# She won't eat grain!



## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Well, it's finally happened to me. I've read threads in the past and seen where some of you have encountered cattle that won't eat grain. I never really gave it much thought except I've never seen a cow that won't eat grain. Period..........

I picked up a 350lb. jersey heifer last week and brought her home. I gave her the normal vaccinations and treatment. (quarantined her in the lot) Gave her some hay, grain, minerals, and water. 

She's a little skittish. Not used to people at all which is not the norm with a jersey heifer you pick up at a dairy sale. While she was a little drawn up from the lack of water she suffered while in transit to and from the sale she is in really good body condition. I noticed she was munching on the hay a little but wasn't eating the grain. I thought I'd give it a while and she'd settle down and get comfortable with it. After three days with it in front of her she's done nothing more than sniff it a couple of times. 

I did notice she was paying quite a lot of attention to me bottling a sick calf in the pen next to her. She kind of had that look of interest like, "Hey, I remember what that is." How long's it gonna take her to settle in and eat?


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Try a different kind of grain? 
My steer is picky about his grain, but will eat about anything else. The heifer will eat nasty-looking grain, but hardly touches things like veggie scraps.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

I would try 12% sweet feed mostly for horses the kind that has so much molassas in it you have to break up the chunks with your hand....I have had great luck getting them started on that when they will not eat anything else then gradually mis in the other feed


tjm


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Keep her a bit short on hay and put the grain on the hay when you feed her.


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

francismilker said:


> Well, it's finally happened to me. I've read threads in the past and seen where some of you have encountered cattle that won't eat grain. I never really gave it much thought except I've never seen a cow that won't eat grain. Period..........
> 
> I picked up a 350lb. jersey heifer last week and brought her home. I gave her the normal vaccinations and treatment. (quarantined her in the lot) Gave her some hay, grain, minerals, and water.
> 
> ...


She may have still been on Momma cow prior to you getting her. May not have ever been introduced to grain and has no idea what it is.
Put a handful in her mouth twice a day for a few days she most likely figure it out.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

Maybe a little molasses on the feed would help , I get liquad from a little elevator near me but you can also buy dry in some farm stores to. Thanks Marc


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Do you know anything of her history at all? Was she still on her mother, grass fed, grain fed or both?

My stock are all grass fed and have access to grass and grain virtually from the day they are born. I have two cows that categorically will not eat grain no matter what form it comes in. In terms of supplementary feed they draw the line at hay and then only in the winter when grass in short. For the rest of it they will only eat grass. If your heifer has been a milk/grass fed animal grain may be off her menue.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

I picked her up at a dairy sale last week. I don't know her history except she was sold with a lot that was shipped up here from south Texas where grass has been short and drought has been tough. The cows and others with her were all in really good shape considering the conditions they've came from. Apparently, her and the others have been turned out like beef cattle due to the current dairy trend. Every single one of them acted like they'd never seen a human and even done a little snorting and snot slinging towards the ring guy. They has apparently been running with a black bull out on pasture and had been held at the sale for a week or more. Some of the cows that were aged and preg checked as 3y, 8+ bred had calves while at the sale and had black calves on their side. One thing I did notice about this group of cows was the good teat length for handmilking. They had really good confirmation of udder but with good straight teats that were long enough to get ahold of. 

I did notice her today doing a little more sniffing and taste testing the sweet feed in the trough. She didn't stay at it long though.


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## copperhead46 (Jan 25, 2008)

Jamie, I'd bet she just doesn't know what it is. You might have to change it out, and put in some fresh. I have one that has just never eaten grain, she's been here for 4 years and will smell of it, but turns her nose up at it. 
P.J.


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Update!
She comes at the feed bucket like a raging pit bull now ready to eat it out of my hand. It only took her a few days and she's got the picture. 

Sadly, I'm really not too fond of feeding grain but wanted her to have a desire for it while I went through the haltaring process. I like to reward them after leading by leading them to a trough full of grain and a good drink of fresh water. 

Thanks for the advice guys!


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

I'd forgotten that you grass feed. I don't halter train any of my cows, they learn to come to the call and I once "lost" one of my milkers because she had put herself in the cowshed without me seeing her and because she wasn't in the yard with the others, I decided I'd left her behind in the paddock. Much time wasted looking for a cow which was stoically standing in her bale waiting to be milked

However, it is still handy if they like grain because there is always the odd thing that comes up where grain can be used to get them to do whatever that is slightly out of the ordinary. I use it to walk mine down the road to a neighbour that has a head bail on his yards which I don't have on mine. Much easier than needing two people, one in front, one behind, to slow the traffic.

Sounds like you'll have a friend for life. Got a photo of her?

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## francismilker (Jan 12, 2006)

Ronney, 
I've got photos of all the critters. However, I'm so PC unsavvy and it's been so long since I've uploaded photos, I've forgotten how to do so.......

The last time I done it, someone was gracious enough to post step by step simple instructions without leaving out a single baby step and I finally got it done. I'll try to do it again though if I can get my thought process going.


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