Cows

[emjaya]

This may seem like a stupid question, but what do they feed the cows on the dairy farms in your area?

[SteveH]

dairy feed :gomer:


Grew up on a dairy farm - long long time ago - mostly was a ground feed mixture. Mainly corn, oats, some molasses (dry) and minerals. And then hay, also. Times may have changed, though.

[cameraman]

Organic regs are too long to post here.

This is a quick review.
http://www.extension.org/article/18324

[Don Quixote]

I have a client near Ft Collins, CO that feeds his dairy cattle "flaked corn", which is dry corn kernals that are mechanically flaked with this huge contraption, to make the feed more palitable. He grows his own corn, and trucks it to the flaking facility, and then therefore feeds his cows with his own corn. He uses organic corn for organic milk, and conventional corn for conventional milk. He told me his cows each eat 80 pounds of feed every day. :eek:

[Kiwifan]

This may seem like a stupid question, but what do they feed the cows on the dairy farms in your area?

Why, did your sheep die? ;)

On a serious note there is a huge debate going on in my neck of the woods at the moment. Dairying has replaced sheep farming and 3 farms want to house their cows (just about) year round in huge barns. Very un Kiwi like hence the Greenies are going off. Cows=green grass=white milk. :)


http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/farming/3131143/Indoor-cubicles-for-cows-planned

This will be interesting.

Rusty.

[oddlycalm]

Depends a lot on climate and region. You need the right combination of crude protein, fat, dry matter and minerals and there are a lot different ways to get there.
Lactating adult cow nutritional requirements and feed analysis (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ds087)

In this region we have alfalfa hay with >20% protein available so the balance of the feed is from corn silage (green chop & stored in pits to ferment) and a mix of grains that can range from wheat to brewers grain recycled from beer production. Sugar beets are also used because they are available regionally.

Corn, while not a particularly good dairy feed, is heavily used in many areas of the US because the idiotic government subsidies make it artificially cheap.

In the South cotton seed meal is often used as a protein source instead of alfalfa and the green chop is often sorghum crossed with Sudan grass (Trudan).

Fun facts: The Swiss rely heavily on dandelions in their pasture to produce milk for their famous cheeses. In the US some dairy farmers feed sugar beets to achieve a similar milk quality. Ensilage corn and Trudan grow to 20+ft. some years and can grow more that 6 inches a day during it's peak growth. On a still evening you can hear it rustling as it grows. :eek:

oc

[dando]

Depends a lot on climate and region. You need the right combination of crude protein, fat, dry matter and minerals and there are a lot different ways to get there.
Lactating adult cow nutritional requirements and feed analysis (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ds087)

In this region we have alfalfa hay with >20% protein available so the balance of the feed is from corn silage (green chop & stored in pits to ferment) and a mix of grains that can range from wheat to brewers grain recycled from beer production. Sugar beets are also used because they are available regionally.

Corn, while not a particularly good dairy feed, is heavily used in many areas of the US because the idiotic government subsidies make it artificially cheap.

In the South cotton seed meal is often used as a protein source instead of alfalfa and the green chop is often sorghum crossed with Sudan grass (Trudan).

Fun facts: The Swiss rely heavily on dandelions in their pasture to produce milk for their famous cheeses. In the US some dairy farmers feed sugar beets to achieve a similar milk quality. Ensilage corn and Trudan grow to 20+ft. some years and can grow more that 6 inches a day during it's peak growth. On a still evening you can hear it rustling as it grows. :eek:

oc

It wouldn't be fun playing NTN against you in a bar. :eek: :)

-Kevin

[EDwardo]

I just had to look. Yuck!
http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G2077

