Estimate hay per cow per month?

[gimpyrancher]

Is there a way to approximate the number of bails per cow per month? (for winter feeding) In long winter years, it'd help estimate how much extra you need to buy. I know it depends on what size cows, squares or rounds, and other variables. But it sure would help a newbee estimate how much they'd need to order/buy. Will I need delivery or could I haul my own needs. Then I could estimate how many squares or rounds I'd need to get and store.

Or is it pounds of beef times pounds of hay? Harder for a newbee to estimate without being able to weight them. There has got to be a way to estimate need without actually weight the herd. I'm not talking about hundreds or dozens of cattle. This is for just starting out. :wave:

 

[tom4018]

Our ag agent sent out a spreadsheet that takes bale sizes and cow size into the calculation. Send me a pm with a email address and i will sent it to you.

 

[Isomade]

I just figure 1 round bale per cow per month. These are 900-1100# bales. Round bales come in several sizes ranging from 600-1600# so you need to take that into account. I'm talking about grass hay. So if you are feeding 20 cows from November 1st to March 15th and you are buying 900-1000# bales you would feed 90 bales. If possible buy 10-20 more bales than you think you need so 100-110 bales.

 

[jedstivers]

So at $100 a bale thats only $500 per cow.

 

[MF135]

So at $100 a bale thats only $500 per cow.

If hay is running you $100/bale then you needa be feeding a complete textured feed- a maintenance ration at about 1%bw/day.

 

[jedstivers]

So at $100 a bale thats only $500 per cow.

If hay is running you $100/bale then you needa be feeding a complete textured feed- a maintenance ration at about 1%bw/day.

Hay won't be running me $100 a bale. They will be on the bus and headed elsewere before then.

 

[Caustic Burno]

The problem with 100 dollar hay is why mess with it and the losses. Hay at that price is 10 cents a pound(1000 lb roll) and when you figure in your loss more likely around 12 cents a pound. I can buy 14% bulk feed for 10 cents a pound and virtually have no loss. When hay prices get this close or greater than bulk feed there is no since messing with it.
What a man has to really understand is what a 500 pound calf has to bring as input cost go up.
Currently I would have to get 94 cents a pound on a 100% calf crop to cover the cost of the cow's upkeep for the year, with a 90% calf crop that price moves to 1.05. That's just to break even on the cow. With current prices you can afford to pay 10 to 12 cents a pound for feed to hold on, the key word here is current prices.
Now here come's the fly in the ointment maintaing BCS on the cow's that have been stressed by drought being able to hold BCS while maintaing a calf. Now it gets even nastier in if BCS drops your input cost are going to skyrocket going into winter to get her back into condition. Not maintaing BCS is a whole nuther train wreck that we could discuss until the cow's come home.

 

[spinandslide]

So at $100 a bale thats only $500 per cow.

If hay is running you $100/bale then you needa be feeding a complete textured feed- a maintenance ration at about 1%bw/day.

Hay won't be running me $100 a bale. They will be on the bus and headed elsewere before then.

Heck yes on that..

OP-I wish ya luck..I usually go off of years past when I figure my hay..depending on weather and bale size, my small herd goes thru a bale a week in the dead of winter..right now, it's lasting them longer, as they are picking the pasture still where it's getting irrigated...

Ive found, even with calcuations, I always tend to run abit short..so this year, I bought afew extra then I figured I'd need.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Am no expert at all on this! But I agree w/ Spinandslide in, "What did we do last year?" We'll only be wintering 5 or 6 (including a couple fall-born calves), but we have long winters and we'll soon finish out 3 steers for Nov. butcher. I think we'll have plenty with 8 ton of orchard grass and almost 10 ton alfalfa already in the barn. I believe in keeping a good "pantry" -- totally galls me if I have to find hay before the next haying season starts and then pay way too much $$ for it.

 

[Kingfisher]

Our ag agent sent out a spreadsheet that takes bale sizes and cow size into the calculation. Send me a pm with a email address and i will sent it to you.

