Hay bellies

[clayfoot-sandyman]

So here’s a question, my 9 month steers Lark & Sparrow get about 1.5kg(3lb or so) of concentrate per day and are then allowed to graze freely on some fairly poor pasture.
Now they’re definitely starting look a little round in the old belly department (not excessively so).
My impression is that in oxen circles a hay belly is a definite no,no – is this purely an aesthetic consideration, as far as i understand it cattle get hay bellies when they are regularly digesting poor quality roughage which is kind of what they’re designed to do??
Ed:p

[dominiquer60]

I have the same problem, my yearling working beef cattle get even less grain and are on some rough droughty pasture. At my county fair the ox teamsters thought my cattle were too fat and the beef people thought that they were too skinny so I figure they are right where they should be:)

Erika

[Tim Harrigan]

Are you showing them? If not, the only important question is are they responsive and willing workers? Showing and competing in that way has many benefits, one of the drawbacks is it can shift attention to things that are superficial and have little meaning except in the show ring.

[Nat(wasIxy)]

Mine all have ‘grazing bellies’…..don’t much care as long as they do what they’re meant to! But, if they were skinny wee things with a big bloated belly that would signify a problem to me, perhaps worms?

[Author]

Posts