What cows are fed: diet, norms, nutrition to increase milk yield, advice from experienced breeders

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Today, you can meet quite a lot of people who are engaged in cattle breeding. The most important thing is to provide animals with all the conditions for a comfortable stay. Experienced farmers who have made money from raising cattle for many years know that proper feeding is the key to high productivity. This applies not only to the use of high-quality feed, but also to compliance with certain rules, as well as taking into account seasonal factors. Let's find out how to feed a cow so that there is more milk.

General feed information

Most beginners who are planning to get a cow assume that the stock of hay will be enough to get large and stable milk yields, since the animals get most of the food in the summer on the pasture, and the straw is already harvested for the winter. However, this is far from being the case, since livestock require a nutritious diet rich invitamins, minerals and other nutrients. What is fed to a cow to achieve maximum productivity? It is very difficult to answer this question unambiguously, since many nuances should be taken into account when planning a diet. Professionals say that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but that different types of feed should be used.

Depending on the origin, they are divided into the following:

• animals;
• vegetable;
• combined feed;
• mineral-vitamin supplements.

The main component of the diet are products of plant origin.

They come in three types:

1. Juicy food. They are high in fiber and protein. These include grass, vegetables and melons, silage and fruits. Many novice farmers are interested in whether it is possible to feed a cow with apples. The answer to this question will be given later.
2. Concentrated feed. This group is represented by various cereals, bran, oilcake, etc. They are the best source of carbohydrates.
3. Roughage. These include hay and straw. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, so they are the basis of the daily menu of animals in the winter, when there is no possibility of free grazing due to snow.

Food of animal origin is the waste left after the production of meat and fish products. The most common among them is bone meal, which is added to food in order to replenish the calcium reserve in the animal's body. CostsIt should be noted that you should be very careful with combined feeds and vitamin supplements. The fact is that cows have a very weak stomach and intestines, so overeating can cause indigestion, which, in turn, will lead to death.

Now as to the question of whether it is possible to feed a cow with apples. As mentioned earlier, succulent feed is the basis of the diet for cattle. It contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates and fiber. At the same time, plant foods are needed by animals not only for good he alth. With its help, you can significantly increase milk yield. Fruits are pre-cleaned of dirt and crushed. Apples should only be used as complementary foods, as an alternative to silage.

Can I feed a cow with potatoes? The answer is unequivocal - yes, especially in winter. This is a very valuable and nutrient-rich product, with which you can save a lot on silage. However, it is well absorbed, so you can give it in large quantities. But as for potato tops, it is banned because it contains solanine, which is a strong poison that can lead to the death of livestock.

What factors affect the diet?

So what do you need to know about this? The issues of feeding dairy and beef breeds of cows depend on its physiological factors.

When choosing feeds and calculating their required amount, consider the following:

• animal live weight;
• amount of milk given per day;
• cow age;
• containment conditions;
• unload;
• required daily weight gain.

To achieve the best results, the menu should be varied. At the same time, the specific goal of each farmer and the time of the year play an important role. Only by taking into account all these factors, you can choose the most suitable diet.

Summer nutrition for animals

So, you already know that you can feed a cow with apples. This fruit is grown throughout the country, so in the warm season it is in abundance. However, it is dangerous in large quantities, so you must be very careful. In general, in the summer there are no special problems with what to give to animals, since they get the bulk of their food on pastures.

Green grass is rich in proteins, so it will be enough to maintain stable and plentiful milk yields. But here it is very important to correctly transfer cows to a new diet after winter. At first, they start with a pasture of two hours, and then gradually increase the daylight hours until it reaches 10 hours. At the same time, the amount of concentrated and haylage is gradually reduced.

To increase milk yield in the summer, you need to feed the cows with grain. The daily rate is calculated based on how much milk each individual gives. In addition, fresh fruits, vegetables and root vegetables must be included in the daily menu. It is also important to ensure that livestock always have fresh water to drink.

Feeding animals in winter

In the cold months, when there is no opportunity to release livestock to pastures, great attention should be paid to the feeding system. Its basis is hay or straw harvested in the summer, however, it is impossible to provide high-quality nutrition for cattle only with the help of these feeds. To maintain productivity at a high level, you can feed the cow with potatoes, beets and silage. Also a mandatory component is concentrates. Every day, one animal needs at least ten kilograms of them. However, they are poorly absorbed, so the portion size is reduced, and the number of meals, on the contrary, is increased.

Specialists in the field of animal breeding recommend not to give silage in its pure form, but to add it to straw. So the food will be more nutritious and will not lead to disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. But this type of food must be combined with other types of nutritional supplements so that it does not cause indigestion.

General tips and tricks

Many beginners are interested in the question: "What do they feed the cows on the farm?" And this is not surprising, because industrial lands regularly show high productivity. It all depends on what goals you are pursuing - getting milk or meat. Depending on the purpose, the optimal feeding system is selected. In each case, the diet is different. More on this later.

