Potatoes that are too small or tubers that have lost their commercial qualities but have not turned green are suitable for feeding to cattle. Tobias Fink talks about this in an article published on the German portal Agrarheute.com.
“Potatoes are used as a juice-containing feed for cattle, including dairy cows, since small tubers have a high energy value.
It is important to remember that for cattle, the tubers should not be boiled: during the heating process, the starch gelatinizes and breaks down very quickly in the rumen into short-chain fatty acids. This increases the risk of rumen acidosis.
The content of dry matter in tubers ranges from 22% to 18%, starch - 12 to 20%, and protein - 2% in the fresh mass of the tuber. Compared to grains, the differences in nutrient composition are small.
If we compare different feeds in terms of starch digestibility, then potatoes are inferior to millet and corn for grain, but ahead of beans, barley, oats or wheat.
You can add small substandard tubers to grass or corn silage. To do this, the pure product is transferred in layers with a silo. There is no need to further damage the potatoes. In the process of ensiling, it remains intact, but becomes softer and is readily eaten by animals. Ensiling eliminates the need to give potatoes separately when feeding.
Another option is to feed raw tubers to livestock. After getting used to the cow willingly eat them. It is best to cut them first and give them with roughage at the same time.
After the animals get used to it, productive cows can be given 10 to 15 kg of fresh potatoes daily. It should be given in small amounts to low-producing animals, as the high concentration of energy can lead to obesity.
Due to their high energy content and relatively high structural value, potatoes replace other components of the concentrate.
However, it contains substances that can adversely affect the health of cows, solanine. When overfeeding raw potatoes, excess solanine causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, vomiting and diarrhea. The quantity contained in the tubers is considered safe, with a maximum daily ration of 15 kg.
Solanine levels are higher in leaves and sprouts. Therefore, all seedlings should be removed before feeding, if the tubers have lain until spring.