3 Ways to Feed Livestock

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

In livestock farming, nutrition is the most important and perhaps the least clear thing. Probably because there is a great variety of foods in this regard, different doses and methods of feeding livestock. Livestock activity ranges from fattening pens to dairies and grazing and can even be of both or three types together, depending on the type of livestock.

In short, there are different types of feed based on the sex and age of the livestock, based on how it will be used (beef, dairy and / or farms), how they are raised, the climate they live in, etc.. The feeds also vary according to the change of season. If they are fed the wrong food (like pickles) their poop will stink.

Only general practices and methods on how to properly feed livestock will be covered in this article. This is because there are many variables that affect how, what, where and when livestock are fed, based on the things listed above.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Evaluate Your Cattle

Step 1. Feed formula based on the type of livestock you own

There are plans to do this, but a handwritten dose is fine too. At universities or government agricultural extension programs, you can find feed tables that help determine the dosage to follow.

Step 2. Determine your dose based on these factors:

• Sex of cattle

  

  • Generally bulls, heifers, cows and oxen have different nutritional needs.

    Cows are the most difficult to formulate because they go through different reproductive periods which determine when they require more or less amounts of nutrients in their diet (i.e. gestation versus lactation)

• Body condition score:

  

  Leaner cattle need more nutrients and more feed than fatty cattle

• Livestock raised:

  

  • Dairy cows require more nutrients than beef cows.
  • Show cows need nutrients based on how long it takes to fatten for a specific period of time.
  • Fattening cattle need high quality forage: Cattle in fattening pens need high quality grain for a few months before being sent to the slaughterhouse.

• Depending on what you want to do with the cattle, adjust the doses for maintaining, losing or gaining weight:"

  

  • A fattening cattle, steers, pigs and young bulls and a fattening cattle, steers, pigs and heifers require more energy and protein than one made by cows and bulls simply to lose or maintain weight. However, if a cow is too thin and needs to gain weight, she will have to feed in the same way as a fattening bull or heifer.

    Replacement heifers need to be fed so that they grow healthy, but not too fast to impede their reproductive capacity

• Types of breeds:

  

  • It may be underestimated, but determining the breed of your livestock will allow you to understand how to feed them to keep them healthy without compromising their reproductive abilities.

    Continental breeds such as the Simmental, Charolais or Limousin need more "pampering" than English breeds such as Angus, Shorthorn or Hereford. By cuddling, we mean the nutrients to be added to a diet to allow animals to survive versus animals that would survive on grass or bran alone

• Forage convertibility:

  

  • This determines whether a cattle is "easy" if they gain weight with only bran and grass, or "difficult" if they lose weight all the time.

    Most producers, particularly cow-calf beef producers, kill "difficult" animals because they require more feed than others

• Type of your business:

  

  Livestock raised in a dry environment or in fattening pens require a different dose from those raised on pasture. Therefore, you will bring the feed to the cattle in the pens unlike the grazing cattle that will eat by itself

• Climate / seasons:

  

  The winter diet is different from the spring / summer one. For example, when you live in a climate where you always have winters that drop below 10C with an average of 3 meters of snow per year, you need to have feed that will keep your cows alive, warm and happy throughout. season. Being in spring or summer means being able to graze your cattle for the next 4/5 months

• The place determines the forage / nutrient availability and how / when / where you can feed the livestock:

  

  • Each area has its own peculiarities which determine what you can feed your livestock, when and how. You may be living in an area where forage is abundant and high in protein. Or, you might even live where forage is scarce and difficult to grow.
  • For example, not all regions of the US or all Canadian provinces grow grain or make corn the staple food for livestock. You'd better grow barley or triticale instead of corn. Pasture grasses also vary from place to place. For example, in areas of Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada, cold-season grasses for grazing (such as wheat, fescue, bluegrass, and bromine) are more suitable than warm-season grasses (such as weeds or rye grass). which are best grown in southern states like Georgia or Louisiana.

  

  Step 3. Check the condition and weight of the cattle

  Follow the steps in this article to check the condition of the livestock. Livestock can be weighed with a measuring tape or with a scale installed in the warehouse.

  • Use the tape only with tame animals that will allow you to touch them.

