People don't really understand their own body and how food affects them, much less their animals/livestock. Some think they do, but when you ask specifics, they don't really. Lots of information out there, but who has time to read and figure it out? This is meant to be a brief overview as a continuation of "How to keep your Livestock Warm without looking like the Gentle Barn."
Carbohydrates have 2 main categories: simple and complex. Simple burn up FAST while the complex take more time. Example of simple: white sugar or starch like corn. Example of a complex: molasses. You will hear them referred to by medical professions as "Simple Carb" or "Complex Carb."
Proteins are how muscle is built and maintained. If your livestock does not get enough protein they will be diagnosed with "Wasting Disease" and the animal will deteriorate to skin and bones and expire. If you want to eat the animal, you want a good amount of muscle to then be able to put on your table. So, proteins must be fed to build it. When the body has more than it can use, it will store it as Fat. Fat is flavor. A healthy animal has a rounded belly and a ripple effect when it walks in its stride. The rounded belly indicates a build up of fat.
To know how much to feed, there really is not hard science to it, only recommendations on the bag. Like anything else in homesteading you have to develop an "eye." Does your animal have a rounded belly? Is it to round? Is there a ripple when they walk? Is there a healthy shine to their coat? If the answer is no, then try upping their feed for a few days and see what results you get at the end of the week. If it is what you want in a good way, well done, now maintain it.
Is it a warmer time of year and the animal is blowing it coat? Cut back on the protein. (Refer to How to keep your Livestock Warm...) They might be to hot on the inside and are trying to cool off. Feed them a cooler feed--grasses, browse, etc are all as cold of a feed as you can get. Sometimes I pull them off all their feed and just feed grass and browse for a week and see how they look. If they are improved, awesome. If not, might be time to start looking to see if they have parasites or a fungus. If they do, pay attention to their stools.
Sometimes, the temps drop drastically, and I will see the animal shivering inside their shelter. That is where the simple Carbohydrates come in. I will grab a scoop of cracked corn or oats and take it out there to them to "jump start" their internal heater. Then leave extra mixed grass and alfalfa hay in their feeder for the long steady burn they need to keep warm all night. I apply this to my fowl as well.
Here in E. TN the temperatures have varied from 22F one week, then 60F the next. So on the cold week, I feed. 22% protein grain twice a day and a constantly full bin of grass hay. During the 60F week, I feed half a bale of grass hay twice a day. Why? I didn't want them to blow their coat knowing colder temps of January were coming. The green grass literally started growing so they were out grazing too. So watch your area's temps and adjust accordingly.
Keep your shelters dry and warm with hay on the floor as insulation. Proper feeding and shelter then means heat lights are an unnecessary expense ($45/mo per bulb extra on an electric bill.) and an unnecessary risk for fire.
Remember: livestock have been existing in ALL climates since the beginning of time. They know how to keep warm. They just need you to provide the appropriate amount and type of food if they are fenced and have no way to get what they need themselves.
Happy Homesteading Twisted friends!
Boots N Lace
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