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Feed is 60–70% of the cost of producing milk, so it is the first place to look for profit — but the goal is lower cost per litre, not a cheaper-looking feed bill. The four reliable ways to get there: balance the ration instead of overfeeding concentrate, use local by-products smartly, stop physical waste through chaffing and proper mangers, and protect digestion so the animal actually converts what you feed.
Many farms feed expensive concentrate to cover for poor-quality roughage, which is like pouring diesel into a leaking tank. A basic balanced pattern for a milking animal: good green fodder plus clean dry fodder as the base, concentrate matched to milk yield (a common working rule is about 1 kg of concentrate for every 2–2.5 litres of milk beyond maintenance), an oilseed cake for protein, and 30–50 g of a daily mineral mixture. Feeding concentrate beyond what yield justifies adds cost and acidosis risk, not milk — our article on ruminal acidosis (SARA) explains that hidden loss.
Wheat bran, rice polish, gram husk, cottonseed cake, mustard cake, brewers' grains where available — by-product feeds are the cheapest energy and protein in most districts. Two rules: introduce any new feed gradually over 7–10 days, and never buy mouldy stock however cheap — mouldy feed quietly poisons the liver and drops yield, as we covered in mouldy feed and mycotoxins.
Long fodder fed whole is pulled, dropped and refused — chaffing green and dry fodder cuts that waste sharply and improves intake. Feed in a clean manger or trough, not on the ground; wet, soiled leftovers are both a loss and a disease source. Weigh feed with a cheap spring balance for a week — most farms discover they were guessing wrong by 20% or more.
The same ration produces different milk in different animals because digestion differs. Deworm on a calendar (parasites eat first — see why deworming matters), keep minerals daily with a chelated mixture like Cattle Remedies Verymin, and where digestion is sluggish — poor cud-chewing, dung with undigested grain — a herbal rumen and digestive tonic such as Ruminova is commonly used alongside ration correction. Our digestive powder buying guide explains what to look for.
Mineral mixture, clean water and dry-period feeding are the three false economies. Cutting them saves rupees this month and costs thousands next quarter in fertility problems, milk fever and weak calves — see our guides on mineral deficiency signs and dry period management.
A common working rule is about 1 kg per 2–2.5 litres of milk after covering maintenance (roughly 1–1.5 kg for the animal itself), adjusted for fodder quality. An animal on excellent green fodder needs less; verify with your local vet or feed adviser rather than feeding by habit.
Only if it is clean and you know what nutrients it brings. Mouldy, adulterated or unknown feed is the most expensive feed you can buy — it costs milk, liver health and sometimes the animal.
Cutting blindly, yes. Rebalancing — matching concentrate to yield stage while improving roughage quality and digestion — usually holds or improves milk while the feed bill falls. Change gradually and watch yield for two weeks.
Ration changes should be made gradually; consult your veterinarian or a qualified nutritionist for herd-specific advice.
