Summer is a hot season for those who are professionally engaged in breeding farm animals. It is during this period that farmers need to have time to prepare such a quantity of feed for cows so that it is enough for the whole winter. After reading this article, you will learn about the main features of cattle in the cold season.
What to give animals in cold weather?
Any owner should take care of food for his cattle in advance, so many inexperienced farmers are worried about how to feed a cow in winter. In the cold months, the basis of the diet of the lactating individual should be hay, root crops and silage. If you lack dry grass, the situation can be remedied. In this case, it can be partially replaced with chaff and spring straw. By the way, the nutritional value of the latter is in no way inferior to poor-quality dried grass.
Those who are interested in how much hay a cow needs for the winter should take care of harvesting enough other feed. So, beets must be present in the diet of cattle during this period. It contains amides that promote milk production. This root vegetable is rich in sugar, but it has very few proteins. That is why it is recommended to give it in combination with compound feed, bran, barley or oatmeal.
What to consider when stocking up on winter feed?
Despite its apparent simplicity, haymaking is a complex process that requires certain knowledge. It is necessary not only to mow the grass in time, but also to properly dry it. The quality and nutritional value of the finished hay depends on this. To preserve as many vitamins and other valuable substances as possible in the finished product, you need to dry the grass as quickly as possible. Do not do this in open sunlight, since in this case the lion's share of useful components will evaporate from the mown vegetation.
It is important to consider that legumes dry longer than cereals. Particular attention should be paid to flowers and leaves, as these parts of plants contain many valuable substances. Harvesting hay in the forest-meadow regions implies preliminary sowing of mowed grass, followed by pressing into friable rolls.
Features of animal care in the cold season
Those who think that the changes concern only the diet are deeply mistaken. Despite the fact that many owners prefer to lock animals in the barn, fearing that freezing will lead to hypothermia and reduced milk yield, keeping cows in the winter suggests a short walk of the herd in the fresh air. In fact, healthy individuals will not be hurt by a two-hour walk in the pen, located near the barnyard.
It is important that the place of walking is maximally protected from the cold wind. It is advisable to equip this pen with feeders filled with fresh spruce or pine branches. It is recommended to accustom animals to such walks gradually. It is better to do this since the fall. It is not worth releasing cattle on the street in twenty-degree frost, in rain and snowfall.
How much hay does a cow need for the winter?
In fact, there are no clearly defined standards. This indicator depends on many factors, including the mass of the animal and the amount of milk received. An important role is played by the period in which this or that individual will be.
Those who want to understand how much hay a cow needs for the winter will be interested to know that this also depends on the quality and quantity of the entire feed base. The average daily rate per animal is approximately fifteen kilograms. But if the diet of livestock additionally contains various food waste, concentrated and succulent feeds, then this amount will decrease.
An important influence is exerted by the quality and nutritional value of the hay itself. If it turns out to be light and low-calorie, then its consumption will change upward. Based on the average daily rate of fifteen kilograms of hay, you will have to prepare three tons of this product for the season.
Barn insulation
Having decided on how much hay a cow needs for the winter, it is important to say a few words about where these animals should live in the cold season. If possible, a stable designed for keeping cattle should be insulated . This must be done in advance.
If necessary, glaze the windows and repair the front door. You also need to make sure that the exhaust ventilation pipe is working. It is important to remember that, according to established standards, the optimum temperature in the barn where the cows live is from eight to twelve degrees. As a litter, it is recommended to use pre-dried sphagnum peat. In case of deficiency of this material, it can be partially replaced with sawdust, fallen leaves or wood shavings.
Conclusion
The basis of the diet of cattle is hay. It needs to be harvested for the winter at the rate of 3-5 kilograms per centner of live weight. Therefore, one cow per day is able to eat about 15 kg of this product.
To calculate how much hay you need to harvest, you need to multiply the average daily rate by the length of the stall period. In addition, it is recommended that one cow additionally feed about five kilograms of chaff and straw. They should also stock up in advance.
An equally important role in cattle nutrition is assigned to concentrated feeds. For these purposes, feed crops, including barley, wheat and oats, are best suited. It is important to ensure that the animal does not eaten up moldy grain, as this may adversely affect its health.