How much hay should a cow be given in winter: individual calculation of the norm, diet preparation, feeding regimen

Expert opinion

Kosheleva Maria Andreevna

Farmer with 15 years of experience raising goats and cows.

The most important factor in the development of cattle, in addition to care conditions, is diet and nutrition. The main component of the farm animal menu is dried grass. In this article we will talk about how much hay a cow needs.

Feeding scheme

The weight of calves by month corresponds to the norms if the feed contains all the necessary nutrients. In order for animals to grow faster, the farmer needs to know the feeding habits.

First month

At the first stage of animal development, the owner’s main task is to strengthen the calf’s immunity. Only dairy products are used for this. Within an hour after birth, he should receive valuable colostrum. It is distinguished from milk by its high protein content, which helps strengthen the body of babies.

Mother's colostrum is the main diet for the calf immediately after calving.

A newborn bull is fed 5-6 times a day. They do this using bottles with nipples. The hole in them must correspond to the age of the animals in order for the sucking reflex to develop correctly. Each individual is provided with a separate nipple. After use it is disinfected. By the age of one month, the number of feedings is reduced to 3-4 times.

Fresh milk is given, but frozen milk is also suitable. Its temperature should be 37-38 °C. Milk from different cows is often mixed. This provides the calf with antibodies that will help build immunity. To ensure that the bull gains weight well and does not carry weight, vitamins are also added to the food - biovit or others.

Second month

Gradually switch to solid food. They start with starter feed. It consists of products containing elements necessary for a growing organism. Such food is easily digestible because it contains the following products:

After the first week of feeding with compound feed, ruminal digestion is established, so hay is introduced into the diet. Every day, portions are increased by 150-200 g. Silage and haylage are added to the main feed.

After 60 days, the calves are given root vegetables and yogurt. Oatmeal jelly will provide them with vitamins A, D, E. Feeding is done often, in small portions. The approximate amount of feed per day is 1.5-1.6 kg, including 1 kg of hay.

Third month

The bull's body is completely ready for the transition to solid food. It is worth providing it with plenty of protein. Milk is gradually being replaced with products that have high energy value. Soy-based concentrates are good for this. It is given in a dose of 2% as part of compound feed, which also contains the following:

• peas – 30%;
• barley – 23%;
• corn – 20%;
• minerals and premix – 5%.

For optimal development, the calf needs a sufficient amount of succulent hay, so from the end of 3 months the baby is taught to independently graze on pastures

You can prepare the food yourself, you just need to calculate the proportions correctly. This composition contributes to the rapid weight gain of bulls. At this age they are not selective in food, weigh about 100 kg, eat a lot and always leave their feeders empty. They are also given bran, fruits, and vegetables.

From 4 months to six months

During this period, for good weight gain, it is worth giving animals 1-2 kg of feed per day. In the warm season they are grazed for 2-3 hours

It is important that there is water and a shaded place nearby. In cold weather, calves also need to be walked

They are briefly released into the pen, which has a canopy. When grass is introduced into food, it is first dried. Then they gradually switch to fresh ones. This will help prevent stomach upset. By six months, milk is completely removed from the diet.

From 6 months to a year

For a bull, this is a period of intensive growth and muscle mass building. The musculoskeletal system is actively developing. Feeding is carried out 3 times a day. The diet should contain mixed feed, hay, and concentrates.

From 8 to 12 months the feeding principle remains the same. In order for a bull to gain weight, it is worth increasing the amount of vitamins and nutrients. As the animal grows, the need for them also increases. If you do not provide it with the necessary elements, this will have a bad effect on the body of the bull, which will entail the following consequences:

• inactivity of the animal;
• stopping weight gain;
• weight loss;
• deterioration of immunity.

Feeding mode

Experts recommend giving hay to a cow 3 times a day in winter. If possible, maintain equal intervals between feedings. The body will get used to a certain feeding regimen, and it will be easier to process food. It is advisable to give most of the dried herb in the evening. Hay is considered a rough food and will take a long time to digest. By evening, enough gastric juice will accumulate in the animal’s stomach for digestion; at night, the food can be slowly processed. The animal will not feel hungry until the morning.

Types of hay

The safety and nutritional value of harvested hay will depend not only on the storage conditions, but also on the plants that are included in its composition. Cereals are in first place in terms of botanical composition and are the basis of the diet for cows in the winter. But bean hay remains the most nutritious.

