Whether you’re raising livestock to sell, eat or produce milk, eggs and cheese, feeding your animals high-quality food is a must. Of course, doing so can become quite expensive, especially when supply and demand fluctuate so quickly. By now, you might even wonder whether growing your own feed is a better alternative. After all, if you want to be fully self-sufficient, you’ll have to make the switch eventually, so why not now?
Weighing the pros and cons will help you decide which option is right for you and your specific situation.
Advantages of Growing Your Own Feed
There are numerous advantages to growing your own animal feed, the most notable being self-sufficiency. Once you’ve established your fields and gardens, you’ll no longer have to rely on other farmers and producers for feed. Thus, you won’t have to worry about fluctuating prices or whether a certain ingredient is available. Instead, you can go off-grid and maintain a self-sustaining operation.
Of course, doing so can also benefit your budget, you and your livestocks’ health and the environment. Plus, cultivating your own feed crops isn’t as difficult as it might sound, so it may be a wise option for homesteaders and survivalists who wish to live independently.
More Affordable in the Long-Term
One of the greatest advantages to growing your own feed is affordability. Letting your livestock out to pasture and raising free-range birds is much more cost-effective when compared to visiting a feed store each week. Plus, letting your animals graze is one of the easiest ways to promote optimal health and nutrition, especially in cattle and horses.
If you don’t have room for a full pasture, consider growing hay instead. Cultivating this herbaceous plant requires less space and a single acre can feed one to two large livestock. Meanwhile, goat owners may harvest enough to feed their entire herd, which stretches their feed — and dollars — much further.
Farmers and homesteaders who already manage cropland might also minimize feed costs by allowing their cattle to graze unused fields. Cows enjoy eating plant remnants, weeds and wildflowers, so they’ll quickly clear any unwanted growth. Plus, they’ll help fertilize the field as they munch, which aids in regenerative agriculture and allows you to easily rotate your crops once the cattle have had their fill.
Do you own pigs and chickens? These animals are even easier to feed as much of their diet consists of table scraps, leftover produce and lawn trimmings. Skins, tops and bruised areas on fruits and vegetables are all fair game, too. Even spoiled milk and meat cuttings can become food for swine.
Of course, you should still supplement your animals’ diets with grains. Raising your own fodder provides a cheap alternative to purchasing seeds and directly feeding them to your livestock. In fact, you can easily quadruple your feed supply by sprouting the seeds and harvesting the fodder every seven days. Try making fodder from wheat, barley, whole oats and even sunflower seeds to add variety and…