"Beef cattle have the ability to digest low-cost feedstuffs that are not usable by other livestock species. One such feedstuff is poultry litter, which provides opportunities for both the poultry producer and the beef cattle producer. The large quantities of litter produced during modern poultry production are expensive to dispose of safely; moreover, protein is typically the most expensive ingredient in ruminant diets. Feeding poultry litter is a means of disposing of a waste product while concurrently supplying a low-cost protein feed to beef cattle."
"There are currently no federal or Missouri regulations governing the use of poultry litter as a feedstuff..."
"Poultry litter should be free of any metal, glass, rocks, and other foreign objects if it is to be fed to beef cattle. These materials are usually incorporated into the poultry litter during removal, loading, and transport of the poultry litter from the poultry production facility. Care must be taken to avoid incorporating foreign objects into poultry litter intended for cattle feed. Accidental consumption of metal objects or glass by beef cattle can result in decreased animal performance and death."
"Keep in mind that feeding poultry litter to beef cattle, while a sound nutritional management option, carries with it certain stigmas that may cause beef consumers to become alarmed..."

Thats it. I'm not looking for any more details of what cows are fed.

I just noticed that the question was about dairy cattle not beef cattle.

[dando]

Thats it. I'm not looking for any more details of what cows are fed.

I just noticed that the question was about dairy cattle not beef cattle.

Don't watch Food, Inc. :eek:

-Kevin

[cameraman]

There is a reason why I greatly prefer organic and/or grass fed...

[G.]

There is a reason why I greatly prefer organic and/or grass fed...

Can't get more organic than chicken****.

:laugh:

[trish]

I just had to look. Yuck!
http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G2077

"Beef cattle have the ability to digest low-cost feedstuffs that are not usable by other livestock species. One such feedstuff is poultry litter, which provides opportunities for both the poultry producer and the beef cattle producer. The large quantities of litter produced during modern poultry production are expensive to dispose of safely; moreover, protein is typically the most expensive ingredient in ruminant diets. Feeding poultry litter is a means of disposing of a waste product while concurrently supplying a low-cost protein feed to beef cattle."
"There are currently no federal or Missouri regulations governing the use of poultry litter as a feedstuff..."
"Poultry litter should be free of any metal, glass, rocks, and other foreign objects if it is to be fed to beef cattle. These materials are usually incorporated into the poultry litter during removal, loading, and transport of the poultry litter from the poultry production facility. Care must be taken to avoid incorporating foreign objects into poultry litter intended for cattle feed. Accidental consumption of metal objects or glass by beef cattle can result in decreased animal performance and death."
"Keep in mind that feeding poultry litter to beef cattle, while a sound nutritional management option, carries with it certain stigmas that may cause beef consumers to become alarmed..."

Thats it. I'm not looking for any more details of what cows are fed.

I just noticed that the question was about dairy cattle not beef cattle.Sounds like you've forgotten about mad cow disease.

[EDwardo]

Sounds like you've forgotten about mad cow disease.

Well, it might explain the IRL fanbase!

[oddlycalm]

Accidental consumption of metal objects or glass by beef cattle can result in decreased animal performance and death.
That's called "hardware disease" among ranchers. Ingestion of tramp iron from forage results in lethargy if there is a lot of it but the real problem is perforation of the the heart sack or bowel by the metal. To prevent the metal from moving around and raising hell ranchers use smooth magnets to keep the iron together in one place. Cow magnets of many different types are available commercially and it's a huge business.

Delicate animal the cow...:gomer:

oc

http://www.ningbomagnetics.com/images/products/cow-cp5.gif

[OW]

silage - @ a hunerd yards from me

[TKGAngel]

I'm not looking for any more details of what cows are fed.

I think it was on Dirty Jobs that the U of Arkansas has a cow with a hole in it so they can research how what cows are fed turns into what cows eliminate. It freaked me out. Cows should not have portholes.

[extramundane]

I think it was on Dirty Jobs that the U of Arkansas has a cow with a hole in it so they can research how what cows are fed turns into what cows eliminate. It freaked me out. Cows should not have portholes.

VA Tech's Agri dept had one when I was there. A neighbor took some bovine science classes- said it was fascinating and disturbing all at once.

[G.]

VA Tech's Agri dept had one when I was there. A neighbor took some bovine science classes- said it was fascinating and disturbing all at once.
I THINK the technique was invented at Univ. of Illinois, at least that's what we were told/always believed.

There were protests occasionally.

[cameraman]

Can't get more organic than chicken****.

