Cattle feeding #
Cattle eat once a day, whenever they wish, and produce immediately after feeding.
All livestock are divided into age groups:
- age 1-60 days – young animals;
- age 61-240 and 241-420 days - adult animals;
- age 421-480 days - elderly.
Depending on the age of the animal, different feed rations are suitable for it. Thus, feeding cattle must be carried out taking into account age, selecting a diet suitable for each group.
For the full development of cows and bulls, it is recommended to provide them with a balanced optimal diet depending on the animal’s age. But if there is a shortage of feed, an incomplete ration can be given, taking into account its consequences.
Thus, two types of feeding are possible for cattle:
Optimal feed ration #
The optimal diet is the diet in which the animal gains maximum weight and produces the greatest amount of goods.
Suboptimal (incomplete) diet #
Non-optimal (incomplete) diet - when less food is placed in the feeder. This leads to a slowdown in animal weight growth and a decrease in production volumes.
Thus, for the full development of cows and bulls, it is recommended to provide them with a balanced optimal diet. But if there is a shortage of feed, an incomplete ration can be given, taking into account its consequences.