A cow will readily eat dead grass when there’s no green grass around, but there is still dead, brown grass available to munch on. The key to a happy cow will depend on what this animal consumes each day. Usually farmers who raise cattle also farm alfalfa fields to winter the cattle over once the snow falls. Baled stalks don’t give them that choice. Here are seven different types of food that cows like to eat: 1. Expecting grain-fed cows to quickly transition to eating strictly grass was an ill-advised experiment that was doomed from the start. Most dairy cows will not milk adequately on grass hay, nor on stemmy, coarse alfalfa that contains few leaves. Grazing is an important distinction, she adds. It’s no secret that cows like to eat hay. When cows graze, they selectively eat leaves and husks, the best parts of corn residue. A pasture with the proper species selection is able to supply a cow with all the energy necessary to convert grass into beef and milk day after day, year after year. It’s not hard at all. This means that grain hays and grass hays will actually work better in a fodder diet than alfalfa. 4. Sold at a reasonable price, grass could be added to the diet of your cows, however, in case you have a lot of cows, you would need to consider the balance of your budget. The Best Pasture Grass For Cows and Horses. Baled stalks make good combo feed. Cows eat mainly grasses and alfalfa. Cows love to graze during the day and enjoy a wide variety of food choices. How to Graze Cattle on Pasture. As a result, hays that are high in fiber and slow to digest compliment the sprouts. Goats. By slowing down the digestion cattle can retain more of the beneficial nutrients and enzymes in the sprouts. It's the best way we have found to seal in the summer's lush grass nutrition for the cows to enjoy in the winter. If you have a mixer wagon, a mixed ration of baled corn residue and distillers’ grains can make a very good cow ration. Warm-season perennial pastures tend to be the best grasses for a cow-calf operation because they do not have to be planted each year. 5. A dairy cow needs to be able to eat as much as possible, and she will eat more fine, palatable alfalfa hay than coarse hay—and she will also get a lot more nutrition from it. A large farm with grass is a paradise for your cows as they love feeding on grass. Of course in our area, the deer also feast on the alfalfa and hay left out for the cattle. Dry feed Here are five of the best animals to consider as a natural mowing alternative to maintain your grass. These extreme omnivores will eat brush, twigs and leaves as well as grass. Grass. Pasture grass is the most natural feed for cattle. ... Endophyte is a fungus that horses and cattle can get from eating too much of an endophyte infected fescue grass. 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