how much more hay will cows lactating eat?

[j&lfarms]

I'm going to have heifers calve next winter if I have fed 6 rolls to 4heifers so far how much can I expect to feed next winter?

 

[Aaron]

My fall cows with calves on them eat 1.25 to 1.5 times more than a dry spring cow. Keep twice as much feed and you'll be good.

 

[Bigfoot]

Aaron,

My math stinks. Do you mean if a dry cow eats 4 rolls in a winter, a lactating cow will eat 10 on your place?

 

[bandit80]

If a dry cow eats 4 bales during the winter, a lactating cow will probably eat 6, maybe 7.

 

[Anonymous]

If a dry cow eats 4 bales during the winter, a lactating cow will probably eat 6, maybe 7.

The math is right. But you have to add in for the calfs consumption too. A 300 ln calf is 1/3 an animal unit so 3 calves will eat as much hay as a cow. Best figure to double your hay on wet cows

 

[James T]

Really? So, the hay quality doesn't play into the extra amounts consumed? How heavy are the bales? Forgetting what they ate in the past (non-lactating_- dry)) and forgetting whatever else they might have been fed in addition to hay and focusing just on lactating and hay - you would need 1000 lbs plus per lactating cow per month (assuming the quality of hay is 'average'. I say "plus" because Hook is right, the calf will consume some too.

This might help: http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/400/400-012/400-012.html

 

[j&lfarms]

I usually buy a roll as needed because my neighbor is cheap and he brings it over for me but I might be able to buy cheaper if I buy in bulk. I may just buy 10 rolls or so and if we need more i'll just buy when I need it

 

[Aaron]

Aaron,

My math stinks. Do you mean if a dry cow eats 4 rolls in a winter, a lactating cow will eat 10 on your place?

No. My spring dry cows eat 5-6 bales, in the winter (Nov 1-April 1).

The fall cows will eat that plus 1/4 to 1/2 extra, so 6.25-7.5 bales. The fall calves eat a bit, but its no more than 2/3 a bale the entire winter. I know that pretty precisely because in my feeding system, the calves leave the cows to go eat other bales, and so the consumption at the bale feeders is strictly cows. So a fall cow and her calf would eat a maximum of 2 additional bales over a dry cow, at least here.

Spring calves will eat 1/4 bale a month as weaned calves and work themselves up to 1/2 bale a month by the time they become yearlings. Of course bale weights and feed quality play a certain part in the figures. My bales are around the 1000 lb mark and average to below-average quality.

 

[shaz]

Aaron,

My math stinks. Do you mean if a dry cow eats 4 rolls in a winter, a lactating cow will eat 10 on your place?

Agreed, I see about a 30% increase in consumption.

 

[houstoncutter]

What's the quality of the hay the higher the quality the higher the consumption on free choice

 

[Post Oak]

I am transitioning to spring calving because it just doesn't make sense to have calves sucking on momma while she's eating hay.

 

[lowellcantrell]

If I remember right - cattle need to eat 2% of their body weight each day. For example; a 1000 cow would need to eat 20 pounds of hay per day (1000 x .02).

So the amount of rolls or bales, depending on your location, will depend on two important factors: 1. Size of the bales (weight); and 2. The total herd weight you are feeding. Anyone would need to do a rough calculation of their total herd weight.

The calculation may be utilized when feeding hay b:y itself. If the hay is being supplemented with grain then the 2% may be lowered to 1.25% to 1.5%.

It can take some time doing these calculations, but the results can better prepare a person to make certain they have enough hay for the winter. Oftentimes hay is difficult to find and very expensive near the end of the feeding season.