How long does it take a cow to eat a round bale?

Thirty-six pounds of hay is close to one small square bale of hay per day, taking into consideration some waste. Conversely, feeding one large round bale of hay, to two or three steers or cows will last a few weeks.

How many round bales will a cow eat?

Determine the number of bales of hay that each cow needs by dividing the cow's yearly need by the adjusted weight of each bale. For a cow needing 8,190 pounds of hay per year and a bale weight of 960 pounds, divide 8,190 by 960 for a yearly need of about 8.5 bales per cow.

How long will a round bale last 10 cows?

So placing 10 bales in a paddock would supply about ten days' worth of feed for a 30-cow herd, five days of feed for a 60-cow herd, and so on.

How many round bales does a cow eat in winter?

A typical 4 x 4 round bale of dry hay will weigh about 670 pounds, so presto! One round bale a day works out well for our 18-cow herd! Let us say that we feed small square bales of dry hay, that weigh about 40 pounds each. 648/40=16.2, or 16 small square bales per day.

How many bales a day does a cow eat?

Cows will voluntarily consume 2.0% of body weight or 24 pounds per day. The 24 pounds is based on 100% dry matter. Grass hays will often be 7 to 10% moisture. If we assume that the hay is 92% dry matter or 8% moisture, then the cows will consume about 26 pounds per day on an “as-fed basis”.

Hay Storage and Stacking Hay - Hints and Tips

How do you feed round bale?

Round bales stored outside, uncovered and on the ground and fed in unrolled, exposed bales or in simple open-sided ring feeders will have the biggest losses, easily 30 -50%. In contrast, bales stored inside or covered, off the ground and fed unrolled or in cone-style feeders can limit losses to 5-15%.

How heavy is a 4x5 round bale?

A 4'x5' bale weighs 950 lbs (430 kg). A 5'x5' bale weighs 1,200 lbs (540 kg) and a 5'x6' bale weighs 1,500 lbs (680 kg). Grass bales, like timothy, weigh 20% less than alfalfa bales. Moisture content can affect bale weight by as much as 25 percent.

Is it cheaper to buy hay or make it?

In most environments where forage production is based on natural rainfall, you can almost always buy hay cheaper than you can produce it.

How much hay does a 500 pound calf eat per day?

Unless indicated by the person you purchased the calf from, cattle should be adapted gradually to growing rations rather than abruptly put on high-grain diets. When the calf starts on feed, first provide high-quality grass hay for free choice consumption (3% of body weight; 15 lbs per day for a 500 lb calf).

How much hay does a cow need per day in winter?

Cows will voluntarily consume 2 percent of body weight or 24 pounds per day. The 24 pounds is based on 100 percent dry matter. If we assume that the hay is 92 percent dry matter or 8 percent moisture, then the cows will consume about 26 pounds per day on an “as-fed basis.”

How long does a round bale last for cattle?

One round bale lasts about 8-10 days using our regular round bale hay net with 1.75" holes. Without a net, a bale lasts approximately 5-6 days and half of it is wasted. Once the hay hits the ground, it gets urinated and defecated on or they use it as a bed and refuse to eat it.

How many bales of silage does a cow need in the winter?

A suckler cow will consume about 1.25t of direct cut silage per month amounting to 5t per cow for a 4-month winter. Where silage is good or cows are in very good condition at housing, a saving of 0.75t on the above amount is possible. The baled silage requirement is about 1.5 bales/cow/month.

How do you know when a cow is hungry?

I look at the cows, and see if their left side is sunken in, if it is, they aren't getting enough to eat. The place to look is below the hip bone and short ribs. Just after paddock shift – they are getting down to the business of grazing, but their sides aren't sunken in.

How many cows do you need to make a living?

Usually 2 or more. A cow usually has some fool to feed her, and they make a very comfortable living. Most of the time they get a job with water, an occasional conjugal visit, and plenty of grass and usually some shelter.

What is the best hay for cattle?

Timothy hay is recommended by many experts due to its ease on various animal's digestive system as well as promotion of bowel regularity. Additionally, there have been scientific studies done that show Timothy hay is an ideal feed for pregnant or lactating cows.

Why are round bales left in field?

Round bales are easier to feed to cattle and horses as they can be stored and served “in bulk,” often simply by rolling the bale along the ground to unravel the hay. Round bales don't have to be cut to feed while square bales do.

Are round bales better than square?

The only difference between square and round bales is the type of machinery used. The shape of the bale won't influence the nutrient content of the hay. Why have most of hay producers changed from making small square bales to large round bales? It is primarily due to the labor requirements for making the smaller bales.

Should you stack round bales?

Round bales should be stacked in rows, end-to-end to minimize the exposure of the open bale face to the elements. Stack bales with three feet of spacing between rows. The rows should be oriented in a north-to-south direction. That allows faster drying after a rain with good sunlight and air flow.

How much money can you make off an acre of hay?

“You are going to get more than three years out of that, but if we use three years, that's about $100 per acre per year,” Brown says. “If you are getting $125 per ton for quality hay, you are going to see a profit of $51 per ton, or $204 per acre.

How many acres do you need to make hay?

Horse farmers are looking for good hay, and they're willing to pay for it. Here was the thought, on 50 acres you would get 100 square bales per acre, which is a conservative number. If we do the math, that works out to be. 100 bales x 50 acres = 5000 bales of hay for 50 acres of land.

How much does it cost to make a round bale?

As you can see, the cost or value of the primary nutrients in a typical bermudagrass round bale is $20.30. If you add to this the cost of baling, about $15 per round bale, then your cost for a 1,200-pound round bale is now $35.30.

How many square bales are in a 4x5 round bale of hay?

If the large round-bale weighs 1,200 pounds and the small square bales weigh 40 pounds, then one large round hay bale would be equal to 30 small square bales. It important to know the weight of hay bales both for feeding and economic purposes.

What are round hay bales called?

The two most common options are large round bales, also called rolls, and small square bales.

What is the average weight of a round bale of silage?

The average weight of the bale is 200-240kg DM. One bale would give 50 cows 4kg DM/cow approx. Weigh your bale to get an estimate of the weight. Bales can be fed in a ring feeder in the collecting yard or in the yard as cows leave the parlour.