It is a fact that within the milk production business, dairy cows play a huge role. However, have you ever thought about the type of diet cows at a dairy farm require? Now, if your answer to the above question happens to be a no, then do not worry because we at ‘Mmilk’ through this article will provide you with all the facts that you need to know about cows in the dairy farm, with regards to the diet that they usually consume. So, here goes….
a. What do dairy cows eat?
‘Lots of energy’ is what dairy cows need to produce milk that is extremely nutritious. So, in other words they require a diet that comprises of a mixture of different kinds of food. They include grass hay, alfalfa hay, grains as well as corn and grass silage. In addition, to provide energy elements such as minerals and vitamins have to be added to the diet given to the cows. Furthermore, many farmers also mix silage along with hay and provide it to the cattle. However, a few of them prefer to either serve either silage or hay.
b. Dairy cow feed formulation, what does it comprise of?
The feed formulation (i.e. content percentage) of the dairy cows diet, comprises of the following:
- Crude Protein: About 18% minimum.
- Crude Fat: About 4% minimum.
- Crude Fiber: About 20% maximum.
- Moisture: About 13% maximum.
- Calcium: About 0.75% minimum.
- Phosphorous: About 0.65% minimum.
- Ash: About 9% maximum.
Here is hoping then that the information we (Mmilk) provided you about the diet of dairy cows in this article serves your need.