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how much hay

Depends a lot on the size of the bale tight 15-1600 pound bales will last longer than loose 500 pound bales.
My figures are about 450 of 1500 pound bales at 50 pounds per day per animal for 210 days times 60 head.
 
A cow is going to eat 4% of her body weight a day. This is on a dry matter basis. So if the cows average weight is 1200 lbs. then you would take 1200 x 60 x.04 = 2880 lbs. of dry matter. So if your hay is 35-40% moisture your would need to feed 4431 lbs. of 35% or 4800 lbs. of 40% moisture hay per day. So figure how many days you usually feed and then figure out what your bales weight.

So if you feed 4 months/120 days and your bales weight 1300 lbs. you would need 400 to 440, 1300 lbs. bales.

Guys talk about how well/fast cattle eat high moisture baleledge. Yes they do like to eat it but they have to eat more of it to get the nutrients/energy they need. Your providing them a lot of water in their feed.

Lets run the numbers with 15% dry hay. 120 x (2880 x .85 = 3388) /1300 = 313 bales of 15% moisture hay.
 
David I have figured cattle and cow rations now for over 40 years. If you do anything long enough you should get quicker. LOL

Hay rations are easy. When you have 4-5 different feed types and have calves of several different body weights it gets more fun. LOL

I do cheat on them in that I do have a feed ration program. I still check it regularly. How I like to feed and how the fellow that wrote the program or even the latest up date might be a little different.
 
Dad had 170+ head of stock cows when he retired. They got 5 big bales + a pickup load of ear corn every day. He liked to keep them in good shape year around.
 
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