What does a cow eat?

Answer 1

Cattle (which include cows, bulls, steers, heifers and calves) are ruminants, which make them herbivorous (plant-eating) animals. A ruminant has a stomach with four chambers designed to break down fibrous plant material that monogastrics such as humans cannot digest properly. It is thus that cows primarily eat grasses and legumes not only restricted to open fields, but also out on pastures and rangelands. However, what these animals eat are not restricted to such generalities. A dairy cow's diet is often different from a beef cow's, as is a calf, a backgrounding steer's and a finisher steer's would be.

Dairy cows can eat up to 3 to 5% of their body weight in dry matter, and beef cows can eat up to 2 to 3% of their body weight in dry matter (more if they're lactating). The amount of forage they eat depends on the nutritional content and water content: hence cows will eat more grass than they will hay or grain. The amount of forage they eat also depends on their body weight and their nutritional needs in their stage of life: young calves will eat less but higher quality forages than full grown cows; cows that are lactating need high quality forages. Dry (non-milking) cows need less nutrient quality forages. Dairy cows typically need higher quality forages than beef cows.

Dairy cows are fed a mixture of grain and alfalfa hay, or, a TMR ration (total mixed ration) consisting of corn, hay, soy bean, and barley. Corn is sometimes used as a source of fiber. During winter time they are often fed silage, which is chopped up cereal grain plants that is harvested when partially wet (not sun-dried) and stored to be fermented by anaerobic bacteria for several weeks before being fed to them. They will also consume cracked corn, heifer grower (a mixture of corn, oats and other sources of nutrients), hays, grasses, young calves will be started on calf grower.

Beef cows are primarily on pasture most of their lives, but in some cases when winter is harsh, they will be fed hay (sun-dried grasses and legumes), and perhaps silage or grain, depending on the producer's management criteria.

Most beef cattle are allowed to fresh grazing. Cows and bulls, especially. Dairy cows are occasionally, though this also depends on the producer, who may otherwise have them kept in a barn for most of their lives. Beef cattle will also consume, hay, a mixture of grasses including but not limited to legumes (sanfoin, clover, alfalfa, laspedenza, trefoil, etc.) and grasses (timothy, orchard grass, wheat grass, brome, fescue, etc.), and possibly grains (oats, barley, corn soy beans, or sorghum). Insalage, silage, cracked corn, rolled corn, and sweet feeds are other feeds that are fed to cattle, mostly to those that a) have to gain weight, b) are growing, or c) are being fed for slaughter. Some calves will be put a pre-weaning/preconditioning ration of calf grower grains and forage mix; older calves (usually when weaned) can be fed a grower ration, hay, or if there's good-quality pasture available, then that as well or as a main source of their nutrition and energy.

Not all operations have means or money to feed their calves grain all the time; some continental breeds like Charolais, Limousin and Simmental require such inputs to further increase growth weights and average daily gains so that they can be sold at heavier weights to the feedlot. It also "primes" them for what diet they will be eating at the feedlot prior to slaughter. A lot of British breed cattle, on the other hand, only need a little grain to no grain at all, and only hay and grass to give the calves the weight they need to be backgrounded or stockered before being sent to the feedlot. British breeds have a tendency to put on fat quicker and consequently finish faster than Continentals do, so it's important to limit energy intake in rations for the time they are being on a backgrounding operation.

In a feedlot, cattle are fed according to how much they have to gain before they are deemed finished and sent to slaughter. As mentioned above, British breeds typically take a shorter time to reach finishing weight than a Continental breed would if they were both on the same ration. Most finisher rations are comprised of an 80% grain and 20% forage diet. Depending on where a particular feedlot is located, cattle can be fed a mixed ration of corn and soybeans, barley and corn, just barley, just corn, or even winter wheat, triticale, oats, field peas, or rye. Such rations are not fed whole: the grain is ground up in a feed mill and other nutrients (except animal by-product due to the BSE scare in 2003) and feed (like silage) are added to that ration. The goal of a feedlot producer is to produce gains as quickly and efficiently as possible with feed that contains high energy, high protein, and low fibre.

Cattle should also always have a source of fresh water and mineral mix (preferably loose mineral) available to them at all times.

Answer 2

Beef cows are primarily on pasture most of their lives, but in some cases when winter is harsh, they will be fed hay (sun-dried grasses and legumes), and perhaps silage or grain, depending on the producer's management criteria.

