Rural King sells several kinds of cattle feed, including pellets or cubes, textured feeds, mineral supplements and hay. The right one depends on whether you’re feeding a beef steer, a dairy cow, a cow with a calf or a young animal, so match the feed tag to your animals’ needs instead of the brand name.
Types of Cow Feed You’ll Find
- Range cubes and pellets: protein supplements often fed on pasture or with hay to help cows maintain body condition, especially in winter or when grass is poor.
- Textured or sweet feeds: grain-based mixes with molasses, used as a ration for growing or finishing cattle or to boost energy. They are easy to overfeed, so follow the label.
- Grower and finisher feeds: formulated for weight gain in beef animals.
- Dairy feeds: formulated to support milk production, usually for cows being milked.
- Minerals and salt: a free-choice cattle mineral is important year-round, because pasture and hay often lack certain minerals.
How to Read the Feed Tag
- Species and class: make sure the bag says it is for cattle and for your type of animal.
- Crude protein: match the percentage to your animals’ needs. Higher protein is useful when hay is low in protein.
- Medications: some cattle feeds contain medications such as ionophores that are toxic to horses and dogs. Never feed medicated cattle feed to other species, and keep it stored where they can’t get into it.
- Feeding rate: follow the directions, and adjust to body condition and forage quality.
Forage Comes First
Cattle are ruminants and need plenty of good hay or pasture. Grain and concentrates supplement forage, they don’t replace it. Too much grain, or a sudden switch to it, can cause acidosis, which is dangerous. Introduce grain gradually over a couple of weeks, and ask your vet or local extension office to help you balance a ration for your animals.
Learn More
For more feeding guidance, see our posts on how much sweet feed cows need, the best cattle finisher feed and compound cattle feed.
Bottom Line
Choose feed by the tag, not the store: a cattle-specific feed with the right protein level, fed alongside good forage and a free-choice mineral. Ask a large-animal vet before making big changes to your herd’s diet.
This article is general information, not veterinary advice.