Legumes

Consumption of legumes enriches the cattle diet with protein. This food contains a large number of microelements, in particular calcium. And there is no need to talk about vitamins of all groups. Among the herbs of this type, the best ones for harvesting are:

Bean hay ensures increased weight gain and protein content in milk. An excess of these plants in an animal’s diet can lead to unbalanced carbohydrate intake and a number of negative consequences:

• development of pathologies of the gastrointestinal system caused by excess proteins;
• growth of acetone bodies in the blood;
• shift in fatty acid balance;
• development and progression of ketosis.

To eliminate such processes in the animal’s body, during the dry period the consumption of legumes must be reduced as much as possible. Also, 7-10 days before calving, these herbs should be completely excluded from the diet.

Legumes are quite difficult to dry and their storage is difficult. High air humidity causes the formation of fungus and mold, which leads to hay spoilage. This is caused by the high moisture content in the legumes themselves, dense foliage and large thickness of the stems.

Cereals

Cereals have become the basis of the cattle diet not only because of their nutritional qualities. There are a number of other reasons:

• high yield rates (you can really produce a lot of this hay);
• ease of preparation;
• unpretentiousness in storage (hay does not require any special care or conditions).

From a unit area you can harvest a decent crop of cereals. At the same time, they are less demanding on environmental conditions. They are easy to clean and store; when dried, they lose a minimum of nutrients.

These plants are inferior to legumes in the richness of microelements, but they are stored much longer and are many times greater in harvest volume.

For future hay harvesting, the following are best suited:

• sweet clover;
• wheatgrass;
• wheatgrass;
• bonfire;
• timothy grass

Forbs

Combining legumes and cereals seems to be the best option for making hay for the winter. The following mixtures of herbs have gained the greatest popularity among cultural plantings today:

• timothy and alfalfa;
• timothy and clover;
• vetch and oats.

If we talk about mountain and meadow hay of natural origin, it can include many herbs, both beneficial and harmful to the health of livestock. Therefore, you should be as careful as possible when choosing to harvest wild grass.

Harvesting wild grass for hay

If you grow legumes and cereals together, you can get rid of a number of disadvantages of each type:

• the nutritional value of cereals will increase significantly;
• legumes will become less susceptible to fungus, which will reduce the percentage of their spoilage;
• requirements for the storage of forbs are not so strict;
• the energy and mineral composition of the diet will be significantly better.

Regulating protein balance

The amount of hay from cereal crops (oats, wheatgrass, timothy, barley) that a cow eats during the winter is slightly different from the norms provided for legumes. When plant stems become dry, their nutrient content decreases by 30-40%. And since cereals contain less protein than legumes, then, accordingly, there will be less of it in dried form.

Therefore, when switching to cereal hay, the daily rate should be increased by approximately one-fourth. This will allow the cow to maintain the same amount of protein entering the body. The same applies to products obtained from forbs.

Approximate figures for preparing various types of hay for the winter (duration 6 months) are given in the table:

Fattening from 6 to 12 months

For the first six months, the basis of the calf’s diet is milk. The main task of this period is to correctly transfer the diet from a milk diet to fattening. In the first month, the calf consumes 8 to 12 liters of milk per day. From the 10th day you need to mix phosphorus (5 g per 1 l) and salt (10 g per 1 l) into the milk.

Be sure to read:

How much and when does a cow give milk: average milk yield in liters

At two months of age, 200 g of grain, the same amount of hay and root vegetables are added to the daily diet. Instead of grain, you can give steamed porridge. Eating silage at this age is not advisable. The amount of milk is gradually reduced to 4-6 liters per day. The amount of phosphate and salt is doubled.

The first six months of the calf's diet is based on milk.

In the 3rd and 4th months, boiled potatoes are introduced into the diet. The amount of milk remains the same. Towards the end of the period, you can give calves silage (no more than 0.5 kg per day). Any variety will do, but it is better to use corn.

If the animal requires more food, then the portions can be increased by 1.5-2 times a day for 2-3 days in a row. This will be enough for the portions to catch up with the development of the individual, which exceeds the norm.

From 6 to 12 months, the main gain of muscle mass occurs. With the right diet, ordinary calves at this time gain 500-800 g per day.

The weight gain of purebred individuals can reach 1.5 kg. For full development at this age, an animal requires 1.5 kg of hay, 10 kg of straw, 2 kg of feed. This is subject to rearing in stalls. For pasture cows, 7 kg of hay and 2-3 kg of concentrates are distributed for 3-4 meals.

50 g of salt and 40 g of phosphates are used as additives. To be completely sure that the animal is consuming the supplements, they are dissolved in a drinking bowl, which is installed in the stall at night.

Another option: mixing additives with feed. But not every animal will eat such food. In water, the calf will not feel the additive.

