We all like to eat food that is fresh and clean – unsurprisingly, our cattle do too!
Feed wastage can be reduced on dairy farms by feeding animals their meals away from the ground. Doing so is important because feed is one of the major on-farm costs in dairy farming. Reducing feed wastage reduces costs.
If hay or silage is put on the floor, it can become soiled with urine, faeces or mud. The risk is that cattle may not eat this food, meaning it will go to waste. Food fed from the floor can also become contaminated with parasites (worms), which can affect your animals’ health and condition.
Feed racks and troughs can be made from locally-available materials like wood and bamboo poles or from items lying around on your farm, such as old barrels, wheelbarrow bodies or plastic containers used for molasses or other liquids (just make sure the containers are clean before putting feed in them).
You can attach home-made feed troughs or racks to existing structures, such as trees or fences. Just make sure there is nothing exposed, such as rusty edges or sharp nails, that could injure your cows.
Feed racks are recommended for long fibre food such as hay, dry stovers and browsing crops and feed troughs can be used for concentrate feeds. Both can be made in many designs – just make sure there’s enough space for all your animals to feed so they are not competing with each other (if your animals are horned, they’ll need more space).
It is a good idea to ensure your animals have access to shade when eating, such as building your trough in a shelter or under some trees. And remember… animals must have access to clean, fresh water at all times!
For more information on reducing feed wastage and feeding your dairy animals for optimum milk production, check out zambiadairy.com/fact-sheets.