I really love doughnuts, but is it good to feed them to my cows? My neighbor is picking up day old doughnuts and feeding them to his cows. They seem to like them. Does this have any nutritional value for them? Is this any good to the cows or will it hurt them? I dont want to fight them for the sprinkled ones.
Doughnuts
- Thread starter andicetx
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Cows can eat and digest almost anything that's not metal, plastic or glass. Donuts are mostly flour (wheat), so uness they are some exotic, special ingredient donuts, they won't hurt the cows. But they should be fed as part of a balanced nutrition program, not as the bulk of their diet. I remember several years ago during a drought some guy fed a bunch of Skittles chocolate candy and killed his cows.
ToddFarmsInc
Well-known member
LOL.... :lol:
Many moons ago, my sister used to work at a local Dunkin Doghnuts. Her boss let her bring home garbage bags full of the toss outs. (which there were a lot of) There was nothing wrong with them, they were just past their shelf life. The boss told her they shouldn't be used for human consumption, but since we were raising pigs at the time she could feed them to the pigs. Funny thing is the pigs didn't really eat them very well, they just played with them, and pushed them down the slats into the pits. But us pigs really enjoyed them. :banana:
Many moons ago, my sister used to work at a local Dunkin Doghnuts. Her boss let her bring home garbage bags full of the toss outs. (which there were a lot of) There was nothing wrong with them, they were just past their shelf life. The boss told her they shouldn't be used for human consumption, but since we were raising pigs at the time she could feed them to the pigs. Funny thing is the pigs didn't really eat them very well, they just played with them, and pushed them down the slats into the pits. But us pigs really enjoyed them. :banana:
Frankie":2jdjrraj said:
A couple of years ago I was watching a show on TV and in a 'section' of the show they showed a dairy farm that actually fed their cows chocolate candy (on a regular basis).....he never said that it would kill/hurt them.....
Man I have bought several bulls from used them to train his bulls instead of cubes. When I'd go to pick up a bull/bulls from his place he'd have me back up to the lot and then he'd throw a bunch of doughnuts on the trailer. The bulls would hop up on the trailer to get them. Damnest thing I've ever seen.
mermill2
Well-known member
I've been feeding doughnuts,bread and pastries for years,never hurt em yet.They love anything sweet.
redcowsrule33
Well-known member
The folks of a close friend had a dairy herd and lived near a cookie factory - mixed them in the TMR every day. At least the dairy cows had milk to dip 'em in. ;-)
TheBullLady
Well-known member
Yep, we've been feeding "day olds" for years also. Start them out slowly.. don't give them a bunch all at once. The vet suggested 1 to 1 1/2 lbs per head.
shorty
Well-known member
Years ago I sold a load of hay to a farmer in Lancaster county and he had a pallet box full of outdated candy bars , I think they were almond joy or snickers . He told me he was grinding some in with his feed , I said that it must be a lot of extra work to take off all the wrappers , he said he grinds them right along , I didn't like that idea but I guess it worked for him.
TheBullLady
Well-known member
Actually, you can feed the wrappers as well. A good friend of ours has a feedlot in Wisconsin, and he has a full time nutritionist that did a bunch of research on that a few years back. Certain types of wrappers are paper based, and he said they are actually edible to people as well.. not like that would happen. Unless of course, some of the chocolate melted off on it. 
retty:
retty:djinwa
Well-known member
andicetx":1u3niayw said:
As for nutritional value, they have as much for the cows as they do for humans. Pretty much just energy.
As stated, be careful on the dosage. Donuts are highly refined carbohydrates and it doesn't take much to cause rumen acidosis. Years ago I had a Jersey cow - fed her too many old donuts and found her staggering around one morning. First thought milk fever, but was too late after calving for that. Finally figured out it was too many donuts.
I quit feeding them to the cow as I figured I wanted more nutrition in the milk than donuts provide. Got a load of old squash from a farm last year as a source of carbohydrate in addition to some grain.
grannysoo
Well-known member
My girls will chew your arm off for a donut or honeybun...