The main thing is to monitor the presence of grass in the pasture or the amount of silage in the feeder. If animals are eating too quickly, this will be visible at the feeders and the ration should be increased by adding more hay or grains.

Be sure to read:

Insemination of cows: methods, preparation and process of artificial insemination

Calculating weights using regression equations

This method is even easier than the previous one. Its error is also quite small. For calculations, it is enough to take just one measurement - the girth of the torso.

Next, we calculate the weight using a simple formula:

The first version of the formula is used for a cow with a chest girth of up to 180 cm. The second - up to 190 cm. And the third - for volumes from 190 cm. Using these simple calculations, any owner can easily calculate the daily rate of hay consumption for one cow. Typically, this figure varies from 10 to 14 kilograms.

By clicking on the link, you can learn more about what the Black-and-White breed of cows looks like and what feed should be used for feeding and for the best results.

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Calculation of the amount of hay for the winter to feed one cow

Once the owner has accurately determined his cow’s daily need for hay, he can plan hay storage for the winter.

First of all, the livestock breeder must calculate the exact period for keeping the animal in stalls, taking into account the climatic features of the area.

Then it is necessary to determine what percentage of the cow's total diet will be taken up by hay. This indicator will be different for different breeds of animals. Meat breeds – about 50% of the total feed mass. Dairy breeds – 25-30%.

Of course, a good owner will also take into account the individual characteristics of the animal. For example, a pregnant cow requires more careful selection of feed. Her daily hay intake should be increased by 15-20%. Or, if possible, you can replace the hay with more easily digestible feed.

Hay must be prepared in reserve! Only then can the owner be sure that the animal will have enough food for the whole season!

It is also worth paying attention to what a Hereford cow looks like and what kind of milk yield it has.

In addition, part of the hay is not eaten by the cow, but trampled down. To save feed, proper organization of the feeder is necessary, otherwise the overconsumption will be huge. After taking into account all the nuances, the livestock breeder can calculate the amount of hay for the winter. The average cow requires about 6 tons of hay (calculated with a reserve).

When does a cow give first milk?

On average, the age of a young cow when she is ready to bear offspring is 1.5 years. From this time on, she can already participate in the first mating with the male. If fertilization occurs successfully, after 9 months. the animal calves. In this case, the following features must be taken into account:

1. The production of milk by a cow begins after the first birth. Therefore, taking into account the age at which insemination occurred, she will be milked from 2.8-2.9 years of age.
2. The young cow has not been milked before, so it is necessary to ensure contact of the calf with her udder as quickly as possible. This will allow you to quickly milk the udder. Sucking by the baby helps to develop the mammary gland, and in the future will ensure high productivity.
3. Lactation, which started after the first calving, will continue in the event of a second pregnancy. This can happen within 2-3 months. Such milk can be safely used by humans as a food product.
4. In the absence of re-fertilization, milk is produced, but milk production gradually decreases. Farmers call such a cow a barn cow. Without re-calving, the milk will soon disappear, and a new lactation will require waiting for another fertilization.
5. Maximum lactation productivity is achieved at the age of six years. After this milestone, production volume begins to decline.

The first milking after childbirth is accompanied by the release of yellow milk, characterized by increased fat content. This is colostrum, which is a means of adapting the calf to living conditions outside the mother's body. You will not be able to boil this kind of milk; it will quickly curdle under the influence of elevated temperatures.

Unlike standard cow's milk, colostrum is rich in keratin. Therefore, immediately after milking, the product is similar in taste to cottage cheese, and the taste has notes of milk after boiling.

How much milk does a cow give?

A cow's lactation lasts 9–10 months after calving. Like all mammals, she produces milk exclusively for feeding her offspring, so at first (1–2 weeks) there is not much of it, but it is very concentrated and nutritious. Gradually, the beneficial properties of milk decrease, and the volume increases, which is explained by the calf’s nutritional needs. As soon as he grows up and switches to regular food, lactation, it would seem, should stop, but the person has learned to benefit from this process for himself, weaning the calf from its mother and regularly milking the valuable product.

In order for milk production to be uninterrupted, the cow must be milked regularly - only under this condition does her body feel the need to reproduce the product. He takes the milking process as a natural procedure for feeding a calf, and the more often this process is repeated, the higher the lactation, and therefore the milk yield. To figure out how many liters of milk a cow produces over a certain period of time, you need to take into account factors such as the age of the animal, season, and feeding conditions.

