The best homemade treats for cows are simple, plant-based foods: hay cubes, chopped apples and carrots, pumpkin, and a little dry rolled oats or beet pulp. Keep treats to a small share of the daily ration, because a cow’s rumen does best on forage and changes in diet should be gradual.
Safe Treats Most Cows Love
- Apples and carrots, chopped small. Cut them into thin slices or pieces. Whole apples, carrots and other round vegetables can lodge in the throat and cause choking.
- Pumpkin and squash. Cows eat the flesh and seeds. Break large pumpkins open so they are easier to chew.
- Alfalfa or timothy hay cubes. Cubes are compressed forage, so they fit into a cow’s normal diet and make an easy hand treat. Soak them if your cow is older or has worn teeth.
- Fresh-cut grass or clover in small amounts. Wilted or lush new growth can cause bloat when eaten in large quantities. Offer a handful, not an armload.
- Dry oats or a handful of the regular grain ration. Fine as an occasional reward, but never in large amounts.
A Simple Homemade Treat Recipe
Mix about two cups of rolled oats with one grated carrot and a spoonful of molasses, then press the mixture into small balls. Molasses is a common, palatable ingredient in cattle feed, but keep it modest. Offer a few balls by hand rather than leaving a pile out.
What Not to Feed Cows
- Moldy, spoiled or fermented food of any kind.
- Large amounts of grain, bread, bakery scraps or sugary leftovers. A sudden rush of starch and sugar can cause acidosis, bloat and founder.
- Chocolate, avocado, rhubarb leaves and fruit pits.
- Meat, bone or animal-based products. Feeding most mammalian protein to cattle is restricted in the United States to protect against mad cow disease.
- Ornamental plants such as azalea, oleander and yew, which are toxic.
How Much Is Too Much?
Treats should make up only a small slice of the diet, with most calories coming from pasture or hay. A few pieces of fruit or a couple of handfuls of cubes per cow is plenty. If you want a place to offer minerals instead of sweets, see cattle mineral blocks, and for more ideas read the most nutritious snacks for cows. If you wonder how sweet is too sweet, how much sugar can cows eat explains the limits.
Bottom Line
Stick with chopped fruit and vegetables, hay cubes and pumpkin, keep portions small, and introduce anything new slowly. If a cow bloats, stops eating or seems unwell after a treat, call your veterinarian right away. This article is general information and does not replace advice from your vet.