:laugh:

Thankfully the code writers disagree. Local grass fed, the only way to go.

[opinionated ow]

Sounds like you've forgotten about mad cow disease.

We're fortunately free of that disease over here. I'm trying to remember what we had in the paddocks at Hurlstone. I think the dairy cattle were mostly grazing on native grasses, sorghum and rye.

[Kiwifan]

So, Cow Boy, only one post in this thread? Still out feeding your cow? :)

You Aussies. :D

Rusty.

[Michaelhatesfans]

In this region we have alfalfa hay with >20% protein available so the balance of the feed is from corn silage (green chop & stored in pits to ferment)...

Ohhhh, yeah.

Late July, 102 degrees, driving back from the coast, enjoying the scenery of the valley, and then suddenly it's like someone stuffed your head down a sewer.:yuck:

[oddlycalm]

Late July, 102 degrees, driving back from the coast, enjoying the scenery of the valley, and then suddenly it's like someone stuffed your head down a sewer.:yuck:

True, one of the hazards of motoring, especially for motorcycles and convertibles, are silage pits in hot weather. By late July what's left in the pit has been in there ripening for nearly a year and the hot weather cranks up the volume...:eek: Living around them is kinda like having babies around; once you get over the fact that something that looks so harmless could make such a vile smell you adjust. :laugh:

oc

[emjaya]

So, Cow Boy, only one post in this thread? Still out feeding your cow? :)

You Aussies. :D

Rusty.

:p

Schools back and there are bigger priorties than purusing motor racing forums, apparently. As the new high schooler said "homework mounts up."
This one week in....

I must conect my games computer up to the web; with four of them hooked up, I might be able to find one free, hopefully.

Homework was behind the question, something about dairy farms in different countries. I asked here because I figured we would get a range of answers from right across the country (no Texan's, though), instead of Googling and plowing though endless sites.

Interesting what you said about the big barn, I had found this site (http://userpages.bright.net/~fwo/sub01.html), and he went the other way and all from listening to a Kiwi.

Stange guy, though,


12 to 14 years ago a New Zealander wandered through this area talking about grass. At that point in my life, I wasn't aware that cows could eat grass. I naturally assumed that Total Mixed Rations were the only proper way to feed cows.

[opinionated ow]

:p

Schools back and there are bigger priorties than purusing motor racing forums, apparently. As the new high schooler said "homework mounts up."
This one week in....

I must conect my games computer up to the web; with four of them hooked up, I might be able to find one free, hopefully.

Homework was behind the question, something about dairy farms in different countries. I asked here because I figured we would get a range of answers from right across the country (no Texan's, though), instead of Googling and plowing though endless sites.

Interesting what you said about the big barn, I had found this site (http://userpages.bright.net/~fwo/sub01.html), and he went the other way and all from listening to a Kiwi.

Stange guy, though,

When I get a chance I'll go through my high school stuff to find my notes about dairy cattle feeding. The info is doubled up in one of the Hurlstone Inquiry submissions, so I'll hunt through those too.

[datachicane]

"Keep in mind that feeding poultry litter to beef cattle, while a sound nutritional management option, carries with it certain stigmas that may cause beef consumers to become alarmed..."

Thats it. I'm not looking for any more details of what cows are fed.


The horror doesn't end with what's fed to the cows.
If you've got a stomach for it, do a quick google search for "BPI pink slime".
Upshot:
Highly contaminated floor "trimmings" + high dose of ammonia = stinky and disgusting but disinfected cheap beef adulterant that gets company FDA inspection waiver and is legally labeled as "beef" - buncha ammonia = less stinky but now crawlin' with bacteria but still exempt disgusting beef adulterant. Labelled as beef. At your local fast food joint. Now.

It's as if they WANT us to be vegetarians.

