Concentrates With Alfalfa
Categories:
Feeding Farm Animals
I have a good supply of alfalfa hay and have been feeding this as a
straight feed for my dairy cows. They are not, however, doing as well as
they should and I am looking for some good feed to go with it.
You could probably get better returns by feeding about a pound of
cocoanut meal and three of dried beet pulp than by any other combination
of concentrates with straight alfalfa. If you are producing market milk
or butter prices justify it, more concentrates could profitably be fed.
It is an expensive proposition to build up a properly balanced ration
with alfalfa and concentrates alone, and unless market milk is being
sold, it usually does not pay. The cheapest way to provide a balanced
ration is not by concentrates, but by wheat or other grain straw, and
let the cows eat all they care for. This is very cheap and helps to
balance a ration with green or dry alfalfa hay, is usually cheap, and is
fine for cows. Both are much less expensive than concentrates.