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Implement Alley Discussion Forum

Hay consumption per head

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Michael Soldan

01-13-2004 13:34:21

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A few weeks ago there was a discussion about baling hay and putting up feed. Someone suggested that a cattle beast(cow) would eat 300 small squares over the winter. I got to thinking about that the other day when I was feeding the cattle. It seems to me that a cow carrying a calf would have a hard time eating all that hay in a six month winter stable. I'm figuring I feed about a half a bale a day per cow plus about a gallon measure of cracked corn. Now maybe I'm a miser but the cows don't look skinny and they don't bawl because they are hungry. I had nice healthy calves this past spring. I occasionaly throw some wheat straw into the manger and when I'm not rushed I mix whole oats into the cracked corn but the quantity of a gallon measure per cow doesn't change. Salt blocks are in the mangers and mineral is mixed into the cracked corn/oats. I'm interested in how you guys feed cows in calf..... Mike in Exeter Ontario

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01-15-2004 09:06:32

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Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Michael Soldan, 01-13-2004 13:34:21

I generaly avg 1 rd bale/mo/cow. Baling side by side w the sq baler, each rd has 15-17 sqs in it. So a half to two thirds of a bale a day w a little grain is what my cows consume.

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Jerry/MT

01-14-2004 18:50:03

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Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Michael Soldan, 01-13-2004 13:34:21

If you are talking about brood beef cows, it depends on what trimester of the gestation period she is in and the quality of the hay you are feeding. The National Research Council routinely publishes the requirements in terms of crude protein and energy and provides tables for the nutrient values of gazillions of differnt feeds. In general the cow needs more crude protein and energy in the last trimester of her pregnancy and in the 60-90 day post calving interval. She'll also need more if the temps are below 20F or if its rainy or if the wind chills are low. What I'm trying to say is there is no single correct answer to your question. Regards,
An Extention Livestock Advisor

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Jerry/MT

01-15-2004 19:49:28

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Re: Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Jerry/MT, 01-14-2004 18:50:03

Just an addendum to my previous note. If your cows are healthy and are calving OK, the calves are healthy and your cows re-breed by 90 days after dropping their calves and your weaning weights are 50% of the live cow weights and your weaning better than 98% of your calves, your doing a fine job with your current feeding program.

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Tom

01-13-2004 18:32:33

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Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Michael Soldan, 01-13-2004 13:34:21

Just read an article about this in this month's Progressive Farmer Magazine. They say that IF hay is the only feed then a cow needs 2.5% to 3% of body weight per day. That equates to 25 lbs per day for a 1000 lb cow. This if they have absolutely no natural grazing.

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01-14-2004 06:57:47

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Re: Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Tom, 01-13-2004 18:32:33

that is correct at most 5% og body weight

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bryan in mo

01-13-2004 16:55:41

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Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Michael Soldan, 01-13-2004 13:34:21

We have 14 cows and calves , knowing that everybody feeds their cows different, this is what we do , they get 2-3 square bales 3 times a day, and at nite along with hay for the evening they get 2 3gal buckets of feed. We have a bunch of very happy cows.

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Hugh MacKay

01-13-2004 15:04:09

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Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Michael Soldan, 01-13-2004 13:34:21

Michael: I have in my my library of books a publication put out by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Ontario Agricultural College, Sept. 1963. Just how this book made it all the way to Nova Scotia and back to Ontario in 40 years is more than I will mention. It is a very good book. Gives many recomendations on various types of hay ( clover, alfalfa, grasses, etc.) How much to expect the various size animals to eat. Grain mixtures, salts, minerals,etc. This book even goes into expected rates of gain. If you like we can copy some of this. There are sections for dairy, beef, swine and sheep.

I'll bet your dad had one of these books. Probably a quite plentiful item around here. It was kind of hard to get your hands on one in Nova Scotia 40 years ago.

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Dave H (MI)

01-13-2004 15:13:08

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Re: Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Hugh MacKay, 01-13-2004 15:04:09

Some of those old books are great references. I was lucky enough to pick up a whole crate full of textbooks from Michigan State a few years back. These books date back to pre-war times and have a great deal of interesting info, often with pictures. Some implements I have never even heard of (ever seen a "hay sweep"?). Topics include many types of crops and pretty much all livestock. Also, feeds etc. Great stuff.

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01-13-2004 16:20:48

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Re: Re: Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Dave H (MI), 01-13-2004 15:13:08

Dave, I`m curious whats a hay sweep? RT

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DEM66

01-13-2004 17:04:50

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to RT, 01-13-2004 16:20:48

A hay sweep is a big fork on the front of a turned around truck or turned around tractor to scoop up loose hay. My dad said their sweep would sweep about 1 to 1 1/2 ton. You then would take the hay to a beaver slide or an over shot. The slides were used to push the hay up and it would fall over into a loose hay stack. the slides originally horse operated.

