Feeding Beef Cattle

Unlike humans, beef cattle have a ruminant digestive system. Their stomachs are made up of four parts. Ruminant microorganisms in the first three parts enable cattle to digest fibrous feeds that humans cannot. This microbial breakdown produces essential nutrients such as amino acids and B vitamins. The presence of these nutrients makes beef very useful for human consumption.

Cattle require protein, energy, water, fat, minerals, and vitamins. The amounts vary according to environment, the cow's age, time of year, and production goals. Availability of feedstuffs also varies by location and season. Up to 75 percent of the cost of raising an animal goes to feed.

Protein and carbohydrate levels be adequate for growth and maintenance normally are found in high quality legume hay, such as alfalfa and clover. Poor quality feeds, such as cereal straw, grass straw, or rain damaged hay, require protein or energy supplements. You can purchase supplements from your feed supplier.

Beef cattle normally do not need vitamin A, B, or E supplementation. They can get these vitamins from normal quality feedstuffs. However, a vitamin A deficiency can result from feeding dry, bleached out hay. Symptoms of vitamin A deficiency include watery eyes, rough hair coat, night blindness, and poor gains.

Vitamin D is formed by the action of sunlight on animal tissues. If you confine your cattle to a barn or stall for extended periods of time, vitamin D deficiency may become a problem.

Minerals are inorganic compounds that contribute to bones, teeth, protein, and lipid functions of the body. Minerals are provided through natural feeds and supplementation.

There are three main categories of mineral supplements:

• Salt, which usually is sold as iodized salt and does not contain other minerals

• Trace mineralized salt, which consists of a large percentage of salt and traces of some or all of the following: copper, iron, iodine, cobalt, manganese, selenium, and zinc

• Mineral mixes, which usually contain major minerals such as calcium and phosphorus as well as trace minerals and some salt.

You can provide supplements as licks or mix them into feed. The composition of needed salt or mineral supplements varies depending on your locale and feedstuffs. Clean water is essential and must be provided at all times. Under normal conditions, cattle consume 4 to 20 gallons of water per day depending on size, age, and weather. Heat dramatically increases water consumption.

Pigs

Pigs or hogs are part of the order Artidactyla (even toed, hoofed animals) and the family Suidae. The five genera and nine species live on every continent except Antarctica.

The body of a hog is fat and strong. They have short, bristly hair on their bodies called bristles. Hogs have a nose called a snout which helps them find food by smell. They have an excellent sense of smell because they have poor eyesight. They have curly tails and squeal if they are hurt. They are smart animals. Adult pigs have 44 teeth. Boars have a long front tooth on each side that is called a tusk. The tusks stick up outside their mouth. Farmers often cut off the tusks. This animal doesn't have sweat glands so it likes to roll around in mud to keep cool. The mud also protects a pig from insect bites and from sunburn. Because they roll in mud, pigs often look mucky and people think that they are dirty animals. But pigs are clean animals! They will have a place which they use as a toilet which is well away from the places where they eat or drink.

Hogs are omnivorous. However, unlike other domestic animals the pig has a small stomach and requires its food in concentrated form. Pigs grow more rapidly than any other class of farm animals in relation to their weight. The daily ration of a pig should be composed of feeds with a definite proportion of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals.

When a hog is about 8 months old, it can start to have babies. The sow (female hog) is pregnant for about four months before giving birth. Usually a sow will have about 8 to 12 pigs at a time but they might have 27 or more. The sow gives birth in a pen. The pen has a curved rail that makes her lay down so that she won't crush her babies.