It is believed that the average milk yield per cow per year is 4.5–5 thousand liters, which in terms of one day yields 15–17 liters of product. But these are very average data, since productivity varies throughout the year. The highest yield period occurs approximately a month after the calf is born, and lasts 5–6 months. Then productivity begins to decline, and about 2 months before the next calving, the liter volume of milk is no more than 0.5 liters. At this point, milking stops completely, and the body begins to prepare for the upcoming calving.

It is also worth considering the age of the animal. A cow that has calved for the first time produces no more than 9–10 liters of milk daily. Gradually, her productivity increases, and by the fifth calving it reaches an average of 12–17 liters. But there are also highly productive breeding cows, whose daily milk yield can reach 30–40 liters. The milk potential of an adult at a level of 10 liters or less is considered very low and requires contacting a veterinarian. This may be due to the health of the animal or a diet disorder.

How much hay does one cow need?

To correctly calculate the amount of dried grass required to feed an animal, you need to take into account some factors. Mistakes made will lead to a lack of milk yield from the cattle, which will negatively affect the situation of the family

In this case, pay attention to the following:

1. The region where the farm is located. Due to climatic conditions, the duration of grazing may be longer or, conversely, it will decrease. In the northern regions, cattle begin to be fed in October, and in the southern regions - much later. The beginning of grazing also begins in different ways: in warm regions already in April, and in northern regions - by the end of May. The longer the cattle are in the stall, the more grass will be needed.
2. Animal weight. A heavier cow will need more food than a calf. When preparing feed for calves, you need to take into account their weight gain so that the grass does not run out prematurely.
3. Physiological state. If the cattle is pregnant or weak, after calving, or sick, then it requires more light feed, and less dried grass will be consumed.
4. Why do they keep cattle? If bulls are prepared for meat, then the harvested grass will be its main food. After giving birth, cows need different feeds, and hay makes up 25-30% of the total diet.

Before purchasing, you need to calculate the need for one animal. Anyone, even a novice farmer, can handle this. The average value is 3 kg per 100 kg of live weight. Taking into account all the features, the weight may increase, but it cannot exceed 4 kg.

Norm

One per day requires 2-4 kg of dried product per 100 kg. The norm depends on the physiological state, productivity and quality of the product. During lactation, the weight decreases, and more succulent feed is given - haylage, silage, root crops and concentrates.

Hay needs only 25% of the total diet, this is approximately 15-20 kg per day for each cattle, since their weight is 500 kg or more. When the dry season begins and the cattle must stop producing milk, the hay increases to 50%. If a cow is fattened for meat, then the daily norm is 30 kg.

An adult bull needs only 10-15 kg of product per day so that it does not lose its productivity. The bull of the producer must be fed a balanced feed, which includes: vitamin concentrates, root vegetables, silage and haylage.

The calf begins to be given vitamin grass in the third month of life. Before this, they are mainly soldered with milk with various additives. At first, the product is given only 3-4 kg per day. As the calf matures and body weight increases, the amount of food increases to 10 kg.

Correct calculations

So that the animal does not starve and can survive the winter painlessly, it is worth taking care of preparing feed in the summer. When it comes to hay, there are a few factors to consider for each animal to ensure there is enough to last the entire year.

To find out the required amount, you first need to calculate the daily requirement. For this, the basis is taken into account - 3 kg for every 100 kg of cattle. If there are no scales, then it is determined as follows: measure the animal’s chest circumference and length from the shoulder to the beginning of the tail. When taking measurements, the cow should stand straight, keeping her head level with her back. Carry out calculations using the formula:

Cattle weight = (chest circumference x body length)/100xK.

K is the coefficient: for milk - 2, meat - 2.5.

This gives the weight of the cattle that will be fed. From here they calculate the amount of product required for adequate feeding and milk yield.

For one unit of cattle per day

It is necessary to take into account the condition of the cow and why it is kept. Taking into account the coefficient, it is easy to calculate the rate in kilograms that needs to be given to the cow. The norm for one head ranges from 10 to 14 kg.

For one head for the winter

One cow needs as much dried grass as the number of days she will be in the stall. Here you need to take into account the region. If the animal is indoors from October to April, then this will be approximately 210 days. Result: 14 kg x 210 = 2940 kg.

The maximum consumption of grass per day is taken. This means that one unit of cattle needs to lay at least 3 tons of hay for the winter.

For one unit of cattle per year

Livestock should eat a balanced diet, regardless of the time of year. Hay is the main product. During lactation, cattle also need succulent feed, root vegetables and concentrates with added vitamins. In warm weather, they graze in meadows, so there is no need for dry grass. If an animal produces 3 tons of milk per year, then its diet is as follows:

• hay – 12%;
• silage – 20%;
• haylage – 11%;
• beets – 4%;
• concentrates – 28%;
• fresh grass – 25%.