My father-in-law was a Fed meat inspector. I suspect he's absolutely spinning in his grave. He told horror stories back in the early '90s about when the USDA went to, ahem, "self testing" by the industry itself. Rather than having a pesky inspector show up, the Feds would mail a test pack to the packing house, where hardworking plant employees would take swabs and ship the thing back to the Feds. The industry rather liked the idea, as you can imagine. Samples routinely showed up at 0 ppm for bacteria. As my FIL described it, you could disinfect a surface and immediately take a swab and get a significant ppm count- the only way to achieve 0 ppm was to dip the swap itself in disinfectant. Where's Upton Sinclair when you need him?

[Sean Malone]

The horror doesn't end with what's fed to the cows.
If you've got a stomach for it, do a quick google search for "BPI pink slime".
Upshot:
Highly contaminated floor "trimmings" + high dose of ammonia = stinky and disgusting but disinfected cheap beef adulterant that gets company FDA inspection waiver and is legally labeled as "beef" - buncha ammonia = less stinky but now crawlin' with bacteria but still exempt disgusting beef adulterant. Labelled as beef. At your local fast food joint. Now.

It's as if they WANT us to be vegetarians.
My father-in-law was a Fed meat inspector. I suspect he's absolutely spinning in his grave.

Probably not even in the same ball park as what you mention (not googling that at work :)), but there was a big controversy back in the early 90's, if I remember correctly, with the grocery chain 'Food Lion' (part of the Delhaize Group e.g. Food Lion, Bloom, Sweetbay, Harvey's and Bottom Dollar grocery's) that were caught on video by Dateline or 20/20 or one of those shows that showed the meat department bleaching old meats for sale, maggot infested meats. How those people slept at night is amazing.
The very first Alton Brown show I saw many years ago was the shrimp episode where he gave the tip of feeling the shells of the shrimp for pits which indicates the use of a chemical preservative prolonging shelf life way past the pull date. Good tip, Thanks Alton!

[Kiwifan]

:p

Schools back and there are bigger priorties than purusing motor racing forums, apparently.

Glad you are ok, saw SKYNews ANZ and thought you might have been building an Ark. ;) Keep your powder dry.

The big issue for the Greenies is not just the thought of housing so many cows in barns (the Swiss do it) but what to do with the effluent as they fear it will seep thought the rocky ground and get into the braided rivers.

Like oddlycalm and Michaelhatesfans alluded to, when driving the smell is disgusting. :( At least the sheep were clean and looked cute....cows however.

Take care mate.

Rusty.

[cameraman]

There is a significantly non-organic dairy operation right off I-15, a couple thousand cows standing in mire 365 days a year. It kind of makes you go hmmmm as you drive by. You can smell it from several miles down the road.

I've pretty much switched to small local producers for everything possible. Costs more but it isn't that much more. Needless to say I do not darken the door at Wal-Mart.

[datachicane]

Needless to say I do not darken the door at Wal-Mart.

Communist.
:gomer:

[G.]

the sheep were clean and looked cute.

Rusty.

I'm sure you said other interesting stuff, but this is what I came away with.

:p

[Napoleon]

I am not sure what amazes me more, the fact that someone thought to start a thread about cows here or the fact that it has received as many post as it has.

[dando]

I am not sure what amazes me more, the fact that someone thought to start a thread about cows here or the fact that it has received as many post as it has.

Cows, sheep....all we need is bacon. :gomer: ;)

-Kevin

[oddlycalm]

Interesting what you said about the big barn, I had found this site (http://userpages.bright.net/~fwo/sub01.html), and he went the other way and all from listening to a Kiwi.
It's rather telling that a dairy farmer right in the middle of the US went most of his life without hearing that dairy cows can eat grass, particularly when they are "dry," or not being milked. Never mind that this is how the rest of the world does it.

Our university and extension people are generally grazing phobes
In the US the agribusiness companies fund most of the "research" at the ag schools. Government extension agents disseminate that information about the "better way" to farmers. The result is a product driven group-think that departed from reality, and common sense, decades ago.

Like this veteran farmer, some eventually find their way out of the maze of misinformation and rediscover the natural world and common sense, but most don't because it means doing their own research and going it alone.

Instead of a traditional closed loop system US farms have become agri biz factories that consume massive amounts of purchased products, much of it petroleum it's byproducts, and spit out industrial waste.

oc

[Michaelhatesfans]

Cows, sheep....all we need is bacon. :gomer: ;)

-Kevin

Stick them all on an Airbus, and we've got a rockin' thread.

