Autumn Calving

She is now getting the tar once a week, as suggested by Mrs Whelan.

I started to give her half a kg of meal this week. About rolled oats, can that to given on its own or mixed with something to get her to take it or is oats only for housed spring calving cows. Never had a cow calving this late and to a neighbour's bull, but that's another story

I only feed rolled oats with a pre calving mineral. Sometimes it take a few days to get them to eat the oats if they are spoiled with meal as the oats are bland. You could mix in a handful of meal to sweeten the oats. I wouldn't feed any meal at this stage as the cow will transfer that energy to the growing calf and your only asking for trouble. I had the couple of Autumn calvers on a bare enough paddock getting a 12l bucket of oats with pre calving minerals between them every evening. One calved unassisted a couple of weeks ago but I don't have a date for the other which is a pbr heifer.

Edit to add - we use Welmin Dry Cow minerals.

Of all the straights that I've fed to calves/cattle (we feed mostly straights) over the years I've never had any rumen issues feeding rolled oats - like feeding any meal start small and increase slowly over a period of a couple of weeks. Rolled oats is light by weight as the seed is small and the husk makes up the rest that is why I posted that I gave the 2nd calver and heifer a 12l bucket every evening w/minerals.

IMO in Ireland rolled oats is a very underrated feed especially for young growing stock. I understand that farmers buy meal for convenience but again IMO most of it is bulked up with cheap fillers and ash.

I always feed oats to bucket fed calves from they start eating meal, you can really see them walk ahead of one's that don't get it.

Just pulled a massive f*cker of an FSZ calf, almost a week early, probably should have got the vet, she was very wobbly after calving but is coming around now.

Hate seeing them get a bit torn but hopefully she'll recover

Apologies, I'm just after catching up with this thread. It really depends on what you are doing with the weanlings i.e. selling them or keeping them. I prefer oats as it provides energy and oil for growing out Wintered stock especially for replacement heifers and dairy/dairy cross bulls & heifers. I want them to grow a good frame in their first year whilst having a good hairy oily coat that protects them during the cold wet Winter months - our weanling have access to a shed if they choose but most of the time they prefer to be out. TBH I'm not of fan of feeding barley in quantities as it can trigger acidosis unless there is a good source of fibre available to the cattle. Nowdays most farmers feed silage and unless it's in the form of haylage or strong silage taken from THM type grass then IMO you are only asking for trouble. Others on here may disagree and give their own experiences which I would welcome to hear.

https://www.tirlanfarmlife.com/farm-advice/detail/article/managing-acidosis-in-beef-cattle

Thanks, it’s for replacement heifers, I find good growth the first year makes a help. Last year I gave the heifers 1kg/head of dairy nut and was not impressed, think they gained 20kg in a month. The bulls for spring sale were on Calf grower and done better. These will be inside, I want size not condition

Ahv have boluses you give after they calve to prevent milk fever. Great at this time of year

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but have a few heifers here that are calving from the 18th of August onwards, I was just wondering when I should start restricting them with grass. They are all in calf to limousine so I presume they may carry over so just conscious about the size of the calves