This is approximately 4.5 kg of dry product. It is necessary to add another 670 kg to 2940 kg, which will be required in the warm season. For one year it is necessary to prepare 3610 kg for one cattle.

Fattening dairy bulls

If a farmer takes dairy bulls for fattening, then he needs to take into account the characteristics of the dairy period when feeding. Bull calves, like heifers, are fed colostrum from birth during fattening.

Concentrates begin to be administered at the end of 1 month. Grass and roughage are not given. Newborns do not develop a rumen that can process tough foods. The diet during the dairy period does not depend on the time of year.

It is necessary to observe certain points so that all parts of the stomach of calves are correctly formed, normal weight gain and accelerated growth occur. Body weight gain per day depends not only on feeding, but also on the breed of bulls.

Herefords and Aberdeen-Angus animals are capable of gaining up to 1500 g per day, individuals of the Simmental breed - 1300 g. Bulls of the Kazakh white-headed breed have a daily weight gain of 1400 g.

What diet is prescribed for calves during the milking period (description by month)?

1. Colostrum is given during all 4 weeks. A bull should drink 8-10 liters per day. On day 10, colostrum is mixed with salt, no more than 5 g. The same amount of phosphate supplement is added. From day 20, in addition to colostrum, 100 g of grain mixture is given. It is better to introduce barley or oatmeal. The flour is steamed and served as porridge. The amount of phosphate fertilizer is increased to 10 g.
2. At 1 week, fattening bulls continue to be given colostrum, but the diet is supplemented with 200 g of hay. There is more porridge. Steam 200 g of crushed grain. 10 g of salt and 15 g of phosphates are added to the milk. Starting from day 10, a portion of milk is divided: 4 liters of whole milk and 4 liters of skimmed milk. Hay – 300 g. Porridge is made from 500 g of grain. From the 20th day of roughage, 500 g is already given. Porridge is prepared from concentrates, 700 g.
3. The bulls are transferred to reverse, 10 liters. Salts, 10 g and 20 g of phosphates are added to porridge or milk. Concentrates – 1 kg. They begin to introduce potatoes, 200 g. From the 10th day, the portion of root vegetables increases to 300 g, hay is given 900 g, concentrates 1.4 g. On the 20th day, in addition to milk, the bull receives 1 kg of roughage, 500 g of potatoes, 1.6 kg grains in the form of porridge.
4. The portion of skim milk is reduced to 8 liters. The amount of hay increases to 1.2 kg. Root crops give 1.5 kg, concentrates 1.6 kg. The bull should receive 12 g of salt, 25 g of phosphates. From the 10th day they begin to introduce silage - 500 g. It is better to use corn. From day 20, the calf receives 1.5 kg of hay, 1 kg of silage and root crops. Porridge is cooked from 1.6 kg of grain.
5. Fattening calves are fed with reverse water. It is given in 8 liters. Subsequently, the amount of skim milk is reduced to 4 liters. The bull gets 2 kg of roughage, 1 kg each of silage and potatoes. The mash is made from 1.8 kg of concentrates. The amount of salt and phosphates remains the same. From day 10, increase the silage supply to 1.5 kg. From the 20th day, 2 kg of plant mixture is given.
6. During the first 10 days, the calf is weaned off milk. If he demands, then he is given 2 liters. He eats 2.5 kg of hay and 3 kg of silage. He is allowed 1 kg of vegetables, 2 kg of concentrates. Increase the portion of salt to 20 g, phosphates to 25 g. From the 10th day, the bull is not given milk. The amount of hay is increased to 3 kg, silage to 5 kg. From day 20, the calf eats 6 kg of canned plant food.

After the milking period, which ends in six months, a bull can weigh more than 200 kg, depending on the breed.

Milk is stopped given to calves at the end of the 5th month. A prolonged milk period will provoke improper formation of the stomach sections and obesity.

Adequate feeding accelerates the growth of young animals, but in heifers, milk affects reproductive function. They stop giving milk after 3 months. Otherwise, she may become infertile and accumulate a lot of fat.

For young animals, the combined feed KR-1 is chosen. It contains milk powder, feed yeast, meal, grass and bone meal, chalk, PKR-1 premix.

Compound feed is added along with the grain mixture. Silage can be replaced with haylage. In summer, silage is replaced with green grass. They do not give concentrates. A portion of hay is left.

In six months, a calf can eat up to 20 kg of grass. When breeding young animals as a business, it is necessary to take into account all the subtleties of the dairy period.

