How often must a cow be fed?

A cow in a controlled feeding operation, like if you're with the FFA or 4-H and feeding your 4-H calf a grain-mix ration, the animal needs to be fed twice a day the same time of day every day. The best times to feed your animal is at mid to late morning and late afternoon for optimum gains and performance from your animals.

If you are feeding your cattle not as 4-H animals but as your own and only feeding them hay, you can feed them once a day or once a week, depending on how many bales you put out for them and how you feed them. To spend less time in the tractor and more time with your family, feed them enough bales so that it'll sustain them for a week.