# do cows need baking soda?



## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

like goats? should I offer it to her free choice?


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

PrettyPaisley said:


> like goats? should I offer it to her free choice?


Never heard of such a thing. Why would they need it?


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## allenslabs (Feb 6, 2005)

For goats it causes them to burp and such and therefore not bloat....or that's what I was always told.


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

Baking Soda is used in dairy and finishing rations that have high energy content (hot rations) to prevent SARA.


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

`Sorry if I sounded smart-alecky. My experience is with beef cattle and I had never heard of baking soda in a ration.


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

No, you don`t need baking soda, unless your feeding a large amount of grains and silage in your ration. Cows on pasture is as back to nature as you can get, so no baking soda needed if you do that. Good question , > Thanks Marc


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

even goats don't really need it


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

Shannon- you got a cow??? We really DO live parallel lives!!!
Yeah for you! Do you think you will be able to put it in the freezer (if that was your intention)????
My kids really like our jersey bull calf. He is 3 months old now and follows them around like a puppy. We kept him in tact because we thought it would be too hard to butcher him and hope he could breed any future heiffers we get. We will see...I am pretty wimpy when it comes to butchering our animals. Chickens are no problem but I can't bring myself to butcher any more bunnies....and now our calf.


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## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

Shannon-she's not for eating. Just for milk and making more cows.  We will get cows for the freezer but not just yet. 

Congrats on your bull calf. Sounds like he's fun!


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

shanzone2001 said:


> Shannon- you got a cow??? We really DO live parallel lives!!!
> Yeah for you! Do you think you will be able to put it in the freezer (if that was your intention)????
> *My kids really like our jersey bull calf. He is 3 months old now and follows them around like a puppy. We kept him in tact because* we thought it would be too hard to butcher him and hope he could breed any future heiffers we get. We will see...I am pretty wimpy when it comes to butchering our animals. Chickens are no problem but I can't bring myself to butcher any more bunnies....and now our calf.


I'm sorry but I see huge problems here. You have a Jersey bull calf that you are not going to castrate that is following your kids around like a puppy. All nice now but it's not going to be in a years time when he's a 15 month old *BULL*. There is only one thing worse than a pet ram and that's a pet Jersey bull.

If you want my advice, and you probably don't, either castrate him now and turn him into a pet steer that your kids can be around, or start treating him as the potential bull he will become which means that you keep the kids away from him, he doesn't get petted, scratched and played with. 800+kgs of pet bull playing with your children is likely to end up with some nasty results.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Ronney said:


> I'm sorry but I see huge problems here. You have a Jersey bull calf that you are not going to castrate that is following your kids around like a puppy. All nice now but it's not going to be in a years time when he's a 15 month old *BULL*. There is only one thing worse than a pet ram and that's a pet Jersey bull.
> 
> If you want my advice, and you probably don't, either castrate him now and turn him into a pet steer that your kids can be around, or start treating him as the potential bull he will become which means that you keep the kids away from him, he doesn't get petted, scratched and played with. 800+kgs of pet bull playing with your children is likely to end up with some nasty results.
> 
> ...


Seconded! Serious Shan, you are flirting with disaster here.


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

I received a message from one of my salesmen in Pennsylvania a few days ago. The message was to inform us of the impending death of his nephew who tried to load "..the docile bull..." in a trailer with no assitance. When his family found him they could not recognize him because of the damage inflicted by the bull. The last I heard he was on life support simply to extend his life so his family could arrive to the hospital before they pulled the plug. 

Bottomline: DO NOT TRUST A BULL regardless of how docile he might appear. Pet bulls are the most dangerous animal on a farm. Please be careful.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

a tame Jersey bull is KING of the forest....or he will WANT TO BE AT 18 MONTHS


kids never will pick up the day he wants to be KING either


Plese do something now...cut him or no kids in pasture ever

and adults need to keep a stick in your hands or a gun


I have 2 jersey bulls somedays I walk backwards out of HIS pasture because it belongs to him when it is time for him to work


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

heavens I have to agree, I nearly made the same mistake with my bottle fed pet calf my hubby got me as an anniversary gift, but by shear dumb luck I had my pet bull castrated when he was about fourteen months because I didn't need a bull, fortunately no one got hurt in family through my lack of knowledge! I nearly got hurt when he tossed his head playfully at me as I climbed a fence too slow, my dog saved me by grabbing him by the nose (thank God for instinct, she is just a house dog) He is a pet steer and is about nine now and still sports a ring in his nose, his horns tipped, and while he leads, ties up for brushing, ect, is very gentle with even the smallest ponies, I never let children near him except petting through the fence, or anyone else in my family in the paddock unless he is tied by the ring. I still get a dry mouth and cold sweat when I think about asking my kids to feed the critters for me when I had to get to work...what could have happened...someone was looking out for me!


