How much hay is the right amount?

[AmandaQ]

I'm new, just have the two heifers. One is likely 1,500 lbs (black baldy 8 year old.) the other is half Hereford half Charolais) and almost a year old. I've had them three months. The big one needs to lose weight, the baby needs to grow up. I'm just recently moving to all hay because in Georgia we had a drought and my grass isn't growing right now. I am feeding 2 string Bermuda and 3 string Orchard bales. (They prefer the Orchard but my pocketbook prefers the Bermuda.) The baby gets one scoop of grain a day, and the big one gets a little treat of cattle cubes, sweet feed and alfalfa pellets so as not to get mad when the baby gets the grain. Other than that, it's all hay. How many flakes a day does each cow need? My baby looks bloated but maybe she is just getting fat. I feel like I'm starving them. Please advise!

 

[Lucky]

Is it possible to feed round hay? If not 22 pounds of hay and 1 pound of protein a day for a dry cow is the rule of thumb we go by.

 

[AmandaQ]

Is it possible to feed round hay? If not 22 pounds of hay and 1 pound of protein a day for a dry cow is the rule of thumb we go by.

Thank you!

 

[Mrcopier]

Here in Texas I always figured 4 1100 lb round bales per head. I never ran out with that formula

 

[Lucky_P]

Without a nutritional analysis on the hay you are feeding, no one can really even guess how much you need to feed.
Cattle can survive on as little as 5# hay per day, provided that you provide all other required nutrients in the form of grain, supplements, etc. I'm not saying that is ideal, but it can work.
We limit-fed hay for the last 15 yrs we had cattle, but we had nutritional analyses on every batch of hay purchased. We aimed for 25#/cow/day, and provided supplemental feed according to the hay's analysis and stage of gestation/lactation.

 

[Silver]

22 lbs of hay is not enough for a 1,500 lb cow unless she's finding some grazing to go with it. At 2% of body weight she should get 30 lbs of dry matter. Without digging out my calculator that would be about 34 lbs 'as fed'

 

[Dave]

There is a ton of variables involved. Size of the cow, weather, nutrients in the hay, amount of waste..... I shoot for about 30 lbs/cow/day. What they clean up in a couple hours.

 

[daneg]

I find that here in the frozen North a cow will eat and waste her weight in hay per month.

 

[Warren Allison]

I'm new, just have the two heifers. One is likely 1,500 lbs (black baldy 8 year old.) the other is half Hereford half Charolais) and almost a year old. I've had them three months. The big one needs to lose weight, the baby needs to grow up. I'm just recently moving to all hay because in Georgia we had a drought and my grass isn't growing right now. I am feeding 2 string Bermuda and 3 string Orchard bales. (They prefer the Orchard but my pocketbook prefers the Bermuda.) The baby gets one scoop of grain a day, and the big one gets a little treat of cattle cubes, sweet feed and alfalfa pellets so as not to get mad when the baby gets the grain. Other than that, it's all hay. How many flakes a day does each cow need? My baby looks bloated but maybe she is just getting fat. I feel like I'm starving them. Please advise!

Since you use square bales, get one of those hay feeders that has a trough under it. Stop with the feed, and just keep the hay rack full and let them eat free choice. You can even use the trough to put your loose mineral salts in. If you have a shed or lean to or a run in, put it under that so the rain don't get to it.

 

[Lucky]

All good answers. You could start @ 25# of hay and give her a couple pounds of 20% cubes every day. Watch her body condition and manure to see how that suits her. It doesn't have to be rocket science and I doubt you want to get analysis on every load of square bales.

 

[AmandaQ]

What am I watching for in the manure? Sometimes she has green poop. Should I not be mixing Orchard and Bermuda? They love the Orchard but it is so expensive. They will eat the Bermuda but give me the side eye because it isn't the Orchard. I very much appreciate you all teaching me how to do this right.

 

[AmandaQ]

Here in Texas I always figured 4 1100 lb round bales per head. I never ran out with that formula

What happens if the round bale gets wet? Is it ruined? I am from San Antonio and it rains so much more here than it did there!

 

[Lucky]

The manure shouldn't stack if cows are getting enough protein. It should make a flat patty. Too runny and they are getting too much protein. Best to do a Google search on cow manure. We are dry here so have been putting PVM tubs out. Might be an option for you too.

 

[mwj]

Needs an wants are 2 separate things. You can treat cattle like kids and they will say they need all candy! If you feed those kids just decent hay along with clean fresh water and mineral they will be fine. Look on line and you will find that thousands of bred cows overwinter on corn stalks and other crop residue.

 

[Lucky]

What happens if the round bale gets wet? Is it ruined? I am from San Antonio and it rains so much more here than it did there!

The rain doesn't effect the round bale much until fed. Once fed the hay will still last good while. The more rain the more waste though.

 

[4hfarms]

I prevent waste by hand feeding. Sounds crazy right? So here goes. My bales sit in the hay barn until I need them. I place one or two rounds at a time as needed, under a secured tarp, outside the pasture fence where I want to feed. I hand feed my cows in wind rows that I lay out from a wagon I pull around my fields at feeding time. No competition for food. They eat on a clean piece of ground every meal, be it grass or hay.

I started this way with 3 cows a few years ago. Tried the ring, tried piles, tried unrolling. Was sick of all the waste. So I took as much time as I needed at the beginning and learned MY cows. I would not try to do this with anyone else's cows. I know mine, and I like to hang out with them and know each one. They trust me. Now with 17 animals it takes me about 15-30 minutes on average, depending on weather, 2 times a day. Watch them eat, they will let you know how much they need.
I have very little waste, no messed up hay ring spots, no excessive manure in "feed" areas. It all goes away naturally by the time we rotate back.
FYI: I am an all grass fed and finished operation.

I'm retired and have nothing else to do apparently......

 

[Mrcopier]

What happens if the round bale gets wet? Is it ruined? I am from San Antonio and it rains so much more here than it did there!

Oh it's going to wet unless you have a dry place to put it. Or small amount you can tarp it. Stack them as close together as you can end to end and just feed it. Can't stop nature they will eat wet hay and yes if you get a lot of rain you will lose some to rot

 

[AmandaQ]

I prevent waste by hand feeding. Sounds crazy right? So here goes. My bales sit in the hay barn until I need them. I place one or two rounds at a time as needed, under a secured tarp, outside the pasture fence where I want to feed. I hand feed my cows in wind rows that I lay out from a wagon I pull around my fields at feeding time. No competition for food. They eat on a clean piece of ground every meal, be it grass or hay.

I started this way with 3 cows a few years ago. Tried the ring, tried piles, tried unrolling. Was sick of all the waste. So I took as much time as I needed at the beginning and learned MY cows. I would not try to do this with anyone else's cows. I know mine, and I like to hang out with them and know each one. They trust me. Now with 17 animals it takes me about 15-30 minutes on average, depending on weather, 2 times a day. Watch them eat, they will let you know how much they need.
I have very little waste, no messed up hay ring spots, no excessive manure in "feed" areas. It all goes away naturally by the time we rotate back.
FYI: I am an all grass fed and finished operation.

I'm retired and have nothing else to do apparently......

I'm not happy with the waste either so I've been sitting between them at the trough picking up their messes. Trying to get the 8 year old to stop throwing it on the ground. I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm nuts!

 

[Warren Allison]

I'm not happy with the waste either so I've been sitting between them at the trough picking up their messes. Trying to get the 8 year old to stop throwing it on the ground. I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm nuts!

Get a hay rack with a trough on it ,like the one in the pick I posted for you, and you will have a lot less waste.

 

[AmandaQ]

Thank you, Warren!