Simple Feeding Tip #1: Feed Off the Ground

We are excited to introduce this new series sharing simple and practical feeding tips. Good feeding practices don’t have to be complicated, but they are important to the health of your animal and the effectiveness of your feed.

Simple Feeding Tip #1: Feed Off the Ground

One of the easiest ways to improve animal health, reduce feed waste, and stretch your feed budget is to keep feed off the ground whenever possible.

Why does it matter?
Many of the most common livestock parasites and disease organisms are transmitted through the fecal-oral route. In simple terms, animals become exposed when feed or water comes into contact with manure. Every time feed is dropped onto a muddy lot, manure-covered bedding, or a heavily trafficked feeding area, the risk of contamination increases.

Feeding off the ground can help:
✔ Reduce feed waste
✔ Keep feed cleaner and more appetizing
✔ Reduce manure contamination
✔ Lower parasite exposure pressure
✔ Improve feed efficiency
✔ Keep feeding areas drier and easier to manage

And the savings can be significant. Research has shown that feeding hay (as an example) without a feeder can result in over 50% waste, while well-designed feeders can reduce losses to single digits.

Simple ways to keep feed off the ground:

• Use feeders, bunks, troughs, hay rings, racks, or feed pans.
• Hay nets are great for containing forage for animals without horns
• Place feeders on a gravel pad, concrete surface, rubber mat, geotextile pad, or other well-drained area.
• Set feed pans or mineral feeders on pallets or another raised surface to keep them out of mud and standing water.
• Use over the fence buckets or large mineral feeders with a cover for minerals and salt blocks to keep them clean and prevent contamination.
• Secure feeders and pans to prevent nosy or pushy animals from tipping them over and spilling feed on the ground.
• Create a designated feeding area in a remote spot rather than feeding directly in your high-traffic areas.
• Move portable feeders regularly to prevent manure buildup and muddy conditions.
• Use feeders that catch dropped feed or forage instead of allowing it to fall onto the ground.
• For pasture-based systems, avoid repeatedly feeding in the same location as much as possible.

Whether you’re grass-fed, conventionally fed, or raising a few animals in the backyard, keeping feed cleaner is one of the simplest management changes you can make.

Nothing is getting cheaper these days. Better feeding is about wasting less of the feed you already have, to help your dollar go further. Your animals will be healthier too!

What’s your favorite trick for feeding off the ground and reducing feed waste? Share a photo of your feed setup below!