Grain and Concentrate Feeding

Do my animals even need grain?

Many grazing animals do fine on good pasture and hay with minerals. Grain becomes useful for growing animals, hard-working animals, those in late pregnancy or lactation, animals in poor condition and animals in cold weather who cannot meet energy needs from forage alone. Before you add grain, ask whether your forage is the real problem.

Test your hay and check body condition first. Your veterinarian or extension agent can tell you whether grain is needed and what kind.

Be honest about whether you are feeding grain for the animal's sake or for your own habit. Many people hand out grain as a treat or to make animals easy to catch, and the extra energy adds up quickly. Treats count as part of the diet, so keep them small and occasional.

What counts as a concentrate?

Concentrates include grains such as corn and oats, pelleted and textured feeds, protein supplements and byproduct feeds. They differ in energy, protein and mineral content and are formulated for specific species and life stages. A feed made for one species can be harmful to another.

Read the feed tag. It lists what the feed contains and which animals it is made for. Some feeds contain additives that are safe for one species and dangerous for another, so match the tag to your animals.

• Check the species on the label every time.
• Know whether the feed contains medication.
• Keep feed tags so you can tell your veterinarian what was fed.

How do I start feeding grain safely?

Introduce grain slowly over days or weeks, starting with small amounts, and increase gradually. A rapid jump overwhelms the animal's gut and can cause acidosis, founder or bloat in sensitive animals. Divide the daily amount into several small meals rather than one large one when you can.

Ask your veterinarian for amounts and a timeline for your species, age and size. Do not follow a plan written for a different animal, since proper amounts differ greatly.

Animals that have been on pasture all season often lose their appetite for what is in the bag, and some refuse new feeds at first. Mixing a small amount of new feed with the old and increasing it day by day helps them accept it and keeps their digestion steady.

What are the risks of overfeeding?

Too much grain can cause digestive upset, laminitis in horses, urinary stones in some male animals, obesity and metabolic disease. In ruminants, a sudden overload of grain can be life threatening. Feeding grain also changes how animals use forage, so it may raise costs without helping.

If an animal breaks into the grain, do not wait to see what happens. Call a veterinarian immediately and tell them what and how much was eaten.

Keep a rule in the household that gates and feed room doors are shut and latched every time. Many serious feed overload emergencies happen because a child, a visitor or a tired adult left a door open. Locks that animals cannot work out are worth the small cost.

How do I feed fairly in a group?

Competition at the feed bunk means dominant animals eat too much and shy ones too little. Provide enough feeder space for every animal to eat at once, or feed in several spots. Separate animals with special needs, such as thin ones or growing youngsters, so that you can control what they eat.

Watch behavior at feeding time. Animals that are pushed away consistently will lose condition even when the group looks fine on average.

How should I store grain safely?

Store grain in sealed, rodent-proof containers away from animals that could break in. Keep it dry, since damp grain molds, and discard anything that smells off or looks clumped. Keep medicated feed separate and labeled.

Clean up spills promptly. Grain on the floor draws mice and invites a feed raid by loose animals.

How can I manage costs and still feed well?

Concentrate prices change with markets, so compare options and avoid stockpiling more than you can store well. Improve pasture and hay first, since forage is usually the cheapest feed. Use grain where it makes a measurable difference, such as in late pregnancy or for thin animals, and drop it when the need passes.

A nutritionist or extension agent can help you balance rations without overbuying. Ask your FSA or extension office about any local feed assistance or programs after drought or disaster.

Compare labels as well as prices. Two bags of the same price can differ widely in what they contain, and a cheaper feed that does not meet your animals' needs can cost more through poor growth or illness. Ask your extension agent to help you read the tags.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Rural Farm Life Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.