Quick Guide On What To Feed Beef Cattle

Feeding beef cattle with the right food and
keeping with the right nutritional balance is
important in growing healthy cows. A dairy cow
would need a different nutritional intake when
compared to a cow raised for its meat. What to
feed beef cattle depends on the breed of the
cow, the purpose of raising the cow, and the
primary use of the cow. There is a proper
feeding regimen for each type of breed. It is
vital to know what type of feed to give to what
type of cattle. This article presents a guide on
the feeding requirements of cattle. Listed below
are four ways on what to feed beef cattle.

1. Traditional Food

Grass is one of the traditional foods for
omnivorous domestic animals such as cows, goats,
and horses. There are still a large percentage of
farmers who uses grass as the primary source of
their beef cattle. The grass used is pretty much
the same grass type growing on untended fields,
forests, and grazing fields.

Another traditional food that can be given to
beef cattle is hay. Alfalfa hay is their
favourite of many breeds and is said to produce
good quality meat if given as food. The problem
with this type of food is that they don't
suffice for the protein need of the beef cattle.
Protein is necessary to develop more meat on the
cattle, as that is actually what is marketed
after all. Relying on traditional food alone
doesn't ensure good quality beef.

2. Alternative Food (By-product Crops)

The health and growth of beef cattle cannot be
dependent on grass and grains alone. The system
of cattle farming nowadays is very competitive.
To ensure that cows produce high quality beef,
alternative food sources are given in the form
of processed by-product crops - derived from
crops and other agricultural products and are
supplement with additional nutrition. These
processed foods contain fibres, and high-quality
protein. It also has carbohydrates, which can
provide for the daily energy requirements of the
animals.

3. Grains

Grains are another type of food included on the
list of what to feed beef cattle. The usual
grains given are wheat, soybeans, corn, barley,
and sugar beets. These grains can provide the
proper protein requirements of the animals, as
well as additional energy that cannot be
provided by grass alone.

4. Minerals

Another essential item included on the list of
what to feed beef cattle is the minerals.
Minerals are essential for the growth of the
animal's body, bone development, reproduction
and other body functions. Essentially, there are
two types of minerals needed by the body, the
macro-minerals and micro-minerals.
Macro-minerals are those that are needed in
large amount such as sodium, magnesium, calcium,
phosphorus, and potassium. Micro-minerals,
however, are needed in small amounts, such as
zinc, copper, iodine, selenium, and sulphur.
Farmers usually give minerals in the form of
supplements added to feeds and water. This is to
ensure that the animals take the amount of
minerals that is required.

Producing high-quality meat is on top of the
list of every beef cattle farmer. To achieve
this, proper nutritional balance must be given
the animals. Included on the list of what to
feed beef cattle are grass and grains. But these
two alone will not provide the nutritional
requirements of a growing cow. By-product crops
and minerals are usually added to assure a cow's
good growth and healthy body.


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Starting a beef cattle farm can be an interesting
research and raising cattle for beef and can
really improve the quality of your life. Arm
yourself with enough knowledge on the subject so
you'll be one of the many success stories of the
industry. Just learn more vital tips and go to:
http://www.RaisingBeefCattleGuide.com



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