Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
be purchased. Good grain choices are corn, oats, wheat, or barley. Never feed cows raw soy-
bean as it can upset their stomachs. Soybeans need to be processed (heat treated) before you
are able to feed them to cattle. During harsh winter weather, grain can be fed to cattle to give
them more energy. Grain is rarely needed by mature beef cattle unless hay or pasture is in
short supply. Rapidly growing, good-quality pasture with a mix of legumes and grass will
provide all cows with the energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals they need.
Hay
Hay is essentially any dried, palatable forage. Alfalfa, clover, oats, millet, grass, and Timothy
are common plants used to make hay. Note: Not all hay is equal. Hay is classified according
to relative feed value (RFV). RFV is calculated by the amount of energy and protein present
in the hay. Forage needs to be harvested at optimal maturity — this varies depending on plant
— in order to maximize the RFV. Stem hay, alfalfa in full bloom, or plants that have been
seeded out all have a low RFV. Dairy cattle, cows in late-term pregnancy, heavily lactating
beef cattle, pregnant heifers, and cattle in poor condition need hay of higher RFV than stock
cows. Stock cows (pregnant, non-lactating cows) and well-fleshed bulls can be maintained on
rather low-quality hay because they are not growing, but they might eat more of it in harsh
winter weather, stretching their rumens into a “hay belly.” This will not hurt them, but some
cattle can get impactions in their omasum from poor quality hay.
Other food sources
Beef cattle can be fed other types of plant forage. Cornstalks in the field or in bales make
good forage for beef cattle. With permission, a neighboring farmer's cornfield can be grazed
if you are able to fence it in and run your herd on the stubble. Cornstalks also can be baled
and fed to cattle during the winter. The stalks have a small amount of nutritional value, but
many times, corncobs or the leaves will still be intact, providing good nutrition.
Soybean bales are another option. Generally, stalks still will have some bean pods, which are
high in protein, and the few raw soybean pods found in soybean bales will not hurt the cow.
However, they are not palatable, and your cows may refuse to eat the bales. You must be care-
ful not to feed supplements with urea in them, as the urea can combine with the soybean pods
and make your cattle sick. Silage also can be fed. Silage can be made from almost any green,
growing plant, but corn silage is the most common form. Due to its high moisture content, sil-
age typically is used only on the farm where it is made. If you do have a close source, it