Fattering to increase milk yields

Let's take a closer look at this. What to feedcow for more milk? This is perhaps one of the most common questions related to animal husbandry, since most people raise cattle for the exact purpose of obtaining nutrient fluid. In this case, it is important not only to choose the right products, but also to calculate the optimal serving size, which depends on the weight of the animal.

Cows use a lot of energy to make milk, so they need a lot of protein and carbohydrates. Therefore, the minimum serving size per meal should contain 0.3 feed units per liter of product.

The best option would be feeding according to the following scheme:

• hay - at least 2 kg for every 100 kg of body weight;
• root crops - 2 kg per 1 liter of milk given;
• concentrates - 150 grams per liter;
• s alt - 7 grams per centner of live weight.

In summer, there are no special problems with what to feed the cows, since they receive most of the food during grazing. If the season turned out to be dry and there is little grass, then in this case various plant foods and concentrates are added to the food. At the same time, it is important to take into account the fact that breeds with high productivity require more meals to keep the milk production process at a high level.

Fat for slaughter

What is the best way to feed a cow so that she gains muscle mass well? In this case, the diet is different from the one described above. Fattening begins when the bull is still in the calfaged.

It is carried out in three stages:

1. Preparatory. Young animals require a large amount of nutrients for normal growth and development. To provide it with them, livestock are given hay or straw, silage, and succulent feed. Starting from the age of six months, boiled potatoes are introduced into the diet.
2. Basic. It is almost completely similar to the preparatory one, so there is no need to make any adjustments to the daily menu.
3. Final. The final phase, in which the portion size is gradually reduced. Juicy foods and concentrates serve as the main food, providing a good increase in body weight.

Is it possible to feed a cow with fruits and root crops during this period? It is possible, but in small quantities. It is best to give silage and concentrates in such an amount that the amount of nutrients will be several times higher than the daily rate. So you can accelerate the process of formation and growth of muscles.

Feeding during the dry period

This aspect should be given special attention. Cows that have never given birth, as well as individuals bearing a calf, need a special diet because they need a large amount of energy, vitamins and minerals. It is important that the animals gain at least one kilogram in weight every day. However, according to experts, it is very difficult to achieve such an indicator and maintain it, since the gastronomic preferences and needs of cattle during pregnancy are constantly changing.are changing. If you do not know how to properly feed a cow, then the system below will help you with this. Conventionally, two periods are distinguished, for each of which a specific menu is selected.

During the first six weeks, feeding recommendations are as follows:

• the basis of the diet is hay and straw harvested from high-quality grass;
• vitamin and mineral complexes are added to food;
• concentrated food is completely excluded.

About one month before the expected calving, the fattening plan looks like this:

• Basis of nutrition - hay and quality silage;
• concentrates are added to them in the amount of three kilograms per day;
• mineral supplements containing calcium and phosphorus are added to food.

Some farmers with experience in caring for pregnant cows practice advancing feeding, aimed at reducing the load on internal organs that work in intensive mode. Thanks to him, it is possible to facilitate the course of pregnancy and subsequent childbirth for the animal.

Feeding calving cows

How to choose the right food for such individuals and what is its peculiarity? After giving birth, the body of animals is greatly weakened, so they need a complete and balanced diet. At the same time, the products must be fresh and of high quality, so that they are well absorbed and do not create a high load on the digestive system. Straw is taken as the basis, as well as oatmeal and wheat talkers. For theircooking, you need to take the bran of these crops, which are poured with warm water. They also give concentrates, but their daily rate is reduced to 1.5 kilograms. A similar diet is followed for the first two days after calving.

On the fourth day, combined feeds are introduced into the menu. Start with 2.5 kg, after which increase the serving size by 250 g daily until productivity stops increasing. Vegetables and gourds, which are rich in vitamins and minerals, are also gradually introduced into food. Silage starts to be given already after the cow adapts to the normal nutrition system, from which she weaned during pregnancy.

In order to obtain high milk yields, it is important to provide livestock with abundant amounts of fresh water and s alt, since these elements greatly affect the water balance and the milk production process. If the calving was in the summer, then just a few days after it, the cows can be fed with fresh grass and young shoots.

Highly productive breeds

Very relevant is the question of what to feed the cows to obtain the maximum possible volume of production. Highly productive breeds differ from ordinary breeds in that their metabolism is much faster in their body.

To provide livestock with the necessary amount of nutrients, the diet of animals should consist of:

• fats and carbohydrates - 50%;
• proteins - 25%;
• vitamins and trace elements - 25%.

If these recommendations are not followed, the productivity of cattle drops dramatically, as they lack nutrientssubstances for normal life. Feeding is divided into 4 meals. The basis of the diet is straw, silage, root crops, concentrates and fresh succulent feed.

Conclusion

So, in this article we have examined in detail what cows are fed to achieve maximum productivity, taking into account all the accompanying nuances. By following the above scheme, you will be able to regularly receive a large amount of milk, regardless of the season of the year, and also fatten the bull as efficiently as possible in order to obtain meat. Plan the diet of your cattle responsibly and the latter will bring you a stable profit.