How many times per day are cows fed?
In Australia, all dairy cows have daily access to feed, such as pasture, grass, special crops, grain, hay and silage.
Last updated 31/01/2025
Cows spend a large proportion of the day eating and many are commonly supplied feed during milking. They then require some time to digest the food they have eaten particularly if it is very fibrous such as hay and grass. This is often referred to as rumination or chewing their cud.
The availability of pasture and other feed will vary with the time of year. However, cows generally have food available to them all day and night. It is really up to them how often they want to eat.
Cows are not known to sleep for long periods of time so the majority of the cow’s day is spent either eating or ruminating. For this reason, farmers and vets keep a close eye on the feeding behaviour of each cow in the herd. A cow that is not seen to be grazing grass in the paddock or eating in the milking shed is quickly examined to assess whether she is unwell.
For more information on dairy cattle nutrition, visit the Dairy Australia website. Note: information on feeding from overseas (apart from New Zealand) is not always useful as it often relates to feeding dairy cattle that are housed versus on pasture/grass, which is the most common situation in Australia.
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