How Much Feed Is Needed to Feed an Average Cow?

Although cows can survive on grasses and wild grains, some ranchers supplement the diet with purchased feed to ensure their cows receive an adequate amount of food. The amount of feed required mostly relies on how much wild food the cows can access. If the cows graze on large areas of healthy grasses, you need less purchased feed. Overall, however, feed rates depend on the cows' body weights.

  1. Body Weight

    • In general, cows that do not rely on wild sources of food eat 1% to 4% of their body weight in feed every day, depending on the food quality. Cows eat less of the low-quality feeds and eat more as the quality increases. On average, the cow eats around 2% of its body weight in dry feed. Body weight provides a good generalization for calculating the amount of feed necessary for a herd of cows, but other factors alter the number for individual cows.

    Quality

    • The quality of the feed includes the ingredients in the commercial feed as well as the freshness. If the feed has grown moldy or stale, cows eat less of it. Cows also eat less when feed has been left in the rain or snow or is likewise altered drastically from the dry form they digest well. When the cows eat less feed for reasons external to themselves, they risk developing a nutrient deficiency, which further decreases the cow's food intake.

    Lactation

    • Feed intake increases in female cattle when they reach sexual maturity to prepare for the nutrient requirements of lactation. A reproducing cow eats up to 60% more feed than a non-reproducing counterpart. Dan N. Waldner of Oklahoma State University recommends feeding pregnant cows six to 12 pounds of grain per day during the few weeks before the birth in anticipation of lactation. Proper nutrition at this stage increases the herd's reproductive capacity as a whole.

    Other Factors

    • Calculating the specific amount of feed for a cow requires a comprehensive look at all the factors that affect intake. Cows decrease their food intake in the warmer months and increase it above the average in the colder months. Younger cows do not require as much feed as older cows, even if they are the same size, because of the difference in their digestive systems. Older cows require more fiber than younger cows. Cows also eat more feed when the feed is smaller and easier to chew.