How much hay can a cow eat?

[Logan52]

I have a small group of seven cows with new calves on the far end of the place.
When the forecast was for freezing rain, snow and below zero temps, I put out two heavy 4 x 5 rolls of hay on Thursday. They have a good four hole fountain and with the hay I thought they could get by four days if the access road became impassable.
Well I did not go over there yesterday, but did make it this morning. The hay had disappeared. Looks like square bales for them this afternoon. My tractor and rolls stored outside are a bad combination for dealing with 5 below F.

 

[Mrcopier]

I've always heard 35-50 lbs a day. We started rolling out a bale a day and it stopped the 3 bales a day free feeding. But that was with 12 head

 

[farmerjan]

We figure 20 cows per 5x5 roll per day... weighing in the 1000 range... some bigger rolls weigh 1200 or more.. that's 50 lbs per cow and is allowing for some waste. It seems to me that @Silver and @gcreekrch has something about 30 lbs per cow per day and they are rolling it out so better utilization of the hay..
What do your 4x5 rolls weigh? I would not expect in below zero temps and freezing rain for the 2 rolls to last 4 days... but obviously with the new calves they are eating more to make milk and keep up their body heat... I would think that the rolls might weigh 800 ??? Guessing... so maybe 3 days at best in those cold temps???
We are keeping hay in front of the cows with these cold temps here, and yes they are wasting and laying on some of it too... Have 16 at one place, 8 bred for spring, 3 with little calves and 5 yearling heifers, and they are getting 2 rolls every other or every 3rd day... 5x5 big rolls... If they want it, it is there... I suspect your cows are just eating it to make the milk and keep up body heat... especially with new calves on them... and your hay might be "better hay" than what we are feeding, so they are cleaning it up better too.... our hay has some junk in it so they get a "good roll and a not so good roll" when he feeds. Plus we are putting out some sorghum-sudan that was made dry... nice rolls and they are eating them good...

 

[Logan52]

The rolls weigh at least 800 or a little more, good tight rolls with net wrap and little spoilage this very dry year.
I normally roll them out or feed in a ring. This time I just removed the wrap and dropped them on high spots in the field. I was surprised at how little they wasted, the hay was just gone. Of course frozen ground helps make for less waste.
I still feed a lot of square bales. I attend a regular Amish hay auction during the winter and try to pick up bargains I aim for a half bale per cow per day, about 30 pounds.
I was just surprised at how quickly they cleaned up the rolls. Five below zero must make a difference.
Thanks farmerjan, I always enjoy your posts and find them informative.

 

[tex452]

The rolls weigh at least 800 or a little more, good tight rolls with net wrap and little spoilage this very dry year.
I normally roll them out or feed in a ring. This time I just removed the wrap and dropped them on high spots in the field. I was surprised at how little they wasted, the hay was just gone. Of course frozen ground helps make for less waste.
I still feed a lot of square bales. I attend a regular Amish hay auction during the winter and try to pick up bargains I aim for a half bale per cow per day, about 30 pounds.
I was just surprised at how quickly they cleaned up the rolls. Five below zero must make a difference.
Thanks farmerjan, I always enjoy your posts and find them informative.

They do inhale it in cold weather, we had to start feeding in August because of the drought, we fed a lot more than we planned.

 

[gman4691]

They do inhale it in cold weather, we had to start feeding in August because of the drought, we fed a lot more than we planned.

Yup...and rationing what little we were able to bale hoping to make it to the end of February (possibly mid-March)...I need winter to just go on and do its thing and leave...the sooner, the better

 

[SBMF 2015]

I figure my cows eat 50lbs/ day of feed plus water in the winter.

 

[4hfarms]

The hay quality from bale to bale plays a big part. Few bales back was great, fat and happy. Now its brown, not so nice. They lay on more than they eat the last day or two. Looking like I'm gonna have me some Craigslist cattle soon if they don't start eating it.
Lucky the spring is still running so creeks have water. Lake is frozen, ducks are not happy either.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Yup...and rationing what little we were able to bale hoping to make it to the end of February (possibly mid-March)...I need winter to just go on and do its thing and leave...the sooner, the better

Better plan for end of April if you don't have winter pasture.

