What should dairy cows eat

An example of wet forage is silage, fermented forage. Commonly, silage on a dairy farm would consist of barley, corn or alfalfa. Dry forages are pasture fresh forage or high quality alfalfa hay, alfalfa-grass mix hay, grass hay or straw. Some dairy farmers will feed a mix of both silage and hay, while others might only feed silage or only feed hay, depending on the farm. The other half of the diet is called the concentrate.

The concentrate is comprised of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and minerals and vitamins. Carbohydrates Primary sources: barley, corn, oats, wheat, molasses, beet pulp, and soyhulls.

Most dairy farmers grow their own barley, corn, oats, and wheat and will often process these grains to be fed to the cows. Article January 7, They learned that most cow diets contain the following: Grass: More than 50 percent of cow feed is actually grass farmers call it hay and silage.

While people often think dairy cows are fed a high-grain diet, in reality they eat the leaves and stems from corn, wheat and oats far more often than they are eating grain, like corn kernels. Grain: Dairy cows do eat some grain, which usually makes up less than one-quarter of their diet.

Scientists have long studied the topic to help set dietary standards and to ensure our cows stay as healthy as possible. The point is that we recognize the importance of consuming quality food. In order to provide us with pure, nutritious milk, our cows are fed a research-backed diet that works best to meet their nutritional needs at each stage of life.

Healthy cows produce more and better quality milk! In Canada, the most common food for cows is grasses grass, alfalfa, corn stalk and leaves , which are served up in two different ways: dry hay and silage. Canadian dairy cows might also get important nutrients from crops such as corn, barley, clover, alfalfa hay, oats, and soybeans.

Did you know that cows eat the entire plant? Not just the grains or flowers, but the leaves and stalks too. To top that off, our dairy farmers work closely with a cow nutrition expert. Their diets are determined based on their requirements for energy, fibre, carbohydrates, proteins and fat. The cow nutrition experts test the nutritious value of the crops grown on the farm at the time the farmer opens up that silo.

The nutrition expert then uses that analysis to help formulate diets that work best for specific groups of cows. For example, dietary needs will vary depending on the time of the year and their stage of lactation.

This includes choosing the right vitamin, mineral or other types of supplements to ensure all cows enjoy a well-balanced diet that supports their needs.