Straw for bedding

[ddniak]

Just wondered what people's experience was with not beding cows with straw for the winter. Here where I live, in Manitoba, alot of people think it would be unholy not to bed cows in the winter with straw.

[cowman]

Well a lot of people don't anymore. Say it doesn't hurt them a bit.
Now personally I put out a lot of straw and am a firm believer in it, but then I was raised to think that way. As my old Dad used to say "If you don't want to take care of them the right way then don't own them"!
I went to a seminar once where the main speaker ran about 1200 cows out in east central Alberta. His philosophy was to do everything as cheap as he could? He said no need for straw...you can bed them right out in the snow! I remember thinking "I'd like to bed you out in the snow when its forty below with a southeast wind blowing!"
But to each his own? Personally I believe you can't treat a living animal like you would a piece of machinery? You do have an obligation to them.

[cowman]

even though the cows are out un the field swath grazing, they still have access to there old bedding pile if they want it. They use it less these days, but I think it has helped in the long run ( some content and old cows).

In this day and age of animal health protocols, I can't help but wonder as I drove around the country during our recent cold windy spell, if some of the critters I've seen toughing it out out there were gaining or losing ground ( if you get my drift ), because there certainly wasn't too much nice snow to bed down in either....

Its my opinion you can have a bit of both as conditions warrent, rather than one or the other for example.

[cswilson]

You either have to bed them lots or not at all-the first time I saw cattle wintered with no straw was when I was working in Alberta on a big Charolais outfit-ourselves we don't use much just a load or two for the yard cattle-unless were wintering on straw and pellets then they have lots. Were bale grazing this winter so the cows have some hay to lay on I suppose-it's cheaper than straw to buy this year.

[cswilson]

I put greenfeed out and let them pick through it and use the rest for bedding. If I don't have greenfeed I use straw. In my view cows on good bedding eat less because they will have a dry place to bed down vs eating all the time to keep warm.

I am with cowmans father on this one, if I can't look after them I won't own them.

[grassfarmer]

The science on this issue indicates that if there is plenty fresh clean snow that it insulates the cattle just as well as straw so it's not a case of looking after versus neglecting the cows. I don't bed normally as the cows winter out in the fields - if there is enough snow for water there is enough for bedding. The cows come through the winter spotless with no tag and their hair working as it should to insulate them. If you bed them with straw you would need to keep them spotless to compare and most cows I see that are corral wintered have tag on them.
This has not been a great year for wintering cows on snow LOL, anyone else having trouble with this issue?

[cswilson]

My worst year ever-we've lost a few head to slipping on the ice-the snows all gone and the dugouts are too slipperry to water out of. It's costing me as much to get water hauled as it is to feed them.

[Willowcreek]

I like grassfarmers science-- because a cow seldom sees bedding on my place...Only if she calves in the middle of a storm or cold spell and gets to spend a few hours in the barn...

[Willowcreek]

I never winter cows in a corral, they are wintered in a 20 acre pasture with trees for shelter.

[Muttley]

I use very little straw until calving time. I do however make sure they have ample wind protection and quality feed. If the weather is extremely cold I do bed a little. I find the cows will lay on the clean snow or around the feeders.

Today I bedded my heifers as they will be calving soon, tonight over half were laying away from the straw even though there is lots of room.

[mb_rancher]

Anyone that says cows dont need bedding should strip off their duds and hop into the snow themselves with -30 temps. Bet they wouldnt treat their cattle like that anymore. If you cant afford straw you shouldnt have cattle. Talk about animal abuse. They deserve a good bed like the rest of us.

[nicolaas]

I don't use bedding, cows on maintenance ration seem to do fine. Thats one of the reasons we calve out in the summer. Up north we have thicker haired cattle, and select heifers with this trait. I'd rather feed straw than have them lay on it. Our back ground calves are a different story, as we try to maximize our daily gain. I believe you are making money by bedding these critters down, and it is important to keep tagging to a minimum prior to sale.

[grassfarmer]

Quite agree nicolaas, it's about picking what suits the conditions and climate. If you wish to calve bare skinned cows in February on the prairies you are going to need bedding. Yet if we mention cattle with a good haircoat we are the focus of derision. Strange.

[FRENCHMAN]

I think It would also depend on the condition of the cows as well.

[cowman]

Well I've always preferred cattle with a good hair coat. Also cattle with a thick loose hide. The hereford breed has about the thickest hide of any around...ask any butcher?
Most legs don't have a lot of hair or fat on them? They come in contact with frozen ground? How comfortable is that?
Now I might be prejudiced because basically my straw is free and besides I rely on the cows to eat a lot of straw so like to give them lots to root around in. Don't have the straw in any one place but put it out all over the field. It can be a bit of a pain in the spring at times but a pass or two with the harrows spreads it fairly decent.
Lots of straw on the ground mixed with the manure eventually will bring you some different grasses and break up the darned june grass that dominates.
If you don't spread the straw around but just leave it where you bedded them in a couple of years it will be broken down with tall lush grass starting to grow. Dig down in there and you will find all kinds of earthworms! That is telling you something is happening that is right! You are building top notch soil!