Most beef cattle are allowed to fresh grazing. Cows and bulls, especially. Dairy cows are occasionally, though this also depends on the producer, who may otherwise have them kept in a barn for most of their lives. Beef cattle will also consume, hay, a mixture of grasses including but not limited to legumes (sanfoin, clover, alfalfa, laspedenza, trefoil, etc.) and grasses (timothy, orchard grass, wheat grass, brome, fescue, etc.), and possibly grains (oats, barley, corn soy beans, or sorghum). Insalage, silage, cracked corn, rolled corn, and sweet feeds are other feeds that are fed to cattle, mostly to those that a) have to gain weight, b) are growing, or c) are being fed for slaughter. Some calves will be put a pre-weaning/preconditioning ration of calf grower grains and forage mix; older calves (usually when weaned) can be fed a grower ration, hay, or if there's good-quality pasture available, then that as well or as a main source of their nutrition and energy.

Not all operations have means or money to feed their calves grain all the time; some continental breeds like Charolais, Limousin and Simmental require such inputs to further increase growth weights and average daily gains so that they can be sold at heavier weights to the feedlot. It also "primes" them for what diet they will be eating at the feedlot prior to slaughter. A lot of British breed cattle, on the other hand, only need a little grain to no grain at all, and only hay and grass to give the calves the weight they need to be backgrounded or stockered before being sent to the feedlot. British breeds have a tendency to put on fat quicker and consequently finish faster than Continentals do, so it's important to limit energy intake in rations for the time they are being on a backgrounding operation.

In a feedlot, cattle are fed according to how much they have to gain before they are deemed finished and sent to slaughter. As mentioned above, British breeds typically take a shorter time to reach finishing weight than a Continental breed would if they were both on the same ration. Most finisher rations are comprised of an 80% grain and 20% forage diet. Depending on where a particular feedlot is located, cattle can be fed a mixed ration of corn and soybeans, barley and corn, just barley, just corn, or even winter wheat, triticale, oats, field peas, or rye. Such rations are not fed whole: the grain is ground up in a feed mill and other nutrients (except animal by-product due to the BSE scare in 2003) and feed (like silage) are added to that ration. The goal of a feedlot producer is to produce gains as quickly and efficiently as possible with feed that contains high energy, high protein, and low fibre.

Answer 3

On average, cattle (cows, bulls, steers, and heifers) will consume between 2 to 3% of their body weight in dry matter ration (dry matter = all water/moisture removed) per day. Lactating cows and thin cows can be expected to consume a little more because they need to feed both themselves and their calf, or feeding so that they gain weight, respectively, so they'll be eating more around 3 to 3.5% of their body weight in DM ration per day.

Weight is a very significant influence in how much cows will eat. A 1000 lb cow is expected to consume about 25 lb of total ration per day, as a minimum. She will eat more if the feed is higher in quality and/or higher in moisture than, say, 18% (like with hay). A 1400 lb cow (average weight for all beef cows in North America) will eat around 30 lb of her body weight in total ration DM per day, as a minimum.

Answer 4

Typically the maintenance percentage for all beef cattle is 2.5% of their body weight in dry matter ration per day. However, there are variations to this rule, depending on size, age, gender, reproductive and physiological demands. Lactating beef cows will eat 50% more than dry cows. In terms of quantity, beef cattle will eat more of a forage if it is higher in moisture. Big cows eat more than small cows. Young cattle eat less than mature cattle. Thin cattle eat more than fat cattle.

Answer 5

Food containers called troughs or feeder bins or bunks. They can also eat out of bale rings where bales are placed for them to eat.

Cattle out on pasture don't eat out of anything. They eat what's in front of their noses, which is primarily grass and other forages. They may also eat leaves from the trees and bushes if they're hungry enough or feel like it, or if they have access to such woody plants.

Answer 6

On average, cattle (cows, bulls, steers, and heifers) will consume between 2 to 3% of their body weight in dry matter ration (dry matter = all water/moisture removed) per day. Lactating cows and thin cows can be expected to consume a little more because they need to feed both themselves and their calf, or feeding so that they gain weight, respectively, so they'll be eating more around 3 to 3.5% of their body weight in DM ration per day.
Weight is a very significant influence in how much cows will eat. A 1000 lb cow is expected to consume about 25 lb of total ration per day, as a minimum. She will eat more if the feed is higher in quality and/or higher in moisture than, say, 18% (like with hay). A 1400 lb cow (average weight for all beef cows in North America) will eat around 30 lb of her body weight in total ration DM per day, as a minimum.

Answer 7

Grass. Their natural habitat is in grassland, open timber and scrub.

Answer 8

They will feed them a high energy/protein meal usually consisting of corn.

Answer 9

They eat a hot-ration which is a grain-silage mix with feed additives to promote growth and increase rate of gain. This is so that they get fatter prior to slaughter.

Answer 10

Cows mainly eat grass and hay.