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

I second the advice to have him cut NOW!

And it's not just bulls who are dangerous. Recently my young heifer was feuding with her momma while I was trying to muck out their shed. At some point, she spun around and either ran into me, or head-butted me (my back was turned, so I'm not sure). I went flying, landed on the pitchfork and ran it into my leg. 

It's been 3 weeks ... wounds have healed over now but will leave a nice scar.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

I truly appreciate the advice and I do understand that we are potentially playing with fire. That is why we plan to put him out in the back pasture in a few months and I will not let anyone near him at that point.
Truth be told, he will most likely end up in the freezer...it is just hard when they are so little and cute.

Thank you all for the concern and advice. I have been attacked by a ram and had to have foot surgery...I can only imagine the damage a bull could do. I already carry a stick if I have to go in his pen. 

I should have clarified when I said that he follow the kids around they are outside the pen. We don't go in the pen, even when we gave him bottles.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Shan, then there is no reason not to cut him. Please do it, otherwise he will most likely turn mean before he reaches his full beef potential.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

Shan In a perfect world that would work....putting in back field

BUT what if hunters walk though your field TO GET THE ANIMAL THEY SHOT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FENCE 
EVEN TRESPASSERS walking though..if he hurts somebody you will be responable if it is nothing more in your own mind



Or he gets out into the neighbors field

a tame Jersey bull is KING of the forest....or he will WANT TO BE AT 18 MONTHS


it might be hard for you to picture this nice little thing thats so cute hurting anybody but they do when they get older


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

this is within a 100 miles of me

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/feb/26/bull-kills-man-mcnairy-county/


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

this happened in 1951 but same thing

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/37322130


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

keep in mind these are experienced cattle farmers 

"Later I was told he had been stroking the bull and it tossed him up in the air." 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/co...by-his-bull-in-second-death-in-two-weeks.html


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## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

springvalley said:


> No, you don`t need baking soda, unless your feeding a large amount of grains and silage in your ration. Cows on pasture is as back to nature as you can get, so no baking soda needed if you do that. Good question , > Thanks Marc


Thank Marc. We don't do grain at all so we should be good. :thumb:


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

Shannon, so sorry for the thread drift! I didn't mean to open a can of worms!!!


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

tinknal said:


> Shan, then there is no reason not to cut him. Please do it, otherwise he will most likely turn mean before he reaches his full beef potential.


But he is 3 months old.....I couldn't band him now. How do I cut him? Does a vet have to come out?


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## PrettyPaisley (May 18, 2007)

Oh it's okay. I just had to go back and reread to see what the answer was. Keep the kiddos safe...after being busted in the face earlier tonight I can imagine what a bull with intent could do!


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

shanzone2001 said:


> But he is 3 months old.....I couldn't band him now. How do I cut him? Does a vet have to come out?


You can very well band a bull at three months, can be done and should be done. I`m with everyone else, you need to cut your bull calf. I just butchered my four year old jersey bull last fall, he was getting frisky, and it was him or I, And he lost this round. They can turn on you so fast it isn`t funny, I had a yearling steer one day got my small daughter cornered. She wasn`t supposed to be in with them but she was, we lucked out that day. My kids are not allowed in with any cattle other than the bottle calves, and the cows when they are in the barn. They now listen to me, because I aged ten years the day that steer changed our lives, it could have been so bad. I beg of you to change that bull into a steer, if I were closer, I would do it for you no charge. > Thanks Marc


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

I can band easy..even yearlings at 600 lbs no problem with my Callicrate Bander just give a tetanus shot because of the metal part being agains the skin 


You can castrate from 200-1200 lbs., but we normally castrate at 575-675 lbs. A good option if raising &#8216;natural&#8217; beef. from the Callicrate Bander web site


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

I can tell you how to cut him if you want....or you can look at this video and then ask questions.....you have to pull testies out do not cut off just like they did but use a scaple it makes it so much easier....grab bottom of scordom with thumb and index finger just so you can get a good hold of it cut off above that with a scaple...pull out testies if the cord turn into a string just like in video YOU DID GOOD get both of them make sure it is a clean cut on scroum pour on the iodine and your done



you need to figure out how to hold them while you do it......

