By feeding chopped grass, the milk production of dairy cows can be significantly increased. And food waste can be significantly reduced. Through this, the profit of the farm increases significantly. Although the farmers have been informed about this for a long time, it still does not seem that the majority of farmers in our country have accepted that advice.
Cattle rearing is a labor intensive industry. Cutting the grass means more effort and more time. That may be one of the reasons why farmers don’t cut grass. However, it can be said with certainty that the extra time and effort spent on it will have a relatively high economic return.
Apart from this, advanced types of grasses such as Napier have also become popular now. Our farmers are used to cutting these grasses that grow several feet high and feeding them to the cattle. Our cows don’t seem to mind eating them either.
If the cattle are willing to eat unchopped grass, why are they advised to give it chopped?
That question may arise in the minds of farmers. In order to find the answer to that question, it is necessary to gain some insight into the digestive process of cows.
Cattle usually swallow food quickly. The swallowed food first goes to a large organ called the rumen. From there there is no free movement forward in the alimentary canal. For food to pass from the rumen, it must be broken down into very small pieces of only a millimeter. One of the key steps in that process is feeding the foal. When the cow is free, it regurgitates the previously swallowed food and chews it for a long time. When very long grasses are given to feed, it takes a lot of effort to bite them and it also takes a lot of time. The broken down grass is then digested by bacteria in the rumen. This whole process can be speeded up by feeding the grass in pieces.
How does this process affect milk production?
In order to obtain more milk production, the nutritional needs of the cows must be well met. If not, it will not be possible to get the expected high production from an animal with high productivity. Cows must eat enough to meet their nutritional needs.
Cattle prefer to eat small pieces of grass rather than long grass. Therefore, cows eat more feed when they are fed chopped pasture.
The digestion process is also accelerated when chopped grass is fed.
Due to these reasons, the amount of food eaten by the animals increases and then the nutritional level of the cattle increases. The end result is increased milk production.
On the other hand, when grass is offered in pieces, food waste is minimized as all parts are eaten. Through this, the profit of the farm goes through the reduction of the cost of production.
When observing the farm, it is seen that the majority of the farmers who are successful in raising dairy cattle have resorted to cutting grass and giving it to the cattle. You also cut the grass and give it to the cattle and increase the profit from your farm.
