The cows loving some fresh buttermilk!!!

So I got a fresh load of buttermilk today and shortly after I went out and filled up the tubs for everyone.  The cows came running as soon as they heard the Farmall 706 start up.  They have come to know that the sound of the 706 means the buttermilk is coming!   The pigs know it as well but we currently only have Baconator and Berky out on the cow lots.  The other two sows are in with Doublestuffed getting bred.  

I am now feeding more buttermilk than I can store for a week so I decided to add another tank today.  I got a pretty good deal on one at our local TSC store.  This will almost double my capacity so hopefully I can swing getting more milk per week since everyone is loving it so well.  

The differences in the cows and the pigs is showing quite well now.  The pigs gain weight quicker and between the buttermilk and the pasture I am down to feeding very little grain in the summer.  I am hoping this continues when the cold weather returns.  That has been my struggle with the pigs from the beginning is keeping them on a a diet low in grain during the winter.  The milk supplies them with all the essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, and amino acids that they need to digest everything else they eat at an optimum level.  That should mean that this winter when everything is frozen, I should be able to reduce the amount of grain in the ration and still have a balanced diet that they continue to grow well on.

I am also noticing a very similar difference in the cattle.  In the summer I feed the hay that is lower quality knowing that they get fresh grass from the rotational grazing and they also need less energy from the hay in the summer.  The side affect from feeding lower quality hay is that the younger animals have a tendency to slow down growth over the summer months.  The buttermilk has helped to turn that around and I am seeing a very positive change in the younger stock this summer compared to other years.  

I am excited to see how this continues to work out and what results we get from the process.  We are in somewhat uncharted territory so I am going with a gut feeling at this point. 

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Kenny