How many bales of hay does a cow need for winter?

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 much hay does a cow need in winter?

Cows will voluntarily consume about 2 percent of their body weight or 24 pounds per day. The 24 pounds is based on 100 percent dry matter. Grass hays often will be 7 percent to 10 percent moisture.

How many cows will 1 round bale feed?

Conversely, feeding one large round bale of hay, to two or three steers or cows will last a few weeks. Feeding round bales or square bales to your beef cattle is a personal choice, based on what is available and your storage capacity.

How much hay does a 1000 lb cow eat per day?

Cows will voluntarily consume 2.0% of body weight or 24 pounds per day.

Is hay enough for cows in the winter?

For many producers, it is not uncommon to incur four or five months of hay feeding during the winter. When fed average-quality forage, a 1,200-pound cow will consume about 2.5% of her body weight daily. That equates to 900 pounds of forage monthly, roughly equivalent to the weight of the average bale of hay.

Cow-Calf Corner: Calculating How Much Hay is Needed for Winter (11/12/16)

Can cows live off just hay?

While some cows can sustain many of their needs on grass alone, they are usually the non-lactating cows (i.e., cows that aren't producing milk). A lactating dairy cow has a high metabolism, and is very similar to a marathon runner or high performance athlete.

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).

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 do you calculate hay for cattle?

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 much does it cost to feed a cow per day?

This winter grazing program cost approximately 50 cents per day per cow, whereas the average producer feeding harvested hay per day cow cost would range from $1.25 to $2.00 per day depending on the quality of hay fed.

How do you keep cows from wasting hay?

Most cattle farmers experience waste due to improper feeding practices and poor storage techniques. Fortunately, wasting hay can easily be eliminated by the use of a hay feeder. A hay feeder can come in the form of a hay ring and certain variations.

How do you prevent hay waste in cattle?

Avoid placing hay near streams or lowland areas. To reduce waste, it is advised to provide only enough hay to last for one day. If large amounts of hay must be put out at one time, it is helpful to place a barrier between the hay and animals to reduce waste. Feeding racks or rings can be effective barriers.

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.

Do cows prefer grass or hay?

The simple answer is hay. Most people are familiar the a cows diet in the summer, acres and acres of lush green grass. But what is hay? Hay is the staple forage in most cattle operations.

How many bales of hay does a cow eat per day?

As you can see, buying small bales for an average-sized herd of around 100 animals doesn't make much sense. If each cow needs 28 pounds of hay, you'll need seven 40-pound bales to feed a cowherd of 10 for one day.

How cold is too cold for cattle?

The ideal temperature range for dairy cattle is 25 to 65 F, according to the University of Missouri Extension. Even at temperatures of just 68 F they can start to feel heat stress. When temperatures dip below zero, yes, cows may get cold but Organic Valley farmers take special precautions to keep cows cozy.

How much hay will an acre grow?

Even an average rule of thumb can vary widely by region, soil, and type of hay. For us here in the Midwest, a mixed grass/legume hay can yield anywhere from one to five tons per acre for a full season.

Do cows need free choice hay?

Cows will over consume, if hay is fed free choice. Long feeders are less effective than round or square feeders because boss animals will push others back by walking down the long feeder, interrupting other cows feeding and reducing their intake.

Can cattle gain weight on hay?

Feed-to gain-conversion is how many pounds of feed/hay it takes to make 1 pound of body weight gain. Cow A gained weight easier on hay, requiring approximately 15 pounds of hay for every 1 pound of weight gain; whereas, she needed 44 pounds of the grain + hay diet to achieve 1 pound of gain.

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.

Is it worth it to grow your own hay?

Points in favor of growing hay

You can ensure that it has high-quality nutrition and is free of mold and pests. You don't have to haul it from another farm or pay for delivery. You can save a lot of money compared to buying hay, assuming you already own the necessary equipment and storage space.

How do you maintain a hay field?

How long does it take a calf to reach 500 lbs?

It will take over a year (367 days) to grow a 500-pound calf to 1,000 pounds if its average daily weight gain is 1.5 pounds per day. Some extensive forage-finishing systems may require a longer duration for calves to reach slaughter weight if forage quality and quantity restrict growth to no more than 1 pound per day.

How old is a 500 pound calf?

During this time their primary source of food is milk from their dam, and the grass or roughage (hay) that is available. At 6-9 months of age the calves are weaned off their dams and placed in a field or pen with other calves of a similar age and weight. Most calves will weigh 500-700 lbs at weaning.

How many times a day do you feed cows?

Traditionally most dairy producers provide a total mixed ration (TMR) to their lactating dairy cattle twice per day (2x). However, many producers are electing to feed their cows only once per day (1x), as a means of reducing labour costs.