Cattle are designed to consume forages. When grains, byproducts, and most other concentrate feeds are fed it is critical to gradually increase the amount of these feeds in the diet to reduce the risk of rumen acidosis which can lead to reduced weight gain, foot abscesses, founder, liver abscesses, and death.
When starting to supplement cattle, a good approach is to start by feeding 0.2% of the animal’s body weight per day and then gradually increasing the amount from there. Most supplements should also be fed daily. Feeding every other day or twice a week will result in reduced performance compared with daily feeding.