Dan

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steveormary

01-13-2004 20:52:46

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to DEM66, 01-13-2004 17:04:50

And you had to have someone in the stack to pack the hay down and spread it around. Some had a cage they would use to keep the stack straight. And you had to round the top so the rain would run off.

I got to drive the hay sweep,Mom or Sis drove the stacker tractor and Dad worked the stack. Lunch was at 4.

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DEM66

01-14-2004 06:54:07

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to steveormary, 01-13-2004 20:52:46

By the time I was born (1966) we wern't loose stacking hay anymore so I missed out on those good old days. I remember the slides sitting on the edge of our hay meadows and we still had hay cribs sitting around in the meadows when I was young. They are all gone now.

Dan

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01-15-2004 08:49:51

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hay consumption per he in reply to DEM66, 01-14-2004 06:54:07

I stacked hay for years and will be returning to stacking hay when I am putting up hay to be ground later.

Take a drive between Ogallala and Brady NE on Highway 30 and you will see a few haystacks. As late as 5 years ago thats about all you would see in that part of the country.

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DEM66

01-15-2004 14:59:06

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Hay consumption pe in reply to JC, 01-15-2004 08:49:51

JC,

I've driven that road a many a time and have seen those stacks. I live south of Lyman, NE on hyw 92. You live out in this area somewhere? There was a ranch up in Walden, CO where I grew up that still used horses to stack with until about 10 years ago when the old guy that owned it died. I guess he didn't care to change with the times. Its to bad you don't see much of that anymore.

Dan

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DEM66

01-13-2004 14:59:43

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Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Michael Soldan, 01-13-2004 13:34:21

My family was in the ranching business fo four generations before we had to sell out in the 1980's. We ran a cow calf operation in the mountains of Colorado (it can get down to -40 F). We ran 1000 head of cows. If you are feeding 1100lb to 1200lb cows you need to feed them 25lb of hay per day. If you are feeding grass hay you may have to cake them (protein supplement). If you are feeding a good quality alfalfa you probably will not need a protein supplement. Now if you are feeding 1600lb Semintals you may need to feed 30lbs - 35lbs but if you are feeding 40lbs a day to beef cows your wasting feed.

Dan

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Bob G

01-13-2004 14:24:52

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Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Michael Soldan, 01-13-2004 13:34:21

When I was still in high school and we ran cows in Montana we feed orchard grass/clover hay. Each cow go approximately 25 pounds of hay a day and this was even during extemely cold days/nights at minus 20>

Bob G

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RJ-AZ

01-13-2004 19:46:29

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Re: Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Bob G, 01-13-2004 14:24:52

SE Mt. (Hardin): We figured one square bale per three cow on average, upped it a little when it got colder and supplemented with 1# of barley cake per animal when close to calving to bring up milk production. A good reference is a book called Feeds and Feeding we used in high school Ag class.

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Hugh MacKay

01-14-2004 01:39:29

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Re: Re: Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to RJ-AZ, 01-13-2004 19:46:29

Ah, Feeds and Feeding, I had forgotten that one, that is one good book.

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Fern(Mi)

01-13-2004 14:20:12

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Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Michael Soldan, 01-13-2004 13:34:21

40# hay & 17/18# grain was good couple months ago for those bred cattle in confinement; but, that has gone up some 30% with this cold weather.
The cows on grazing land ate two bales every other day. These days they're consuming the same amount in a day`n'half. One bale 5x6 dried dow 1500#. The second bale 4x4 high moist abt. 1500# or more by iys heft upon the loader.
Goofy cows disliked the high moisture a few weeks ago eating it last. Now that its cold The high moisture is eaten first.
One more thing. next feeding there'll no high moisture leftovers.
These are my observations.
Fern

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Big Jim

01-13-2004 13:55:19

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Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Michael Soldan, 01-13-2004 13:34:21

You are pretty close on that one. I'd say about one bale (assuming 40-50lb. bales) per day with a small amount of grain supplement would keep a beef cow pretty happy.

I feed round bales nowadays and I'd say I feed about 1.25 to 1.5 round bales/cow/month during the winter months when their is no pasture (about6-7 months around here). The round bales are the 4'x5' size at about 1,000 pounds each. It kind of goes by body weight of the animal. None of my cows have a calf on them in the winter as they are sold as feeders before the bad weather sets in.

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gcs

01-13-2004 13:52:15

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Re: Hay consumption per head in reply to Michael Soldan, 01-13-2004 13:34:21

That amount has got to be wrong, even if you fed 1 40# bale/day for 6 mos,that's only 180 bales,and 40# is a lot of hay. When I fed horses I figured about 15#/day or about 1/3rd of a bale,maybe 20# if outside and cold.

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