Nutrition

Cattle are herbivores, meaning they eat only plants. Cattle have a really interesting way of eating and digesting their food. You might notice your cattle chewing their food, swallowing it, then regurgitate the food and chewing it all over again. The special name for an animal that digests their food in this way is called a ruminant, and when they are standing/lying “chewing their cud,” or the regurgitated food – this is called rumination.

The word "ruminant" comes from the Latin ruminare, which means "to chew over again." Cattle basically swallow food multiple times and then four special compartments of their stomach work very hard to digest the food and get the maximum amount of nutrients from the grass/pasture.

This may seem like a lot of work, but it is actually a very efficient way for cattle to eat. This process ensures they get lots of nutrients from their food, making it healthy. As cattle have very special digestive systems, you need to make sure you only feed your cattle the feed that they are supposed to eat – you can always ask your veterinarian advice about the very best diet for your cattle. 

Cattle need a lot of water, especially when it is hot. Some cattle will drink over 75 litres a day!

Just like you and I, cattle don’t like drinking dirty water. So, you need to check they have plenty of fresh, clean drinking water all of the time.

Cattle also need strong water troughs or concrete water troughs, so they can drink from it without knocking it over.

The main part of cattle's diet should be pasture, and a mix of different things, including grasses, clover and other pasture plants. Cattle love pasture and grass and can graze up to nine hours a day! If you have good quality pasture and lots of it, then your cattle will only need a diet of pasture/grasses and a small amount of hay occasionally.

You can also offer small amounts of commercial grains to your cattle – this is called ‘supplementing’. However, this is only recommended if your cattle are not eating enough pasture, or you don’t have enough paddock area with grass to feed your cattle. Additional hay or silage is another option, as cattle also enjoy eating hay (or silage, or balage) when the grass is running low, or to provide some variety to your cattle.

Remember to make sure your cattle are not overeating. If you don’t have enough feed for your cattle, (or just want to make sure you are doing the right thing) and want to add grains/supplements, talking to your veterinarian (or local farmer) about the correct food and amount would be the best option.

If using hay (supplemental food), it is important that it stays dry and isn’t able to become wet, mouldy or dusty. Cattle can get ill if hay becomes wet and mouldy, so you will need to make sure hay bales are covered properly and stored in a shed. If left outside, they should be covered securely with a tarpaulin or other waterproof materials.

If you feed your cattle supplemental grain, this needs to be kept stored away in a dry, shaded space.

If it is kept outside, it should be wrapped up tightly and kept in a shed or some other safe place. This will keep their food protected from any rodents or birds that might be hungry!

As cattle eat mainly pasture and other roughage (hay or grain), they do not always get all the nutrients they need to be healthy from their food. In this case, it is sometimes recommended you give your cattle a mineral licks/blocks.

These are special rock like, hard blocks which contain important ingredients in them such as salt, calcium, copper, iodine, selenium, and zinc.

These ingredients will help your cattle stay healthy and fit. Your local veterinarian will be able to suggest a mineral lick/block especially for cattle, which contains the right minerals if needed.

You will also need to be able to keep the mineral block in an area that isn’t affected by rain, as they need to be kept dry.

Cattle eat a lot of grass/pasture, so you will also need to look after your pasture to make sure it is enough for your cattle to eat. If your cattle have finished eating much of the pasture in one area, ideally you should have another area of pasture that they can have access to graze on.

This is called ‘rotating your pasture.’ Otherwise, store supplemental feed (e.g. grains, hay, silage or balage) to give to your cattle when the grass has run out. It is best not to graze your grass area heavily and low to the ground.

You can help your pasture grow back faster by looking after it well, not grazing it too heavily and resting the pasture area for short periods.

There are many plants found on paddocks and pastures in New Zealand that are poisonous to livestock. It is important to identify plants on your property, so you can check if it is a danger to your cattle.

If your family are unsure, the plants should be removed by an adult, just in case they are poisonous. Some of the plants we know are poisonous to cattle include:

• Onion bulbs or leaves
• Lillies 
• Avocado
• Oak
• Milkweed
• Cabbage roots
• Turnip roots
• Broccoli roots
• Poinsettia
• Tall fescue 
• Flax
• Alfalfa
• Poppies
• Mandrake
• Fern
• Buttercup

An adult will need to check to make sure that your pasture has none of these plants present. If you suspect your cattle may have eaten something poisonous, you need to call a veterinarian immediately.