Apple Pomace as Cattle Feed — Kashmir's Seasonal Leftover, Used Carefully

Every autumn the valley has more apples than it can sell, and the juice units leave behind heaps of pomace — the pressed skins, pulp and seeds. Farmers near the orchards feed both the pomace and the fallen fruit, and it is a reasonable idea as long as you know what you are feeding.

What apple actually gives

Apple pomace is mostly water, sugar and fibre. It is palatable, animals love it, and it is a fair energy feed by the wet kilo. What it lacks is protein and minerals: a cow fed heavily on pomace and straw will be short of both within weeks, and her milk will show it. Think of it as a sweet, cheap energy supplement, not a ration.

How much is safe

• Adult cow or buffalo: up to 10-15 kg of fresh pomace a day, introduced over a week, split into two feeds and never on an empty stomach.
• Goats and sheep: 1-2 kg a day, with the same gradual start.
• Calves under six months: avoid; their rumen is not ready for the sugar load.

Always alongside normal dry fodder and the usual compound feed. Pomace replaces part of the energy, so the compound feed can come down a little; it cannot replace protein, so the feed does not disappear.

The three risks

1. Choke. Whole apples lodge in the throat. Crush or chop fallen apples; never throw whole fruit into the trough. Our guide on choke explains the emergency signs.
2. Acidosis and bloat. A sudden bucket of sugary pomace to an animal used to straw drops the rumen pH fast. Build up over a week and keep plenty of fibre in front of them.
3. Mould and fermentation. Pomace heats and moulds within two or three days in warm weather. Feed it fresh; a sour, grey, warm heap is a toxin risk, not a bargain. Dry pomace spread thin in the sun if you want to keep it longer.

A sensible autumn ration

Dry fodder as the base, fresh pomace as a measured treat, and GOKA Star or Challenger 8000 kept at the calculator's quantity for the milk she gives. Mineral mixture every day, because the pomace has none. That way the orchard's leftover becomes milk instead of a vet bill.