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Alberta | Cows on roughage are different than feeders. Feeders on high grain need to be consistent in feeding times to take care not to upset the PH balance in the stomach, very important. But mature animals on roughage based ration can be very variable. We have some groups we feed every day, some groups every other day and some groups the bunk gets filled ever 3 or 4 days. Mostly dependent on moisture content of the feed and how fast it will heat in the bunks. Heated/spoiled feed = lost energy/nutrition = lost$$$. A mature will not starve if it has not been fed for 24 hours, she will just loose a little weight that costs a little more to gain. An animal can sometimes stand in an auction market or on a truck for 36 to 48 hours with no feed or water and they don't die. They are no different than people. Its nice to have fresh food and 3 meals a day, but we are not going to die with one meal a day, or eating a dry piece of bread that has been sitting on the counter for a few days, as long as we have something to eat we are happy and some of us don't have the luxury of a regular meal daily or even a meal every day. A feedlot animal on the other hand on a high grain ration, needs a regular feeding time to maintain stomach flora. You can compare that to a weightlifter in training who needs to consume more calories more 5 or6 times a day to maintain a regular calorie intake.
Edited by Dirtfarmer1000 12/2/2025 10:30
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In-laws going crazy. Buffer on a TMR ration schedule?
