How to Feed Cattle to Gain Weight? A Detailed Guide to Practical Feeding Methods
Cattle farming is a relatively developed farming sector in China, and with the advancement of modern technology, the practice of using cattle to plow fields is becoming less and less common. As a result, cattle farming today is mostly oriented toward beef cattle, so how to increase cattle weight gain is now the issue farmers care about most. Only by helping cattle gain weight can farmers improve their own economic returns and maximize their profits. So how should you feed them to achieve effective weight gain? Let's take a look together below!
1. Feed Formulation
A well-balanced feed mix is the key to ensuring weight gain, but many farmers do not have a correct method of feed formulation. When feeding, they also go by their own mood and intuition, yet this kind of feeding method can have a certain impact on cattle growth. It not only leads to nutritional deficiencies in the cattle's bodies but also wastes feed, so when feeding we should rationally formulate the feed according to the cattle's growth and feeding conditions. The feed should contain concentrate and roughage in different proportions, and the ratio of the two feeds should be adjusted according to the cattle's growth stage.
2. Avoid Feeding Cooked Feed
Most farmers have a very bad habit, which is cooking various feeds before feeding them. This is because they worry the cattle cannot digest them, but in fact the cattle's digestive system is very powerful; it is a ruminant system that can digest various feeds well. Cooking the feed not only increases your own farming costs, but after cooking it also causes the loss of nutrients in the feed. It may even cause cattle poisoning, and instead hinders the cattle's weight gain. However, when feeding bean-type feeds, they need to be heated before feeding, because beans contain an anti-nutritional factor that has a certain impact on cattle digestion.
3. Regular and Quantitative Feeding
When feeding, you must feed regularly and in fixed amounts, and you must not arbitrarily change the amount or time of feeding; this allows the cattle to form feeding habits similar to those of humans. This not only promotes the cattle's appetite and speeds up their growth, but also improves feed conversion rate and reduces feed costs. Cattle in the fattening period need to be fed three times a day, generally once each in the morning, noon and evening, with the proportion of feed for each feeding allocated according to the different time periods. Each feeding interval should be controlled at around 5-7 hours, giving the cattle enough time to rest and digest, which is more conducive to weight gain.
4. Feeding Methods
There are three ways to feed: dry feeding, wet feeding and sloppy feeding. Each feeding method has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the choice mainly depends on various factors such as weather changes and growth conditions. Dry feeding saves time and effort, but it consumes a large amount of saliva from the cattle's body and has a certain impact on digestion. Sloppy feeding is actually not conducive to cattle weight gain, because sloppy feeding means mixing a large amount of water into the feed; although the cattle appear full, digestion is very fast and nutrient absorption is also very low. The best feeding method is wet feeding; wet feeding means adding an appropriate amount of water to the feed without exceeding the amount of the feed itself, which enhances the feed's palatability and improves feed conversion rate. It is very beneficial for cattle weight gain.
The four points above are the feeding methods for effective cattle weight gain. Be sure to avoid cooking the feed before feeding; I have also explained the specific reasons. You can use the wet feeding method, mixing the feed with a corresponding amount of water, until water drips out when you grab a handful and squeeze it firmly. Do not add too much water; too much and it becomes sloppy feeding. That is all for today's introduction. Thank you for reading and supporting us. If you want to learn more related information, please continue to follow us!