Feeding corn husks to pregnant cows?

[amysflock]

Hi, all,

My hubby went away to a big camp out this weekend and came back with three big garbage bags stuffed full of corn husks and silk (plus a couple corn cobs per bag, from what we can tell).

He ripped open the bag and ground fed both girls a pile of husks, which they ate with abandon. However, it occurred to me that we should probably check these things before jumping right in, so we put that bag and the other two in the barn for safekeeping.

Is it ok to feed fresh husks? How much is too much? They are still wandering about the (fried) pasture right now, but are primarily eating hay in the paddock and also whatever apple tree leaves they can reach (they're Scottish Highlands, so eat about everything). Not sure if they can get bloat or anything from this food stuff, or if they'll even be able to eat everything we have before it starts going bad. (My chickens can only put the tiniest dent in the amount we have!)

Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Go ahead and feed it to them. They will be fine and love it! When we chop corn for the cows, they get the whole plant whether it is green chopped or made into corn silage.

They also enjoy grass clippings, and many plants from the garden when it's done producing, peas, green beans, corn are the big ones.

 

[wynedot55]

your safe feeding them corn cobs shucks an husks.

 

[allenacres]

Our cattle love it when hubby mows the lawn and bags it as he feeds the fresh clippings to them. Whenever he starts up the lawn mower we have a chorus of mooing. The funny thing was when the neighbor started up his mower and the yearling's where in a pasture close to his fence, they stopped eating, ran over to the fence and started mooing at him. We were cracking up! Anyone ever hear of cattle foundering on grass clippings?


And when I work in the garden, which is next to the main cattle pasture, I have someone watching me waiting for anything I throw over the fence. Question about bean plants. Ive heard they are in the nightshade family. Isnt this bad for cattle?

 

[amysflock]

They are so watchful! (I laughed last night to find Sheila RIGHT behind my husband on the other side of the veggie garden fence, inches from his butt as he bent over pulling weeds. He had NO idea! She was in stealth mode!)

We have beans growing, too, so if they're harmful we'll want to be sure not to feed them the expired plants when we're finished harvesting...

 

[pmitch10]

My husband and I also have a pregnant Highlander and calve we purchased early this summer. Now that the garden has gone by we have no more corn stalks with corn to feed them that they seemed to love to eat with no ill effects. Though we did break the big corns for the 7 mo. old calf.

We also have some apple trees alongside the outside of our fence and see that she kept reaching to eat them so we picked a bunch to give them to eat a few handfuls at a time.

But we have since been told that apples can give them bloat? Does any body else have any experience with apples and beef cows? We would only give them like 4-6 apples at a time. Is it true they become drunk from the fermented apples inside of them?

Thank you in advance for any input.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I wouldn't worry about the few apples that you gave her would cause bloat, especially if she has been eating and has other food in her stomach. Any "green" (not dried) food can cause bloat if feed in the right quanities. The best way to avoid it is to feed them full of what they are used to getting (whether dry hay or silage or whatever) before letting them have the green stuff. Example: If over winter they are used to a diet of dry hay and your going to turn them out to pasture in the spring. Feed them the dry hay so they fill their stomach and then turn them out onto the pasture. Using a high magniseum mineral starting a few weeks in advance can help too.

As for becoming drunk? Yes, if she were to eat enough fermented apples. We have deer that come up under our apples trees and when the apples have fermanted before they fall (they don't stay on the ground long enough to ferment there) and the deer eat them they stagger away. It is funny to watch. Unless you were to feed a large amount to them I wouldn't worry about the cattle getting to drunk.

 

[amysflock]

We have 10+ apple trees in our pasture, and our cows have pruned them way up and eaten every apple they can find (still on the tree, or off the ground) with no ill effects...except to the apple trees.

 

[pmitch10]

Thanks so much......we can breathe a bit easier now and get back to them apples.

We were told they get drunk because they have one stomach and the apples ferment in there causing gas that they can't expel causing bloat.

But we aren't dumping piles for them to eat just a handful.

Thanks for you help......the people we bought them from seem to be on vacation and my husband was becoming a bit concerned so it is great to have a place like this to turn to. I am sure we will have more questions....haha.

 

[BigSkyChickie]

And when I work in the garden, which is next to the main cattle pasture, I have someone watching me waiting for anything I throw over the fence. Question about bean plants. Ive heard they are in the nightshade family. Isnt this bad for cattle?

Umm, I'm pretty sure beans aren't in the nightshade family. Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants are, though. HTH!