Kenny. I have absolute respect and envy for your ability to go without feeding and I think there's a ton that you say that folks in your climate should listen to but you just proved why you wouldn't ask a vegan about a cut of meat.
First off you said 40lbs a day x 200 days = 8000lbs and @ 1000lbs/bale you'd need 16? ...you doubled it.
Let me also say 40lbs is too much per/h/day (I fed about 500 cows today between work and home), I hope you can take my word for it. If hay's over 7 cents a lb we'd also never feed an entire ration of that hay much before calving. We were in pretty much the worst drought ever here this year, good hay is $150/bale currently (a bale is 1400-1500lbs) but you can still find cereal straw and rougher wild hay for about $35/1000+lb straw or 1250lb rough wild hay bale. I'm currently feeding 4 wild bales (about 1000lbs cost approximately $40 ea to buy standing and make) and one good alfalfa grass or greenfeed bale (put up myself for approx $60/bale expenses included) every 2 days for 85 cows and they're doing just fine. I keep a couple bales of extremely ugly cheap bullrush bales in feeders in case anyone is actually in need of something to put in their belly between feedings and I don't refill very often.
As far as there not being money in cattle that are being fed I call BS. The operation (500-600 head) I work full-time, year round for is the sole source of income for a family of 5 and it's putting all 3 kids through college. They're doing pretty well from what I can tell and my cheques keep cashing.
I probably shouldn't say too much because I haven't raised cattle outside this environment but I'm baffled why the same species of animal would be impossible to get to similar weights somewhere else. In this environment most of the factors that affect weaning weight are within my control and management.
If I had to take significantly less for my calves I'd definitely be looking for ways to slash feed costs which is exactly what you've figured out how to do.There's definitely multiple ways to be more profitable saving money is as good as earning it.