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| Here is the first ingredient and trrying to do it without it is fool hardy!!!
Alfalfa
Dont ask me what the magic ingredient is other than I KNOW it is high in calcium and any 'fed' ration is too low on calcium. You have to feed hard 'steins at 'least' 300 days to get them to grde well. Without the afore said magic ingredient you will have arthritic, falling over, do poorly steers. You can only run calcium short so long. Blacks and other colored cattle can probably stand the shorter period of feeding they are used to, without too many adverse effects,,,but the steins when stretched out feeding periods exist JUST cant!!! Try feeding ground limestone or ANY other form of calcium and SEE what happens,,,they pull back consumption and dont eat, period. Even the colored cattle can get gain benefits from alfalfa hay.
If you THINK your feed ration is soooo balanced and this cant be,,,take the ultimate test. Take a BIG pen of cattle,gate cut it in half. Feed your normal ration to one,feed the others some alfalfa hay along with ration, weigh at the end and SEE for yourself!!! And alfalfa hay cant get TOO good for any steers or heifers, especailly the steins!!(but it doesnt have to be the best either)
There is probably other important ingredients in that 'falfa hay other than calcium,,,I just dont know what they are!!! (It might be lutein,I dunno) | |
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Ration balancer for Holstein steers