Can I see that too? [email protected] Thanks

 

[Kingfisher]

The problem with 100 dollar hay is why mess with it and the losses. Hay at that price is 10 cents a pound(1000 lb roll) and when you figure in your loss more likely around 12 cents a pound. I can buy 14% bulk feed for 10 cents a pound and virtually have no loss. When hay prices get this close or greater than bulk feed there is no since messing with it.
What a man has to really understand is what a 500 pound calf has to bring as input cost go up.
Currently I would have to get 94 cents a pound on a 100% calf crop to cover the cost of the cow's upkeep for the year, with a 90% calf crop that price moves to 1.05. That's just to break even on the cow. With current prices you can afford to pay 10 to 12 cents a pound for feed to hold on, the key word here is current prices.
Now here come's the fly in the ointment maintaing BCS on the cow's that have been stressed by drought being able to hold BCS while maintaing a calf. Now it gets even nastier in if BCS drops your input cost are going to skyrocket going into winter to get her back into condition. Not maintaing BCS is a whole nuther train wreck that we could discuss until the cow's come home.

It's allways nice for you to shine some light on the subject...

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Caustic Burno, thanks for that analysis. S'good info! We pray for you cattle people and rain in TX daily. All things considered, our little outfit has nothing to bitch about/studiously consider, compared to what you are dealing with. God Bless!

 

[Caustic Burno]

Well I am fixing to break new ground, I am about out of water in a subtropical rain forest.
Adding the cost of water to feed and hay might have just sent half of what is left to the salebarn. The mind blowing part is I had 28 pairs last year and was letting the neighbor run some over here in last years "drought" and having to cut grass. I am down to 10 which is Ok if by choice. I had been cutting back anyway just never imagined feeding to the number I have left in July/August. They should be standing belly deep in grass and I shouldn't have to put out a roll of hay until Dec.
Two out of four stock tanks have dried up along with both creeks, NOAA put out we are 42 inches behind yesterday.
Now I cut back for health reason's but this drought is starting to piss me off. I have the money to carry them thats not the issue, the issue is I have always maintained a cow must pay it's way to stay. I have culled down to nothing except high dollar girls for seedstock. Here is the quandry where my crystal ball isn't working if I sell out this quality of cow, what is the cost going to be to replace her next year.
Sorry I got long winded it gets down to it doesn't matter if you are running 10 or a 1000 you should approach your operation in the same way, in the cow has to make money.

 

[novatech]

Well I am fixing to break new ground, I am about out of water in a subtropical rain forest.
Adding the cost of water to feed and hay might have just sent half of what is left to the salebarn. The mind blowing part is I had 28 pairs last year and was letting the neighbor run some over here in last years "drought" and having to cut grass. I am down to 10 which is Ok if by choice. I had been cutting back anyway just never imagined feeding to the number I have left in July/August. They should be standing belly deep in grass and I shouldn't have to put out a roll of hay until Dec.
Two out of four stock tanks have dried up along with both creeks, NOAA put out we are 42 inches behind yesterday.
Now I cut back for health reason's but this drought is starting to be nice me off. I have the money to carry them thats not the issue, the issue is I have always maintained a cow must pay it's way to stay. I have culled down to nothing except high dollar girls for seedstock. Here is the quandry where my crystal ball isn't working if I sell out this quality of cow, what is the cost going to be to replace her next year.
Sorry I got long winded it gets down to it doesn't matter if you are running 10 or a 1000 you should approach your operation in the same way, in the cow has to make money.

You are at the point of taking the pencil off what the cows are costing you. You now need to put the pencil onto the quality of life you want. One important part of having that quality is involvement with cattle. That involvement has value. Maybe not something you can put a pencil to but I believe has far more value than money.

