Cows were made to eat grass

 From the March/April CONCEPTIONS Beef Newletter

Of course, the miracle of ruminant digestion in the modern farming era is that cattle can eat grass, clover, alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, sudangrass, sorghum-sudan hybrid crosses, BMR plant strains, corn stover, corn silage, and when enough forage is provided, eat an additional ration of grains from corn, oats, barley, or even processed oilseeds.    They will glean a couple bushel of corn per acre if you turn them in behind most combines have left the field.   They will even trim tree branches up to umbrella level, which certainly helps maintain fencerows.

 

Of course, they do all this eating primarily in the seasons when they are nursing or incubating their next calf.    And the most basic old-timer’s cow calf saying is, “No calf, no income”.    Reproduction season will soon be upon us; let’s get ready!!