Trukhanovsky's technique

To calculate using this formula, you need to take two measurements from the cow. Measure the circumference of the chest behind the shoulder blades and the oblique length of the body (the length of the animal’s body from the shoulder to the base of the tail). To take these measurements, you need to fix the animal and make sure that it takes the correct position: the head should be at the level of the back, and the legs should be vertical.

If the cow is young and has never been measured before, she may become frightened. A frightened animal is dangerous for the person measuring it! It is worth first calming the cow and letting her get used to the sight of the measuring instruments.

Bust circumference is measured with a measuring tape, and body length with a measuring stick. It is best to take measurements in the morning, before feeding the animal. What feed should be fed to Jersey cows and how to increase milk yield. This article will tell you.

The obtained data is substituted into the following formula:

Live weight = AxB/100xK, where A is chest girth, B is body length, and K is a variable coefficient. Its value varies depending on the breed of the cow (2 - if the cow is a dairy breed, 2.5 - if it is a meat cow).

Feeding methods and programs

Methods of feeding bulls are determined by the percentage of feed. In any case, the only rule applies: with large financial costs for purchasing feed, it is possible to accelerate growth and obtain the best quality indicators.

The feeding program depends on where the animals are kept at the time. There are three schemes:

• stall;
• pasture;
• stall-pasture.

The stall program is more suitable than others for accelerated weight gain, since this method involves minimal physical activity using the most productive feed. Although this scheme increases spending on vitamin supplements and animal feed.

Elements obtained by pasture animals from fresh grasses will have to be obtained by stall animals from vitamin supplements. Moreover, on pastures, greens grow independently, and combined feed and vitamins require financial costs.

In Russia, within the middle zone, it is better to use a stall-pasture feeding scheme. In the winter, the bulls are kept in a stall, and in the summer months they are grazed.

To help calves gain weight faster, it is recommended to control the length of time they spend on pasture. Walking time is 6-8 hours a day. At the walking site, the grass should be of medium height, since tall vegetation contains insufficient nutrients. The pasture must be cleared of foreign objects. In addition, it is necessary to provide animals with clean water.

Breeding and general rules for caring for cattle at home

Breeding

The farmer’s task is to choose a cattle breed that will correspond to the main direction: dairy or meat.

Breeds of dairy cows:

• The Holstein cow is native to North America. It is propagated in Europe and Russia. The fat content of milk is 3.8%. You can get 6500-7000 liters of milk per year from one individual.
• The Jersey breed originated in Great Britain. Its main quality is adaptation to any climatic conditions. The milk has an excellent taste, its fat content reaches 5.8%. Milk yield per year - 3300 liters.
• The Simmental cattle breed can be bred in countries with temperate climates. It is unpretentious and does not require the preparation of large quantities of feed. Annual milk yield is 3500 l, milk fat content is 3.8%.
• Yaroslavskaya is suitable for a private courtyard. Milk production per year is 5000 liters, fat content 4%.

The following breeds of cattle are suitable for producing meat products:

• Herefords. They gained popularity due to the delicate taste of marbled meat. The calf is born weighing 26-35 kg. With proper feeding, the animal's daily gain is 700-1300 g. At 18 months, bull calves weigh 800-1000 kg, heifers 550-660 kg.
• The Belgian breed is characterized by lean meat. From the moment of birth, the calf weighs 45-50 kg, the animals gain 1500 g per day. The age for slaughter is 15 months. During this period, the average weight of a bull reaches 1100 kg, heifers 800 kg.
• The Kian breed has large dimensions. The initial body weight of the calf is 48-49 kg; with proper feeding, the individual gains 1400 g per day. By the time of slaughter, the bulls gain weight up to 1600 kg, the heifer 900 kg.

General Content Rules

When keeping cattle, it is necessary to take into account several rules in order to get a good result from your work in the future.

The barn must be equipped with drinking bowls and feeders. The floor must have a slope. This is necessary for convenient manure removal and hygiene procedures.

The walls and roof are insulated, it is important that there is no draft. Cattle must be kept in a dry, clean, warm room. In winter, the air temperature should be at least 10 degrees. Cleaning should be done before each milking of the cow.

Change the bedding if necessary. It can be made of straw or wood shavings. In the summer, animals graze in pastures near water bodies. In the morning and evening they are fed with seasonal vegetables and animal feed. In winter, cattle consume hay and silage, which the owners stock up on in advance. An adult animal eats 20 kg of harvested grass per day. Animals are fed vegetables, root crops, and mixed feed. It is imperative to add fortified supplements and salt to the menu. Water must be constantly present in the drinking bowl. From the age of two months, animals are vaccinated against various diseases. Two months before calving, the cow is started (stopped milking).