 

[gman4691]

Better plan for end of April if you don't have winter pasture.

got a couple of pastures where the rye grass is coming on pretty good...I can fall back on those if I need to.

 

[daneg]

My rule of thumb is a cow will eat and waste her weight in hay per month.

 

[farmerjan]

My rule of thumb is a cow will eat and waste her weight in hay per month.

So avg 1200 lb cow, = 1200 lb hay divided by 30 days = 40 lbs day

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I'm just a 2 cow operation. I feed them against the barn wall. They can't throw it around and walk on it very easily. Hay is almost completely cleaned up. It rained 9" so far this year (SW Oregon). It never froze here. I can't weigh the hay pulled off these 700.lb squares but they also have access to green pasture. I take out a big wheelbarrow of hay every day heaped full and packed down. They get some cubes and stocker grower too, because they are dairy cows.

Also, yesterday the bred heifer tested positive pregnant on her second P test. You have to test again 10 days later to rule out false positives and negatives. She has a little golden brown biscuit in the oven.

By farmerjans figuring they need 29 lbs a day.

 

[Allenw]

Ahead of a storm they will eat all they can hold and go lay up some where out of the weather if they can. I've seen them take three days before they all came back in at times.

 

[Lucky_P]

Cold Stress and Beef Cattle

Be prepared to handle and transport cattle appropriately in cold weather. The cold, wet and wind of winter weather present a different set of challenges.

extension.psu.edu

Hay/feed quality plays a role, as does stage of production. Critical cold temp for a mature cow with dry winter haircoat is generally regarded to be about 18F. For every degree below that, it takes 1% more TDN energy just to maintain body condition.

We limit-fed 25lbs hay per cow per day + whatever amount of DDG the ration calculator indicated that we needed to feed to meet the cows' nutritional needs. Bred cows without calf at side need less than lactating cows, etc.

 

[farmerjan]

I'm just a 2 cow operation. I feed them against the barn wall. They can't throw it around and walk on it very easily. Hay is almost completely cleaned up. It rained 9" so far this year (SW Oregon). It never froze here. I can't weigh the hay pulled off these 700.lb squares but they also have access to green pasture. I take out a big wheelbarrow of hay every day heaped full and packed down. They get some cubes and stocker grower too, because they are dairy cows.

Also, yesterday the bred heifer tested positive pregnant on her second P test. You have to test again 10 days later to rule out false positives and negatives. She has a little golden brown biscuit in the oven.

By farmerjans figuring they need 29 lbs a day.

That was originally @daneg 's figuring but I pretty much agree... except in this cold here we always feed more... PLUS dairy cattle have to have more since they do not carry the amount of body fat/ outside layered on fat cover... of a beef animal... so in the cold it helps to up their energy and corn helps to do that and put on some fat layer... I like them to have that extra on before going into the worst of the cold . But it seems to be the consensus that somewhere in the 30-40 lb range is average.. and they will eat as much as they can ahead of a real cold spell and the rumination will help to create body heat for them too... and the quality does matter...
but quantity is important in the cold too...
Congrats on the heifer being pregnant.

 

[Ned Jr.]

I can't get my cows to eat more than 25-27 lbs of hay a day. They're good sized cows and we get plenty cold here at 8000 feet elevation. And they're in good shape.

 

[Dave]

I have 60 cows that are eating 1 1/2 big square bales a day. The bales weigh about 1,200 pounds. So 1,800 pounds a day or 30 pounds per cow. The cows average between 1,250 and 1,300. There is about 8 inches of snow and the temperatures has been ranging from -5 to 25. They are slicking it up and looking good.

 

[Lucky]

We feed 20-25# of hay a day and supplement 4# of 14% feeed. The cows do well on this. I think a cow could die eating 50# of hay a day if it doesn't have enough protien. They will definitely eat more hay than they need.

 

[BC]

got a couple of pastures where the rye grass is coming on pretty good...I can fall back on those if I need to.

If you can let those cows in that ryegrass for a couple of hours each day and then pull out it will stretch hay supplies. Even leaving them in a day every third day will help.