A properly formulated diet for cows has a beneficial effect on their health and increased productivity. The body must receive all the necessary vitamins, nutrients and microelements. At the same time, the food should not harm the animals. You need to use food for feeding cows with caution and know how healthy each product is. Let's consider whether raw potatoes can be given to cows.
Composition of potatoes
Potatoes occupy a leading place among high-calorie foods. For 100 gr. accounts for 76 kcal.The majority of the root vegetable contains starch. It contains useful minerals: magnesium, calcium, potassium, copper, selenium, iodine, vanadium, boron, cobalt, silicon, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, aluminum.
The vegetable is rich in amino acids, vitamins PP, C, B, H, folic acid and fiber, which helps improve the digestion of food in the body.
Benefits and harms
Potatoes are a valuable product used to feed cows. The huge potassium content in potatoes stimulates the removal of water from the body, which helps improve metabolism.
Feeding raw potatoes to dairy cows increases milk yield, which calves need for rapid growth. The majority of the diet should consist of root vegetables.
The feeding rate for calves is from 9 to 10 months. – 10-12 kg of potatoes. It is recommended to feed with caution, because a common cause of death in livestock is poisoning with solanine, a substance contained in vegetable tubers. Its amount is especially high in root vegetables with a green tint, tops and berries of the plant.
How to properly feed potatoes to cows
Potatoes must be present in the diet of cows. This will reduce the consumption of concentrated feed and promote milk production. Overfeeding will lead to obesity, a decrease in milk yield and a change in the taste and color of the milk. It is important to know the permissible daily allowance for feeding animals:
- Dairy cows – 15-20 kg.
- Pregnant during the dry period - up to 10 kg.
- Bulls – 30-35 kg.
Raw potatoes
To feed livestock, raw potatoes are first washed to remove dirt. Frequent feeding of contaminated tubers leads to decreased milk production, indigestion and tooth wear after 5-6 months.It is recommended to cut the vegetable into pieces, first removing the peel, eyes and rotten areas.
Tubers with green or spoiled areas are dangerous and should not be used in animal feed. Sprouted potatoes are not recommended to be used raw. It can cause poisoning and stomach problems.
Boiled potatoes
Spoiled or greened root vegetables are used boiled. Before preparing it, the shoots and eyes are removed. Half-eaten potatoes must be removed from the trough, since the vegetable is stored for no more than 6 hours. After this time, it turns sour and spoils.
Tops
Experts do not recommend using fresh milk for feeding cows. High solanine content is dangerous for them. Plants often contain nitrates, which can enhance the effect of a toxic substance. Using tops in food can cause poisoning, stomach disorders, and even death. Often the tops cause the appearance of ulcerative stomatitis. There is a particularly high level of solanine in the berries of the plant. However, some experts admit feeding cows dried or young tops.
Potato peels are actively used in animal diets. There is a lot of cleaning left in all homes. Livestock farmers decide not to throw away waste and use it as livestock feed. Due to the solanine content in the peel, it can be used boiled. Do not use water after cooking.
In what cases is it better not to give
Potatoes are rich in various microelements, vitamins and other beneficial substances.Despite the benefits of the root vegetable, its use is not always appropriate.
According to most people, potatoes should not be given to dairy cows, since the starch contained in them leads to blockage of the milk ducts. In fact, this is a misconception, and the vegetable is good for them. It is not advisable to give root vegetables to deep-boned cows. Potatoes that are completely sprouted, green or rotten are not suitable for feeding. Frozen tubers should absolutely not be used. This can cause abortion in pregnant cows.