    

  Method 2 of 3: Evaluate the Feed / Feed

  

  Step 1. The type of feed you have and can give to the cattle determines the dosage to be followed

  Common feed includes:

  • Hay (grass, legume, or grass-legume mix)
  • Wheat (maize, oats, barley, wheat, rye, triticale)
  • Silage (maize [called "insilage"], barley, winter wheat, rye, winter rye, triticale, oats, pasture grass)
  • Total Mixed Ration (TMR) - given to dairy cows and contains a blend of alfalfa prime hay, barley / corn / barley grains and silage corn.
  • Grass, the cheapest and most efficient food that can be given to livestock. All you have to do is set up a fence and decide how many "heads" to feed!

  

  Step 2. It is very important that you have tested the feed, especially towards the winter months

  You may have good-looking feed that will only fill the bellies of your cattle and cause them to starve. The feed to be used for cattle must have suitable nutrients (in terms of Net Energy [NE] and Totally Digestible Nutrients [TDN], proteins (intended as Raw Proteins (CP), fibers (Natural Detergent Fibers [NDF], Fibers of Detergent Acid [ADF] and wet content (Dry Matter [DM]).

  • The more nutrients in the feed, the better the energy-hungry cattle such as calves, heifers, lean cows and suckling cows will grow.

    Increasing the fiber (ADF) decreases the energy, thus also decreasing the value of the feed for your livestock. Except for the fat beast for weight loss

  • The wet content of the feed will determine its daily consumption. The higher the moist content, the more the cattle will eat.

  

  Step 3. Look at the color of the cattle

  Hay can be considered good by the eye if it is green in color. However, sometimes the best quality of fennel is given by the brownish color.

  

  Step 4. Smell the feed to see if it contains fungus or dust

  Livestock will never eat moldy or dusty feed. Moldy feed can cause cows and heifers to miscarry.

  

  Step 5. Look at the amount of stalks in the hay

  Hay, with many stems, is often high in fiber and low in nutrients. It is a sign that the hay was cut late in the season and lost its nutritional values.

  

  Step 6. The type of hay / grain / silage given to the cattle have their own nutritional values

  Wheat is the feed with the highest rate of TDN and CP, it follows after silage and hay. There are more differences between feeds of the same type than between different feeds.

  • Barley and wheat contain more TDN and CP than corn. Corn contains more ADF than barley.
  • Silage barley contains more TDN and CP than silage maize.
  • Leguminous hay, when harvested on time, contains more TDN and CP than regular hay. However, this is not the case if the hay is harvested on time and the leguminous one late.

  Method 3 of 3: Formulate a Dosage for Your Cattle

  

  Step 1. Learn and calculate your livestock's daily needs

  Typically, a bovine eats between 1.5% and 3% of its body weight in DM doses per day, with a daily average of 2.5%.

  • To calculate the estimate of the average daily intake of a cattle, use the following formula:

    Body weight in Kg x 0.025 = Total Daily Dose

  • Note that lactating cows consume 50% of normal. This means that instead of consuming 2.5% of his body weight in DM, he will eat 5% (50% more than 2.5% would be an additional 1.25% for a total of 3.75% of his body weight not 5% - so that would be: 50% or 200%?) Of your body weight in DM daily doses.

  

  Step 2. Divide the livestock into physical condition, daily requirement, status and age

  Lean cows need to be separated and put with the heifers as they both need the same doses of feed. Fat cows with normal cows can be kept together to follow the same diet, to lose or maintain weight. Bulls or geldings can be kept together.

  The cattle near the lower end of the totem pole will eat fewer nutrients than the higher ones. This part of the livestock will remain leaner than the rest of the livestock and must be separated to make sure it receives the necessary nutrients, which are assimilated first by the dominant part of the livestock

  

  Step 3. Determine how much weight your livestock should gain or lose by following the advice listed above

  Energy value is the most important thing in feed, whether it fattens the animals, keeps them or makes them lose weight. Feed with at least 50% TDN will fatten livestock. The feed with a high rate of DF (Digestible Fibers) and ADF is suitable for making cows lose weight.

  • Focus on fattening feed for calves, heifers, cows and lean bulls.
  • Dry pregnant cows that are in average physical condition must be fed to maintain or lose weight in dry conditions.

