Slow Feeding Solutions: How They Help Your Livestock And Your Budget

One of the challenges of livestock maintenance and care is meeting the feeding demands in a way that works for both you and your herd. Especially when you raise animals that are dependent upon hay feeding, their schedule and the rate at which they consume that hay both play a role in their overall well-being. If you are looking for the best way to feed your livestock, consider slow feeders for your fields. Here are a few of the reasons why slow feeders are a great choice.

Reduces Your Waste

If you've been feeding large bales in traditional hay feeders, you know how much hay loss you suffer. There's the hay that falls from the bale and gets stomped into the mud surrounding the feeder, the hay that gets wet from the rain, and other excess hay that's wasted. That all adds up to money lost for your operation. With slow feeders, your livestock is feeding more intentionally and with the hay contained better, which minimizes your loss and saves you money over time.

Keeps Your Livestock Happier

Most herbivores are, by nature, foragers. They are used to eating small amounts as needed, grazing for what they want to eat. When you put them on feeding schedules where they must eat their fill due to competition with other herd members, that creates unnecessary stress and can affect their quality of life. Slow feeders allow them to eat the way that they naturally do, which creates more relaxed, comfortable, and content animals.

Improves Livestock Digestion

Eating rapidly and in large volumes, as happens during routine split feeding times, puts livestock at risk of digestive issues, including colic and bloat. When you opt for slow feeders instead, it allows your livestock to eat at a natural pace and graze throughout the day, maintaining consistent fermentation in their systems so that they reduce the risk of complications in their digestive systems. This protects your livestock's health and minimizes your medical intervention costs and the potential for lost animals.

Reduces Boredom Behaviors

Weaving, aggression, wandering, and troublesome destructive behaviors can be common with livestock when they get bored. Boredom often results from a lack of focus on foraging and other interactive tools. Slow feeding provides your livestock with something that they can focus on throughout the day, reducing the risk of boredom and problematic behaviors.

These are just a few of the reasons to consider a slow feeder conversion for your livestock.