The use of straw in cattle herds is common, even some sources have reported its increase in recent decades, which, as mentioned before, is used more in dry cows and in the transition period than in other parts of the herd. Yes, but in milk cows, the use of straw is considered as a part of the ration, which is usually added to their ration in a chopped form (so-called chopped) and in small amounts. Some important points when using straw for livestock include:
🔸Nutrition and food ingredients: Straw is a cheap and rich source of edible fibers that can help in improving the digestion and digestive health of animals. Be careful that straw provides less energy and protein than livestock supplements and concentrates.
Guaranteeing the authenticity of straw: buying straw and using it should be done with great care and obsession; because the straw may be contaminated or toxic; Therefore, paying attention to the authenticity and quality of straw is very important.
Combination with other food ingredients: Straw is usually used as the main component of animal ration and sometimes it is combined with other food ingredients such as silage, citrus or other food items to provide a balanced and complete diet for animals. Diet advisors for dairy herds use straw as a part of the diet for reasons such as increasing the effective fiber of the feed, increasing the filling properties of the diet for the rumen, or reducing the rate of passage of digestible materials from the rumen. Straw is more common in it, it is usually newborn cows, but of course, the amount of straw used in the diet of this group and other lactating cows should be carefully calculated due to the possibility of reducing feed consumption and energy density.
🔶 Other use of straw
In addition to edible use, straw and stubble has another major use, which mainly includes use as bedding for livestock, poultry, and horses. In this case, two points should be considered. An important point is the absence of dust and molds in the straw used as bedding for livestock, poultry and horses, and the next thing is the possible consumption of bedding straw by them and its consequences; Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the relative cleanliness of the straw used as a substrate, and the animal that uses straw as its substrate should have normal and correct nutritional conditions so as not to lead to the tendency of the animal to consume straw as a substrate.
