seed on top? 

[Guest guest]

There's a difference between oats, the grain, and oat hay. Oat hay is cut just as it reaches the "milk" stage, before the seed forms. It's still a grass at this point. The nutritional value of the hay is still distributed throughout the leaves and stems. In just a week or two more the nutritional value has been transferred to the seed, and the leaves and stems have very little left. The leaves wither and the stems become straw.

My cattle love oat hay, but don't have any enthusiasm for eating crimped oats. Someone gave me some once and I ended up feeding them to the chickens.

Genebo

Paradise Farm

Re: supplemental feeds for grass fed cattle

I'd still like to see research done on feeding oats and what effectsthere are with CLA and omegas. I would think oats would show the leastchange of any grain.I think they are by far the best grain for cattle of all the grainsfor anyone wanting to feed some grain. I fed a couple pounds of oatsthe last year I fed grain. They also have silica and gelatin.I've always felt there must be a reason theuniversities/extension/chemical conglomerates have tried so hard toget farmers off oats and the wonderful straw it produces. Cheyenne