  

  Step 4. Determine and evaluate the protein content of the feed you use

  The younger and lighter the animal, the more it needs protein. Also, the more you gain weight, the more protein is required. Lactating cows require more protein than dry cows. Here are some examples (taken from this cattle nutrition book:

  • A 220Kg calf needs 11.4% CP to grow around 1Kg per day. For a daily growth (ADG) of only 230g per day, it will need 8.5% CP. Similarly, a 130Kg calf needs 19.9% CP to grow 1.30Kg per day.
  • A 500Kg cow needs 9.5% CP to produce 5Kg of milk per day. However, if this same cow was producing around 20kg of milk per day, then she will need 12% CP.
  • On the other hand, a 500kg dry cow in her second trimester only needs 7.9% CP.

  

  Step 5. Feed the cattle accordingly

  After knowing what kind of livestock you have, the daily requirement, the amount of nutrients required and the daily growth (if you fatten the livestock), then you can formulate a diet based on where you live, what is available and what you want. feed him.

  

  Step 6. Forage is a priority for all cattle

  With the exception of cattle in the fattening pens that have had a wheat-based diet in the last 3 or 4 months of life. However, if you plan to take some cattle to slaughter, a diet of good hay and / or grass with wheat will suffice to gain weight.

  Grass and / or hay are best for your livestock, of course if they contain the right nutrients

  

  Step 7. Balance doses and supplements as needed

  If the hay is not of good quality, add urea cubes, wheat, protein tubs, or molasses sticks to satisfy their energy and / or protein cravings. If the grass or hay is fresh and of good quality, there is no need for any additional supplements.

  

  Step 8. Check the growth, body condition and behavior of your cattle with the feed you feed them

  Also, check your cows' nutritional needs during the breeding season.

  

  Step 9. Keep the water and minerals within reach

  Water and minerals are a very important part of their diet.

  

  Step 10. Ask an expert about your feed

  A nutritionist will help you determine if you have chosen a good feed for your livestock based on the results.

  Advice

  • Minerals are fundamental and must not only contain microminerals (selenium, copper, iron, cobalt, molybdenum, manganese, etc) but also macrominerals that are usually not absent (calcium, phosphorus, manganesium, salt, etc.)
  • Gradually use wheat or any element containing a high rate of energy (to gain weight by 1Kg per day) to avoid swelling and acidosis,
  • Livestock must always have access to water.
  • Maintain a high forage diet for your livestock as much as possible. It is cheaper to feed wheat or prepackaged mixes purchased from a retailer.
  • Test the feed before winter arrives. This way you will know in advance if you need to add any supplements.

  • Check the body condition of your cows and heifers regularly (3 times a year):

    • Check for pregnancies in the fall or early winter
    • Before giving birth
    • 30 days before the birth season begins
  • Keep nutritional requirements and nutritional tables at hand to evaluate and decide on the best feed for livestock.
  • Bulls need to be well fed before farrowing season to keep them heavy. Don't overfeed them, this will reduce fertility. However, they will need more energy reserves when they are busy courting and chasing the "girls."

  Warnings

  • Do not suddenly change the diet of livestock, especially from wheat to hay.

    • Acidosis is a common disease caused when the diet is changed so quickly that the microflora in the rumen does not have time to adapt. This causes a sudden drop in the pH level in the rumen and encourages lactic acid-producing bacteria to increase their population, further decreasing the pH in the rumen. The animal will no longer eat, will have smelly diarrhea and eventually die.
    • Bloating is another disease that is dangerous for livestock when changing diets quickly. This occurs when the rumen is unable to release the gases formed by the fermentation process and causes discomfort to the animal, even pressing on the lungs and diaphragm leading to death from asphyxiation. It must be treated immediately.
  • Don't think your feed is good just because it looks good. There are many people out there who have had some dead animals because their nutrition was so poor in nutrients that their animals died of a full stomach. They certainly have a lot of food, but is it nutritious?
  • Do not leave cattle skinny in the winter. The cost of feed will go up a lot with the likelihood of your cattle dying from cold and poor nutrition.

  • Don't let your pets graze with alfalfa or clover when they are hungry, or they will have swellings.

    Make sure they are not hungry when you graze them or that they eat hay while grazing