Cows adore the round, sweet-tasting watermelon because of how healthy it is and how much of an influence it has on their bodies and reproduction.
Why feed watermelons to cows?
Energy, protein, and vitamins are abundant in watermelons. Watermelons have a significant amount of minerals that benefit the physiological growth of cows.
Watermelons contain trace nutrients, which encourages farmers to give the melons to cows to increase milk output. Watermelons are an inexpensive source of several minerals that are essential for a cow's development system to function well.
The major benefit that "cows can eat watermelons" encourages farmers to include watermelons in their feeds in order to acquire the nutrients, maintain health and production, and get these benefits. It is well known that watermelons are nutrient-rich foods with a variety of trace minerals, but their nutritional profile is insufficient to meet all of the needs of cows in terms of nutrition.
It is a very smart move to include watermelons in the diet plan already in place so that you can benefit fully from each source. Watermelons, together with hay or grain feed, should make up no more than 20% of a cow's daily diet.
Farmers often overproduce watermelons, which has a severe influence on the health of the animals and prevents them from eating hay since they are already full of watery melons. As a result, they are less productive.
Benefits of feeding watermelons to cows
When cows consume watermelons, you suppose that it does aid in satisfying the hydration needs of the cow’s body. Yet, the nourishment of the exterior hard covering shell and inside soft fleshy substance exhibits pretty good benefits on:
Improves cows’ physical health: Watermelons are an enhancer diet that helps cows develop physiologically. The ideal feeds for cattle are those with a high crude fibre content. Similar to this, watermelons are a great addition to the cow diet since they are high in crude fibre.
Cows get energy from the starch and sugar in watermelons throughout their developmental days. But, keep an eye out to prevent overfeeding cows with foods rich in sugar as watermelons are high in sugar and might harm the health of cows.
Higher milk production: Lactating cows require a suitable and balanced feed at different phases of production. In the first 100 days of lactation following childbirth, cows generate 50% of their milk.
By giving nutrient-rich nutrition during these 100 days of lactation, you can maximise milk production. Herein lies the contribution of watermelons; their increased mineral content enhances milk quality while also increasing milk output.
Watermelons include vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrates that promote health and have a good effect on milk production.
Makes them healthier: The welfare of cattle lies at the heart of animal husbandry. Given the strong relationship between production and health, this assertion has significant implications for the agricultural sector. Cows having health problems do not produce as well.
By supplying vitamins that strengthen the immune system and enable the body to effectively combat illnesses, watermelons help to improve and maintain health concerns. Moreover, watermelons are utilised as antioxidants that protect the health of cows and enhance their metabolism, both of which lead to an increase in milk and meat output.
By acting as antioxidants, the watermelons that are fed to the animals save them against oxidation-related harms like bad meat. Oxidized meat has a poor texture, flavour, colour, and nutritional value.
Keeps cows hydrated: Watermelons are an excellent source of fluid for cows, especially during hot weather and in desert regions. It maintains the animals healthy for extended periods of time.
They were viewed as perpetual water supplies by farmers. Increased milk production, improved body function, and improved feed digestion are just a few of the benefits of a well-hydrated body.
Watermelons are advised as a source of water for cows since they cannot produce milk to their maximum capacity when their water supply is irregular.
Are watermelons the miracle food for lactating cows?
Watermelons significantly improve nursing cow bodies. The biggest advantage of giving watermelons to cows is an increase in body weight.
The loss of body reserves causes the nursing cow to lose a significant amount of body weight during the start of lactation. In a research investigation, it was shown that during the first three months of lactation, cows lost close to 66 kg of body mass.
So, eating watermelons that are abundant in nutrients would be quite beneficial for maintaining both health and weight.
Tips to keep in mind while feeding watermelons to cows
Here are some recommendations for protecting the cows from the drawbacks of feeding them watermelons. These include:
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Verify that the watermelons are uncontaminated and clear of any pests or diseases.
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It should not have been treated with pesticides.
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The health of cows is improved more by eating well-ripened melons than by feeding unripe fruit.
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Never make up more than 20% of the total diet using watermelons in the feed.
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Failure to follow any of these recommendations will lead to low productivity and have a detrimental effect on the health of the cows.