 

[highgrit]

Well put novatech, we bought hay this spring for the first time. I can't imagine looking out in my pastures and not seeing any cows.
I hope y'alls drought ends.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Well I am fixing to break new ground, I am about out of water in a subtropical rain forest.
Adding the cost of water to feed and hay might have just sent half of what is left to the salebarn. The mind blowing part is I had 28 pairs last year and was letting the neighbor run some over here in last years "drought" and having to cut grass. I am down to 10 which is Ok if by choice. I had been cutting back anyway just never imagined feeding to the number I have left in July/August. They should be standing belly deep in grass and I shouldn't have to put out a roll of hay until Dec.
Two out of four stock tanks have dried up along with both creeks, NOAA put out we are 42 inches behind yesterday.
Now I cut back for health reason's but this drought is starting to be nice me off. I have the money to carry them thats not the issue, the issue is I have always maintained a cow must pay it's way to stay. I have culled down to nothing except high dollar girls for seedstock. Here is the quandry where my crystal ball isn't working if I sell out this quality of cow, what is the cost going to be to replace her next year.
Sorry I got long winded it gets down to it doesn't matter if you are running 10 or a 1000 you should approach your operation in the same way, in the cow has to make money.

You are at the point of taking the pencil off what the cows are costing you. You now need to put the pencil onto the quality of life you want. One important part of having that quality is involvement with cattle. That involvement has value. Maybe not something you can put a pencil to but I believe has far more value than money.

I understand what you are saying but my OCD brain doesn't work that way. I have got it to the point in the deep carvens of space inside my head I can be satisfied if they just pay for themselves. I would have sold out last year but the Mrs. put her foot down and said no. :hide: I think she is worried about me having to much house time between fishing and hunting trips with the boy's.

 

[Angus Cowman]

CB here is where your numbers are skewed a little bit on the MAKING the cow pay her way
say it cost me an additional 300 to feed that cow thru the drought if I keep her

but if I sell here and get $800 out of her but next yr when the drought is over and I go to buy back that same age and quality cows cost me $1600 then i am actuall 500 better off by keeping her
Now if the drought continues for another yr then yes the prices will eventually even out and it is a draw
but for long term goals a drought is no less severe for the guys in Tx than a heavy rain and snow season is for the guys in snow country if they have to feed twice thier usual amount to get their cows thru winter
except a drought may last for more than 6 months

I have seen yrs that we have had to start feeding in August and feed all the way thru May the following yr

I have always said ya gotta take the good with the bad and the cow business is a long term operation

 

[spinandslide]

angus, I am in agreement..although I'm definantly not a guru in this department..but your rationale of what it will cost to REPLACE that animal I sold rings true..at least to me.

now, if we are still this dry at this time next year, I may be singing a different tune..but right now..Im agreeing with ya.

 

[Galloways1]

I just figure 1 round bale per cow per month. These are 900-1100# bales. Round bales come in several sizes ranging from 600-1600# so you need to take that into account. I'm talking about grass hay. So if you are feeding 20 cows from November 1st to March 15th and you are buying 900-1000# bales you would feed 90 bales. If possible buy 10-20 more bales than you think you need so 100-110 bales.

I use the same formula. We typically have to feed 5-6 months. When it is -30 for weeks at a time, they go through a little more ( espescially the wimpy Angus) . We run 60 cows, plus keep replacement heifers and bulls to sell. We try to graze our pastures stockpiled grass as long as possible, but when the snow gets 2 ft deep we have to bring them home. On years when I have some corn stalks to graze, I smile, really cuts down on the hay. We put up around 800-1000 bales annually.

 

[Caustic Burno]

CB here is where your numbers are skewed a little bit on the MAKING the cow pay her way
say it cost me an additional 300 to feed that cow thru the drought if I keep her

but if I sell here and get $800 out of her but next yr when the drought is over and I go to buy back that same age and quality cows cost me $1600 then i am actuall 500 better off by keeping her
Now if the drought continues for another yr then yes the prices will eventually even out and it is a draw
but for long term goals a drought is no less severe for the guys in Tx than a heavy rain and snow season is for the guys in snow country if they have to feed twice thier usual amount to get their cows thru winter
except a drought may last for more than 6 months

I have seen yrs that we have had to start feeding in August and feed all the way thru May the following yr

I have always said ya gotta take the good with the bad and the cow business is a long term operation

AC I understand and see your point and it has crossed my little pea brain. I just have a problem with welfare cattle.
If this drought doesn't break I am going to have to do one of those presidential stimulus packages to their checkbook.