It is no secret

that the health of most living beings, both cows and ours, depends on two main factors, such as living conditions and diet. In this article we will touch on the topic of norms for compiling a balanced diet for dairy cows. It is milking individuals that need a special diet, since it should not only cover the needs of their body, but also contribute to the production of high-quality milk. Animal scientists recommend breeders to transfer cattle to compound feed at an early age, it is possible at the end of the milk period. This will not only provide the growing body of the calf with a full range of essential nutrients, but also significantly reduce food costs. It has also been proven that the transition of a cow to a combined feed at a young age has a positive effect on her immunity and productivity in the future. Therefore, in order to provide your animal with a decent diet, you should first understand the rules of feeding it before buying feed for cattle.

Feed types

The diet of cattle is made up of products of various origins:

Vegetable,
animal,
vitamin,
industrial,
feed mix.

These product groups are not equivalent to each other in energy terms. Therefore, for ease of comparison of products and their nutritional value, the term feed unit appeared. One feed unit (hereinafter referred to as fodder) is equal to the amount of energy received by an animal from one kilogram of oats. As a result, the above product groups are conditionally divided into two categories: voluminous and concentrated.

Bulky. Feed whose benefit coefficient does not exceed 0.6 c.u. The name means that a large amount of matter gives a small amount of energy.
Concentrated. These are feeds whose benefit ratio exceeds 0.6 k.u. These include: feed mixture, as well as feed of vitamin and industrial origin.

Dairy cow diet.

To ensure maximum milk yield for your cow, it is important to start preparing for lactation well in advance. Particular attention should be paid to nutrition in the first three months after calving.

To calculate the needs of the animal, it is necessary to take into account age, breed indicators, weight, milk yield per day and quality indicators of milk. Taking into account all these parameters, the amount of exchange energy required per day (hereinafter referred to as EE) is calculated. And already on the basis of these indicators, a diet and the quantitative ratio of products in it are compiled. We will give an approximate nutrition plan for a five hundred kilogram cow during lactation.

The composition of the diet of dairy individuals

For ease of perception, the list of possible products is again divided into groups:

Grass food. It is the main product in the diet of cattle. Feed may consist of 100% of the products of this group. It includes:
– succulent feed (grass, silage, root crops, tubers),
– coarse (straw, hay, grain industry waste),
– concentrated (cereals, food industry waste).
Products of animal origin. It can be fish, bone and meat and bone meal, chopped fish, feed fat and other waste from the livestock industry. Since cattle are herbivores, they may well do without feed from this group. But sometimes they are added to the diet to maintain the health and immunity of the animal in the absence of plant foods or as top dressing in the winter.

The final composition will be different depending on the age and sex of the representative of the dairy breed. The ratio of components is considered differently for calves and bulls, dairy heifers, pregnant, dairy and dry cows.

Read about poultry feed here:
Complete feed for poultry
What is a feed mix for farm animals? Read here:
Feed mix for farm animals
How to make the right diet for a cow, here:
Compound feed for highly productive cows