Feeding Grain to Cattle

When we first moved south to our current property there was a drought and hand feeding the few cattle we brought with us became a priority. As well as roughage we wanted to feed something that would provide protein and vitamins and minerals. Feeding un-cracked grain was out of the question and cracked grain was so wasteful. Grain itself is not a normal part of the bovine diet. Somewhere in our reading we had come across the value of sprouted grain. The most value was received when the sprout has just emerged. Not only in terms of vitamins but it also means the cattle aren’t at risk of bloating.

The grain is put in a bucket and covered with water for 24 hours. It is then poured into a large colander for draining for the next 24 hours and in warmer weather this might be less. The little tiny emerging sprout is the signal that it is ready for feeding out, The cattle loved it. We were careful to only feed out small quantities in the first week and then gradually increased the volume. They thrived. They thrived during that period.

Large Colanders with bottle for size