Attention! If the animal refuses to eat, there is discharge from the nose, eyes, or lethargy, then you need to call a veterinarian

Storage

How many ways are there to store harvested hay? Experienced farmers note about ten methods, the main of which are:

• stack;
• bales;
• briquettes;
• rolls;
• ordinary embankment;
• stack;
• in equipped sheds;
• under a special canopy.

The last two methods are considered the best, but the need to create an above-ground flooring should be taken into account. Covering the hay tightly with film is unacceptable, otherwise, due to the lack of air, it may be damaged by rot.

Having studied all the necessary recommendations for choosing grass, calculating nutritional requirements and storage rules, a farmer can easily determine how much hay a cow needs to prepare for the winter.

Hay selection

When choosing grass for winter feeding of cows, you need to consider:

• composition and quality of hay;
• how much was prepared;
• drying and storage techniques.

Good ingredients influence the nutritional value of the feed product for cows. Hay harvested in rainy weather or poorly cured loses almost half of its essential protein content. In the structure of overgrown plants, the amount of nutrients required for the full growth and development of cattle is significantly reduced.

How long the grass has stood, as well as its quality, can be determined visually and using laboratory tests.

Number of cows per bull

How many cows can one bull impregnate?

A fully developed bull can cover 50-60 cows a year. A breeding bull can be kept in a herd, in which case free mating occurs, or it can be kept in the yard of a certain peasant or generally “at a station.” Then the mating is called manual, because cows are brought to the bull. The use of a bull is better with manual mating, since better care is possible for him. A bull can cover 1-2 times a day and it is advisable to give a break once a week. In feed units, the bull needs to be given 30/„ more maintenance feed, and the same amount/0 more protein needs to be given. Of course, the bull must be given the opportunity to be in the free air in the summer, for which it is necessary to set aside a special pen near the stall or tie it on a rope.

Factors influencing life expectancy

Many factors influence how long a cow will live. On large farms, heifers do not live long - from 7 to 10 years, until their milk yield begins to decline. In private households, animals are kept for up to 15 years. The main factors influencing the life expectancy of a cow are:

• In what natural zone does the pet live? If cows live in cold weather most of the year or, conversely, extreme heat, their body wears out faster. The immune system weakens and they begin to get sick more often. A short period of grazing also reduces the duration of the productive period, disrupting metabolic processes in the body;
• Housing conditions - when a cow lives in improper conditions, suffering from cramped conditions and dampness, she often dies from diseases while still young. If this does not happen, then the pet begins to lose productivity at the age of about 10 years, which greatly reduces the profitability of its maintenance;
• Individual characteristics - if an animal has developmental defects or has suffered from illness, you should not count on a maximum lifespan;
• Breed - animals that are distinguished by productivity wear out;
• The quality of raising a calf - if during the formation of the body the animal did not receive the necessary substances, it turns out to be weakened and incapable of living a full life;
• Quality of feed - if an animal does not receive enough vitamins and minerals, and the amount of food for it is small, then its health deteriorates.

The psychological state from which the life expectancy of cows increases deserves special attention. When it experiences constant stress, a decrease in immunity occurs, which shortens the cow's eyelid. In order for a cow to live as long as possible, you need to treat it kindly and carefully. It has been noticed that if the owner devotes a sufficient amount of time to his pet, petting it and talking to it, the animal’s condition improves, and maximum milk yield lasts longer.

With a caring owner, a cow will live up to 17 years without losing productivity. Its further fate is in the hands of the breeder, since after the end of lactation the pet is left or sold for meat. It is not uncommon that owners, having become attached to their cow, give her the opportunity to live until her natural death.

Advice from experienced farmers

To make your work caring for animals satisfying, you need to listen to the recommendations of experienced farmers:

• The nutritional value of hay is retained for only 1 year. Then the dried grass is used as bedding.
• Animals trample down up to 15% of the hay. To prevent this from happening, you need to make convenient feeders.
• Violation of the diet negatively affects the functioning of the digestive system of ruminants.
• When buying hay, you need to pay attention to its color. A high-quality one will have a green tint. There is a lot of clover in brown hay. If there is a bluish tint, then sedge is present. The yellow tint should alert you. If the grass is mowed late, the feed will subsequently be of poor quality and have an unpleasant odor. The animal may become ill after eating such food.

A well-prepared diet for winter housing will help animals survive this difficult period well. To maintain the health of cows, feed must be balanced, nutritious, and rich in useful elements. Already in the summer, attentive owners prepare for the winter maintenance of their animals.

