What methods and measures are there for saving forage when raising cattle?

Feed long grass cut short. As the saying goes: "Cut grass three times into inch lengths, and even without grain the cattle will gain fat." Feeding cattle with forage cut short saves about 20% compared with feeding it whole. This is especially true for coarse, hard stalks that are eaten in smaller amounts or are difficult to eat when fed whole; if they are cut short before feeding, they can be fully utilized, and digestibility also improves somewhat. Generally, stalks should be cut into 3 cm to 5 cm lengths to feed cattle.

1. Feed coarse grass finely. If crop straw used as forage can be treated by salting, alkalization, or ammoniation, or crushed and mixed with concentrate to feed cattle, it can improve the utilization rate of the forage and increase palatability, thereby saving forage.

2. Feed less and add more often. If fed all at once, cattle easily develop the habit of picking out the palatable forage, causing waste of forage. Feeding less and adding more often can save forage.

3. Feed in the trough. It is necessary to change the bad habit of throwing forage directly into the cattle pen for feeding, and instead put the forage in the trough to feed. In this way, the forage will not be contaminated by manure, the cattle will be more hygienic after eating, diseases will be avoided, and forage can also be saved.

4. Feed roughage first, then concentrate. Feed roughage first, and the cattle will be too hungry to be picky and will eat more roughage. After that, feed concentrate or high-quality pasture according to their nutritional needs. In this way, the characteristics of ruminant cattle in utilizing roughage are fully brought into play, and forage is saved.

5. Improve the feed trough. Because the trough is often too shallow, cattle push the forage outside while eating, causing considerable waste. When making the trough, this can be avoided simply by making it deeper. Generally, a cattle trough depth of about 40 cm is best.

6. Process leftover grass. In the past, the coarse, hard stalks left after cattle ate were often burned as fuel. If they are dried and collected, crushed into grass meal with a crusher, and then fed, they can be effectively utilized.

7. Save bedding straw. Keep the barn clean and hygienic, and use discarded weeds as cattle bedding as much as possible to reduce forage waste.

8. Watch the cattle eat. Many cattle raisers, when feeding cattle, just put the forage into the trough and walk away. In this way, when the cattle eat, they push the forage outside the trough, and once the fallen grass is stepped on by the cattle, it can no longer be fed. Therefore, the keepers should watch the cattle as much as possible until they finish the forage before leaving. If they find forage falling to the ground, they should pick it up promptly and give it to the cattle. This can save a lot of forage.