Feeding Livestock from the Garden
Long before conventional farming was a thing, farmers and ranchers fed their animals off what they could produce on their own land. And if you’re like us and you want to rely less on grain when your pastures are less than stellar and prices are through the roof, this is the post for you!
Home grown meat and eggs are wonderful things. But when you total up the feed bills at the end of the month, it can be quite discouraging. Are you really saving money? Is it worth it?
Sacks of feed and bales of hay, especially today, come with a heavy price tag that can make “living the simple life” pretty expensive. The good news is that many garden crops can reduce or eliminate your dependence on purchased livestock feed.
Below are some easy, affordable vegetables to add to your pastures or garden to lighten the load on your pocketbook.
These massive root crops have been grown since the 1800s to feed livestock in the winter. Mangels are a top notch, all-around animal feed for weight gain and milk production. They easily produce 500 pounds of feed or more in just a 100-foot row! Mangels are a long season crop with a large tap root that helps break up hard, compacted soil, improving the overall quality of your garden or pasture.
Squash & Pumpkins
Most livestock will devour all types of squash and pumpkins. They are packed full of nutrients and serve as a natural dewormer. Most of the hard-skinned squash and pumpkins also store exceptionally well, making them a long-term supplemental feed that you definitely want to add to the garden for both you and your livestock!
Beets & Other Root Vegetables
These easy to grow, nutritious vegetables are great fodder for most livestock. Beets, carrots, turnips, radishes, sweet potatoes and cooked potatoes will go a long way in keeping your animals healthy and full.
Kale & Swiss Chard
All the qualities that make kale and swiss chard superfoods for you apply to your livestock! So make sure these two are always growing in your garden to add to the diet of your animals. Preventative medicine is the best kind!
Sunflowers
Is a garden really complete without sunflowers? Not only are they beautiful, good for pollinators, fun for you to eat, they are also a fantastic food for most livestock. Offer shucked seeds or whole seed heads to your chickens, ruminants and pigs as a protein booster and mineral supplement. And don’t waste the stems and leaves! Your pigs and ruminants will love you for them.
And of course, livestock needs minerals and vitamins just like we do.
Make sure your animals have a balanced diet for optimal health.
carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes and mangels, for energy
proteins & fats, readily available from seed crops such as sunflowers and squash
fiber, present in all these vegetable crops and in pasture plants
micronutrients—vitamins and minerals
Let us know in the comments what you try this winter to supplement your livestock feed!