How does preparation and storage occur?

At different stages of plant growth, their leaves and stems contain a certain amount of protein and sucrose. If you mow the grass too early, the volume of hay will be insufficient, and if it is too late, the nutritional value will decrease and the stems will become too tough. The optimal time for mowing is when the plants are preparing to flower.

Even if you mow legumes before the end of flowering, the amount of protein in their composition will be approximately 2 times less than at the time of bud formation.

In addition to choosing the optimal mowing period, it is also important how the hay dries. Natural drying in the sun is optimal. In this case, the beveled windrows dry unevenly; the side hidden from the sun remains damp for a long time, while the top one dries out

Therefore, it is necessary to turn the windrow over. This will speed up drying. At the same time, much more nutrients will be preserved

In this case, the beveled windrows dry out unevenly; the side hidden from the sun remains damp for a long time, while the top one dries out. Therefore, it is necessary to turn the windrow over. This will speed up drying. At the same time, much more useful substances will be preserved.

At the same time, work on transporting hay from cereal crops can be carried out at any time, and legumes only in the morning and evening hours. This is due to the fact that in the hottest part of the day the leaves of these plants dry out too much and crumble. In the cool of dawn and dusk, moisture from the air makes them more pliable and flexible, so they do not fall off the stem during transportation.

Daily rate of feeding hay in winter

The daily rate of hay per cow during lactation should be 2-4 kg per 100 kg of live weight of the animal. As a percentage, hay does not exceed 25% of the total diet, in which the rest should be root crops and silage. This diet will ensure maximum milk production. If you feed more hay, the cow will fill her digestive system with ineffective food, from which it is impossible to obtain high milk yields.

During the period when the cow is not milking due to the imminent birth of a calf, the amount of dry grass can be increased to half the daily ration. Moreover, even with a minimal protein content, this will be enough for the fetus to receive sufficient nutrition without the risk of developmental arrest.

When raising livestock for meat, the cow can be given a lot of hay. For one head per day you will need up to 30 kg, and for large breeds this amount can be increased. Under normal housing conditions, 4 to 5 tons are needed for one cow and the calf she will bring in winter. In the absence of sufficient supplies of silage and root crops, more dried grass will be needed.

In some regions it takes 210 days, while in others it takes much less. By multiplying 2-4 kg of hay (depending on its nutritional value) by the weight of the cow in centners and by the number of wintering days, you can obtain accurate information about the required supply.

Useful, but in moderation

Practice shows that one cow with a calf requires up to 50 quintals of hay for the winter. This large quantity helps reduce costs for other products. But, again, this does not mean that animals should be kept on dry grass alone. The food should be varied. If a cow eats only hay, this immediately affects the amount of milk produced.

Constant monitoring of how much a cow eats allows you to adjust the diet depending on the weight the animal gains or the amount of milk yield. This is necessary to protect livestock from diseases. For example, if 5 tons of bean hay have been prepared for a cow for a year, and she eats 50 kg daily, then the development of ketosis or other diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract is quite possible. With this regime, no grass eaten will do any good, but will only cause harm.

Please also take into account the fact that bean hay is difficult to store for a long time. Therefore, when calculating the amount of feed for the winter, it would be rational to include in the menu haylage from the same legumes, which can be stored for up to several years. Straw is also required in the diet, which is also used as bedding.

Vitamins for calves for growth

The calf experiences a significant need for salts, that is, for minerals. He needs them especially for the formation of bones. To build bones, you need mainly salts containing phosphoric acid and lime. You can use burnt and powdered bones for this. This powder can be given in quantities of 20 grams (5 spools). During exclusively milk feeding, the addition of bone meal is unnecessary. Another salt that a calf needs is table salt. Both adult animals and young animals need it almost equally. Salt should be given 10 g per day per calf at all times.

By the age of four months, the calf will have become so strong that it can freely feed mainly on grass in the pasture. However, he needs to be given additional feed in the form of strong feed, oats or cake, 2 pounds each. Oats and cake. must be given in a crushed state. Such a calf no longer needs warm water and should be given clean, fresh, not too cold water. Spending time on the pasture is very beneficial for calves because it develops their muscles, bones, lungs and heart. The calf becomes healthier and more hardened than when it is always in the barn. It is best if a special pen is allocated for calves close to the house, where the calf is always supervised. There should be trees in the pen so that the calves can find shade from the scorching sun. During heavy rainfall, calves should stay indoors. In the evening, upon arrival at the barn, it is useful to brush the calves with a brush to remove dust from the fur and especially the testicles of the gadflies.

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