More recent cattle questions and answers

Cattle

Bottle feeding calf

How much does a gallon on milk weigh? How much milk can I feed a one-week-old calf without it getting scours. I fed it two quarts two times a day, but it still acts hungry. Is that enough?

A gallon of whole milk weighs about 8.56 pounds.

A one-week-old Holstein calf can be fed eight to nine pounds per day. Given summer heat, be sure to have some extra water available.

Also you can encourage a calf to begin eating some starter, which is textured or rolled grain containing corn, oats, a protein source and molasses, sort of like granola.

I am assuming the whole milk contains about 3.5 to 4 percent fat. Some of the milk replacers will have less fat. A high-quality replacer is important for the first two weeks.

Calves appear hungry after feeding on a bottle and want to suckle anything they can find. On warm days they can be fed a little extra water in the bottle.

When calves begin to eat one to two pounds of starter, they should be consuming an extra gallon of water per day.

Barry Steevens
Extension Dairy Specialist

Best grass for hay and pastures

I have a farm in Missouri. I plan to retire there in a couple of years and raise cattle and horses. About three years ago a neighbor told me to plant fescue. Not knowing any better, I did. Now after finding out how bad it is, I am extremely discouraged. My plan is to disk it all up. What is the best grass to plant for hay and pasture?

There are three types of tall fescues in Missouri. These go by the slang terms of "endophyte-free," "Kentucky 31" and "novel." You probably planted the toxic kind -- Kentucky 31; it represents 90 percent of the tall fescue in Missouri.

The best grass for pasture in hay is in fact tall fescue, but only a certain kind. It is the kind infected with a "novel endophyte," a symbiotic fungus that allows the plant to survive drought. At present, the only cultivar of tall fescue with a novel endophyte is called "MaxQ." It is highly nutritious.

To replant the tall fescue, you need to follow a recipe called "Spray-Smother-Spray." Please follow up by contacting the MU Extension center in your county. The regional agronomist or livestock specialist is very familiar with tall fescue and how to manage it. That person would also be familiar with toxic and nontoxic types.

Craig Roberts
Associate Professor
Agronomy

Zinc effect on fescue fungus

Does feeding higher levels of zinc in a complete vitamin and trace mineral help reduce the impact of fescue fungus on grazing cow and calf herds?

There is no published research showing that minerals cure fescue toxicosis. In fact, I am not aware of published data (from independent researchers, like a university) that show mineral feeding helps unless the feed lacks minerals. Because this animal disorder is caused by toxins rather nutritional imbalances, that makes sense.

Having said that, it is important to feed minerals when they are deficient on all pastures, including tall fescue pastures. About 5 years ago, an extension specialist in Tennessee was reporting improved cattle performance when his producers increased copper in the mineral mix. However, researchers later found that the soils and pasture were copper deficient. So the improved performance was due to an imbalanced mineral ration.

Craig Roberts
Associate Professor
Agronomy

Storing animal hair for DNA isolation

In what long- and short-term conditions can I store animal hair root samples for DNA isolation?

After cleaning debris off the hairs and patting them dry with a paper towel, if wet, place them in a small plastic bag and store at room temperature and humidity in a drawer. A paper envelope will work just as well. Our lab manager has nine-year-old samples stored this way. They work fine for DNA isolation.

The main concern is to have them dry and clean before you place them in the bag; this will protect them from potential mold growth. Do not store the bag in direct sunlight. This method works for long- or short-term storage. You can also buy commercial hair storage cards, which use tape to hold the hair. This will work for clean, dry samples.

Matthew McClure
Research Assistant

Lead concerns for dairy cattle

Are there concerns among dairy farmers about their cattle being exposed to heavy metals, such as lead? If so, are they taking any measures to prevent this exposure?

Most sources of lead have been removed from dairy cows' presence. We no longer use lead solder or lead paints. Insecticides do not contain lead to my knowledge.

Lead would accumulate in the liver and kidneys, which for the most part are nonedible. Average life of a dairy cow is five to seven years. One source of lead accumulation would be if cattle were fed forage grown near a lead smelter.

In 2001 the National Research Council reported the maximum dietary levels of lead intake by cows is 30 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Young cattle have a higher absorption rate (90 percent) than older cattle (10 percent).

Barry Steevens
State Extension Dairy Specialist