Corn fed Country Girls: Why our dairy cows eat corn

We’ve gotten some grief for feeding corn to our cattle. We get it! It sounds bad when someone who has never raised cattle argues that cows should be exclusively grass fed. We know the arguments against mono crops and critiques of current farming practices. We understand respecting the natural diet of cows.

But we still feed corn.

Let’s talk about why we think corn is a vital part of a dairy cow’s diet.

You could make the argument that it is better for beef cattle to be predominantly or completely grass fed. And I would agree with you! Our beef mainly eat just grass or hay with corn never making up more than 13% of their diet at any time in their life. Beef cattle have a calm life. Their aim in life is to grow large and delicious. If a farmer confines cattle to feed them corn which is conventionally done at the end of their life, it can create rapid growth so that they can get to slaughter faster. It is cheaper for the farmer. In saying that, I am not in any way trying to knock on farmers who choose to do that. It’s a hard job and we all have bills to pay. We need farmers who produce affordable meat to stay in business. If mainly or exclusively grass fed, it takes longer to feed a cow out which will increase the cost of the meat. Some argue it is a higher quality meat though. We personally love the mainly grass based meat we raise and the small amount of grain they eat. It makes for the perfect balance and the best steaks. Regardless, both methods of cattle raising aim to get people access to the best quality beef they can afford.

Dairy cattle are a different animal. Literally.

Diary cows have high energy demands. Most cows are milked twice or even three times a day. Most hard-working cows daily burn the same amount as a marathon runner does on race day. While our cows only milk once a day and we give them the most relaxed life we possibly can, it is still a lot on their body. Lactating cows need about 100 pounds of feed a day and need to drink a bath tub of water to be able to keep up with the rigors of milking.

In addition to this, dairy cows have high demands for calcium. They need to produce their own body’s basic calcium needs as well as calcium for their milk. Often people who purely graze their cattle feed alfalfa hay in the winter. Alfalfa is nutritionally dense and is rich in calcium. Great, right? Wrong. Well in high doses for the dry cows it is wrong. Dry cows are what we call cows who are getting ready to calve. They take their maternity leave before calving so they can spend the months leading into their birth resting and storing up nutrients. When a cow is fed too much alfalfa, her body will stop producing calcium on its own. Therefore, when she comes into milk after her calf is born, she can’t produce the calcium needed. She goes into something called milk fever. Milk fever can be fatal if she doesn’t get calcium in time. It is essential she has the correct balance in her diet for a safe calving and a good postpartum.

These are reasons we feed corn.

Corn is high in carbohydrates which is perfect for dairy cows. It gives the lactating cow the energy she needs to produce milk and the dry cow nutrients which don’t shut off her body’s ability to produce calcium on its own.

The main way we feed corn on our farm is through corn silage. Corn silage is when the whole corn plant is chopped up when it is still green then fermented before feeding. It is highly energy dense and the fermentation process make it so that the nutrients in it are readily absorbed. It contains roughage because of the stalk and leaves of the corn, and starch because of the corn itself in it.

We love feeding corn to our cattle for these reasons, but cows cannot live on corn alone! A proper diet for a dairy cow needs a variety of feed sources. In the dairy world this is called TMR for total mixed ratio. Wonder what goes into our TMR mix? We got you. First, we do feed mainly grass! Our cows have continually access to pasture so that they can graze as they desire. Grass provides fiber and nutrients. What about in the winter? No worries! We also feed them hay silage. It’s fermented hay (much like corn silage) that is stored so that year-round they get their roughage in. They also need some concentrated grains for energy. We feed a small part of ground corn for this. Just like us, cows need protein. Roasted soybeans are our go-to for the protein portion of their feed. Lastly, they need a small portion of minerals to keep their health in check.