Plus I am sure you know somebody that will do it for you if you just ask around


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsP6tZ8HPyU&feature=related[/ame]


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

springvalley said:


> You can very well band a bull at three months, can be done and should be done. I`m with everyone else, you need to cut your bull calf. I just butchered my four year old jersey bull last fall, he was getting frisky, and it was him or I, And he lost this round. They can turn on you so fast it isn`t funny, I had a yearling steer one day got my small daughter cornered. She wasn`t supposed to be in with them but she was, we lucked out that day. My kids are not allowed in with any cattle other than the bottle calves, and the cows when they are in the barn. They now listen to me, because I aged ten years the day that steer changed our lives, it could have been so bad. I beg of you to change that bull into a steer, if I were closer, I would do it for you no charge. > Thanks Marc


Thanks...I do wish you were closer.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

myersfarm said:


> I can tell you how to cut him if you want....


Yikes, I have to be honest with you...I wouldn't be able to do it.


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

I just put an ad in the local paper looking for someone to help me......

Thanks again to all of you who brought me to this decision.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

this is the bander I use

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vthCZJEPIRA[/ame]


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

shanzone2001 said:


> Yikes, I have to be honest with you...I wouldn't be able to do it.


why I wanted you to see what you are getting into BUT YOU NEED TO GET IT DONE


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

shan were are you city and state somebody from here might be close


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## shanzone2001 (Dec 3, 2009)

Placerville, CA


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

might start a new thread asking for help some people read just some post might not see you need help on this one


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## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

I was going to bring this back to the original thread. (though I have to either sell Bones or steer him--I decided I can't breed him with my girls--too big)

I bought some baking soda for animals. 

I changed where I was getting feed--the Co op was ticking me off--never having the feed again--I think it is their New Years thing--I lost Maggie last year and I think them never having feed when I needed it was a big part of it--so they started with the same thing the first of the year so I looked elsewhere for feed--I now travel an hour to get it from a dairy.

So I get their feed it is loose, not pellets. During this trip which was our second and we got a ton of it, we talked with the farmer and he says he ads Baking Soda to his feed for his Holsteins and soy--for higher production.

Yo has had some problems with sluggish rumen, so I got some and add 2 small handfuls (closed fist) at each feeding. Only she and Sissy get this feed and the baking soda. They seem to be doing ok on it. I don't add or want to add the soy--get enough milk and don't like soy.

I also picked up at a yard sale a book on Cattle health--best $5.00 I spent in a long time. I read only a small portion of it and learned a lot--like I need Muscovy ducks to eat the horn fly eggs in the cow poop.


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## myersfarm (Dec 24, 2004)

cattle health book whats the name and author ?


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## Karen in Alabam (Jul 21, 2010)

The Cattle health handbook. Heather Smith Thomas 2009


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

I know Jerseys are infamous as bulls for temperament, how are other bulls? Is it because they are dairy and live more closely with folks do you think? mine was bottle raised so double trouble, they do not have the same respect a cow raised calf has...


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

farmgirl6 said:


> I know Jerseys are infamous as bulls for temperament, how are other bulls? Is it because they are dairy and live more closely with folks do you think? mine was bottle raised so double trouble, they do not have the same respect a cow raised calf has...


No, it tends to be a breed trait and is probably doubly surprising as the Jersey cow is probably, generally speaking, one of the most laid-back cows there are and what makes them such a good breed for the house cow. I have reared Jersey bulls and had no problems with them because I started off as I meant to go on but that being said, I had one who hated my husband despite the fact that he had nothing to do with him, and he would also stand on the fence line and toss his head and bellow at the kids.

I no longer have need of a Jersey bull and have since run cross-bred and these days, Angus. Nothing like as fiesty and mean as the Jersey. My current Angus bull must weigh all of 1,000kgs and stands in the door of the cowshed every morning waiting for his cup of nuts. When he's eaten them he wanders off and sits under the tree and waits for milking to finish. No way would I allow that with a Jersey bull.

Cheers,
Ronnie


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