I have a cow question

SSDreamin

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It is turning much colder here and, as I usually do at this time, I have begun putting bedding in the barn for the cows. For some weird reason, this year, they are EATING whatever I put down! I put hay in their feeders, then put straw down - they eat the straw! I put down Maple leaves, they ate them! Tried some pine needles - yup, ate them too! I've never had this problem in the past, but I'm running out of ideas for something to put down that will keep them dry/off the floor, that they WON'T eat! Anybody got any ideas for me?
 

Beekissed

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Could be they are needing some roughage to balance their rumens after eating the fall fescue grass at this time of year. I'd provide them with some stemmy, low nutrition hay if you have it and see if this helps...fall fescue is a pretty rich graze and this is the time of year when it has the highest sugar content.
 

SSDreamin

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Denim Deb said:
Pine shavings.
I thought about that, but it's pretty expensive here. Plain pine mulch is cheaper, so I started leaning towards that, but worry about those crazy things eating it too! :p

Beekissed
Could be they are needing some roughage to balance their rumens after eating the fall fescue grass at this time of year. I'd provide them with some stemmy, low nutrition hay if you have it and see if this helps...fall fescue is a pretty rich graze and this is the time of year when it has the highest sugar content.
Our straw supplier's product is better than some hay I've seen, so I wasn't totally surprised they ate it. The leaves and pine needles were a shock though. Those stinkers were eating the leaves right out of the wagon as I hauled it in to the barn! :rolleyes: I was really thrown by the pine needles - they were all the dead drops! They ARE still on pasture, so maybe that's the 'problem'. :hu
 

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At this time of year my sheep would sneak and steal the old, moldy, nasty hay under a tarp that was never meant for consumption...it was low quality and old and only meant for mulch but they would by-pass the sweet, fresh hay in the lean-to and shove their heads under the tarp to get at the stemmy, rough, nasty and low nutrition stuff....same time of year. Fall fescue time.
 

pinkfox

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i can say my goats LOVE dried leaves, i call them goaty tater-chips...the oak tree occasionally roms some dried leaves form broken branches and they go WILD for them!
i know cows are usualy a little pickier but mabe they like the crunch.
pine needles tend to be slightly sweet too (dont belive me,chew on one...its almost a sweet minty flavor LOL!)
 

Denim Deb

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And, they're high in vitamin C.
 

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Wannabefree said:
Roofing nails? :p
Won't work. Some cows eat those as well. Thats why they make cow magnets for hardware disease. My cows won't eat swamp grass, really course wide bladed grasses, or cat tails no matter what.
 

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