I'm not sure why I was thinking Wyoming as being where you are, but protein levels are typically a lot lower there, which is why I suspected an issue. You had said your protein levels were above 12 (don't recall the exact amount) which didn't make sense for Wyoming (Ok, you aren't in Wyoming, so that makes more sense now). You had also said you didn't have a test for the current stockpile but "it looked worse" to paraphrase what I recall you as indicating. Short of testing the current stockpile, which it seems you have done, my thought was to supplement with better quality hay and protein blocks to a level that would maintain the condition of the animals rather than condition dropping which seemed a probability with my incorrect understanding that the protein levels were low. Tall fescue that is stockpiled rarely has protein levels that are below maintenance levels even as late as late February to Early March in the Eastern US, which is where you are (KY).
As for my comment about seeing cows that have starved with a full rumen in Ohio. That has and does occur because of forage that is inadequate being fed all winter. Maybe you have heard the phrase "Well, it's better than snowballs". I have been told that by producers that have nearly starved their cows to death on this forage (different producer did starve his cows to death doing this).
Unrolling hay is a great thing to do. There is evidence to suggest that placing bales in fields and not feeding more than one bale per location is sufficient to avoid long term negative effects. Feeding this way does often result in a bare spot where the bale was the following season, but is usually gone by the 2nd season. What needs to be avoided is repetitive feeding in the same location year after rear, which I also see. This leads to permanent consequences with soil nutrient loading that can be quite prominent even after 50 years. I wish everyone unrolled hay. I'm happy if they just don't feed multiple bales in the same place for years on end.
