How to Feed Cows

A good feeding program for your cows will produce more milk, better calves and better meat for your table.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cattle Feed
• Feed Buckets
• Livestock Salt And Minerals
• Rubber Boots
• Fencing
• Hay Feeders
• Pitchforks
• Shovels
• Steel Rake
• Water Troughs
• Water Sources
• Shovels

Winter Feeding

1. Provide hay or some form of roughage when there is no longer any pasture.

2. Feed a grain mix or cubes of 15 percent or more protein in harsh winter months.

3. Keep salt and or a mineral mix. Check with your extension office for the mineral needs in your area to go along with hay.

4. Provide water to cattle at all times with a pond or a watering tank. When water freezes, ice must be broken daily for cattle to drink.

Summer Feeding

5. Provide cattle with pasture - about an acre per cow depending on type of grass.

6. Watch for loose stools early in spring due to green grass. Early grasses are mostly water and do not provide many vitamins and minerals. You will need to keep supplementing your pasture with hay and feed.

7. Provide salt or mineral mix.

8. Provide water at all times.

[missellie]

on 11/6/2008 Is it alright to feed cows apples as they seem to be very partial to them

[wilsonsc]

on 7/13/2008 My wife & I were thinking of having one cow to produce milk, butter, etc. We have about 2 acres of grass right now. What would it take to feed and care for just one cow.

[nerdovision]

on 7/23/2007 Feeding cows has become very high tech. Most large Dairies now use special feed systems like FeedWatch to feed their cows. Keeping track of how much and what cows are eating is very important.