[datachicane]

The result is a product driven group-think that departed from reality, and common sense, decades ago.
oc

Brings to mind the crop failure plot element in Idiocracy.

"Yeah, but Brawndo's got what plants crave! It's got electrolytes!"

http://www.cinemablend.com/images/sections/7481/7481.jpg

[Michaelhatesfans]

At least the sheep were clean and looked cute....

They were asking for it, in other words.

[Napoleon]

They were asking for it, in other words.


:rofl:

In other news, anyone with a handle of "Kiwifan" who post anything about sheep looking cute is asking for it.

[Kiwifan]

:rofl:

In other news, anyone with a handle of "Kiwifan" who post anything about sheep looking cute is asking for it.

It was put in on purpose, I thought you lot needed a laugh. :)

It's all good, except for you G, you're on notice. :p :)

Rusty.

[oddlycalm]

Brings to mind the crop failure plot element in Idiocracy.

"Yeah, but Brawndo's got what plants crave! It's got electrolytes!"
"Idiocracy" is almost too close to the truth for comfort :laugh:

One great old time dairy product that survives today is Bag Balm. It's intended to be used on chafed and sore udders and teats, but it works brilliantly on animals and people alike. Everything from chafed parts from bicycling to some serious dermatological calamities. At $8.50 for a 10oz tub it's a real bargain.

http://ebent.files.wordpress.com/2006/05/bag_balm.jpg

[emjaya]

silage - @ a hunerd yards from me

That's nasty. I hope you are upwind.


I am not sure what amazes me more, the fact that someone thought to start a thread about cows here or the fact that it has received as many post as it has.

Off Camber forums, isn't it great. :thumbup:

[cameraman]

It's rather telling that a dairy farmer right in the middle of the US went most of his life without hearing that dairy cows can eat grass, particularly when they are "dry," or not being milked. Never mind that this is how the rest of the world does it.

In the US the agribusiness companies fund most of the "research" at the ag schools. Government extension agents disseminate that information about the "better way" to farmers.

oc

Well you could come out to Utah State and get an ag degree centering on pasture and range land management, organic farming methods, dry land farming and all manner of other sustainable methods.

[Ankf00]

It's all good, except for you G, you're on notice. :p :)

Rusty.


Well that's nice of you. Giving him notice this time, unlike those poor unsuspecting ewes... poor gals.

[Indy]

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/2292/cam03.gif

[dando]

"Idiocracy" is almost too close to the truth for comfort :laugh:

One great old time dairy product that survives today is Bag Balm. It's intended to be used on chafed and sore udders and teats, but it works brilliantly on animals and people alike. Everything from chafed parts from bicycling to some serious dermatological calamities. At $8.50 for a 10oz tub it's a real bargain.

http://ebent.files.wordpress.com/2006/05/bag_balm.jpg

Around these parts it's known as Udder Butter. Srsly. :saywhat:

-Kevin

[Dvdb]

Bag Balm.

I'll attest. Helps with the chafing for a 30+ miler on the bike.

[Ankf00]

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/2292/cam03.gif

if this is a real shirt. I WANT IT!

[eiregosod]

silage - @ a hunerd yards from me

you have my sympathies.

spent every summer on my uncle's farm. the cows were fed grass then hay/silage during the winter

[Gnam]

if this is a real shirt. I WANT IT!

http://www.vintagecotton.com/shirt/idiocracy_camacho_president/male

*trucker hat not included :gomer:

[Mr. Vengeance]

Moose and deer. Free range, organic.

[Michaelhatesfans]

Moose and deer. Free range, organic.

I was expecting you!

Although, truth be told, I was expecting you in the robot/sex wife thread.

:cool:

[Indy]

http://www.vintagecotton.com/shirt/idiocracy_camacho_president/male

*trucker hat not included :gomer:

Yeah, I think I am going to have to buy one of those. :rofl:

[Ankf00]

It's got what plants crave.