What I buy is just a nice average hay and I feed it to everyone, and supplement also with feed in the winter. I wasn't giving them any other food since they were not in milk. And the other $15 is to replace a stepped-in and broken bucket. I liked the analysis. The payback period for these feeders was far less than the small square bale feeders because of the huge reduction in waste compared to using no feeder. Good quality grass hay like brome, orchardgrass, and timothy are all good choices for goats. that! Here it is again, in written form. Hay is expensive because:It requires a large investment in equipmentIt requires . 2023 Standlee Premium Products, LLC All Rights Reserved. We are going to have to feed hay, and a good bit of it, and of good quality to boot. How Much Hay Does a Cow Eat? Poor quality grass hay will not provide the calories and nutrients of good quality hay. Pasture is tougher because that depends on quality of land, and yearly, timely rain. He is passionate about helping people prepare for tough times by embracing lifestyles of self-sufficiency. Some people dont provide feed at all. Please enter your email address below to create account. Moldy hay is very bad for goats. Bloat occurs when there is an accumulation of gas in the rumen, and the goat cannot burp. If a square bale weighs around 50 lbs then one bale should feed one goat for 10 to 16 days. Work with a farmer to make sure he or she can meet your annual hay needs every year. I guess I'm being over indulgent in the giving of hay, with 6 girls together, 2 girls together and 3 bucks together I'm pretty much giving each their own flake.o boy, time to rethink my way of "loving" them. Ability to work with the hay producer's schedule. Here in Minnesota, winter can start as early as October; if snow covers the ground, the animals can't forage easily, so hay is needed. =Pounds of Hay DM Disappearance Per Cow, Per Day (37.5 pounds). Hay should form the bulk of your goat's daily feed, making up to 40%. Its not very practical to weigh the hay regularly. 2021 planned breeding schedule available! A forum community dedicated to goat owners and enthusiasts. Thank you! You'll have to calculate your animals' feed needs based on their body weight. Do you have winter forage available to you? About the Authors: Ronald P. Lemenager is a professor of animal sciences at Purdue University and Keith D. Johnson is a professor of agronomy at Purdue University. That would mean you would need 6.2 1200 lb. x Percent Weight Consumed (.025) As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. So make sure you get quality hay from a good farmer. If you have problems with molding you might want to consider it for next year. Reducing Losses When Feeding Hay to Beef Cattle | MU Extension This does not impact our reviews, and we will always keep things fair to ensure were making the best choice for you. A small amount of wasted or uneaten hay is to be expected, but more than that starts to get pricey. 3-4 bales will probably get you through the winter just fine. Are you using your hay for bedding as well as eating? Change their diets slowly, giving the bacteria in their rumen (their first stomach, which is made for the initial step in the digestion of the plants they eat) time to adjust. The store will not work correctly when cookies are disabled. We are reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our website. 50lb bale would feed one goat for around 10 days. However, Im planning on square bales for everyone. It is an important source of calories and the internal heat of fiber fermentation helps to keep your horse warm when it's cold outside. They self-regulate the amount of hay their rumen can handle and will consume about 3-4% of their body weight in hay per day. Sometimes you just need to feed larger quantities of hay that is lower in protein than other nutrients, or only feed the lower quality hay as a maintenance feed rather than, for example, during the third trimester of gestation in pregnant ewes. My bales have about 12-15 flakes per bale. In the fall, many of us are starting to think about stocking up on hay for the winter. This is important as goats have thinner skin and do not develop thick coats. And you really need to know before you bring the animal home. hay quanity requirements for North Texas beef cattle #140609 - Extension It is also a more natural way for the goats to eat since they are a grazer by nature and prefer to frequently eat smaller amounts of food. When changing your goats diet, do it gradually to avoid causing a significant imbalance in their digestive system. In the sheep scenario I mentioned above, I would need to purchase 10,500 pounds of hay for the entire winter. Although we only recommend products that we feel are of the best quality (which we may or may not have personal experience with) and represent value for money, you should be aware that our opinions can differ. At Goat Milk Stuff, we prefer 50 pound bales because they are easier for the younger children to move. The quality issue is too true. However, you either must have them delivered exactly where you want them, or be prepared with the equipment to move them (with a tractor). To estimate how much hay to buy for the winter, you can run a few simple calculations. in the summer they go out of their pens and eat on runs (buck and herdqueen get staked out), and i dont really need to feed hay. They will need a little less if offered natural foods from their environment, and more if there are subsisting mostly on hay or its wintertime. Want to receive discounts and special offers as well as keeping up to date with all the latest news and updates? Round bales can be baled smaller or larger, lighter or heavier. Your average square bale weighs between 50 and 75 pounds. It can take until the beginning of May for pastures to green up again, and for winter feeding to officially come to a close. grass hay, photo by Danielle Smarsh, Penn State. Thanks Suzanne! Alfalfa Forage Bites - Cattle Treats: A Forage-Based Treat for Your Cows. If you can bale your own hay, youll save moneyafter you buy the equipment. Buying hay for winter is a sacrifice, always, in trade for the rewards of keeping livestock. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. This will help you make a plan and to know how much hay to buy per year for your herd. If I was buying the same size round bales for this winter for the cows (and not covering them), I would plan on at least 18 round bales to get me through the worst of winter, considering that I will leave them on pasture into December and have them back on it (at least partially) by late March. Next, weigh a bale of your hay and determine how many flakes or bales are equivalent to the amount calculated using the 3% figure. Below are these calculations in equation form: Goats weight (lbs) x 0.03 = Hay needed daily (lbs), Daily bales needed = Weight of 1 bale (lbs) / Hay needed daily (lbs). Ah, OK. Like most livestock, its up to us to ensure that our goats get plenty of food every single day, and that means providing it for them in the form of hay to supplement what they find in the pasture, if you allow them to browse. between 17-10 goats. When you have more than 1 dairy goat (which you should), it's hard to determine that each goat is having its needs met unless you free-choice. Allison.I'm thinking the breakdown for that size roll is equal to 30 square bales. I have two ND does - almost 6 months old. I noticed that you have stacked your hay flat. You are better off keeping fewer goats. Even then they waste alot of hay. Of course, you can only test that after youve bought it. Ive been buying hay from the same guy for three years, so Im experienced with using his hay and know that it falls closely to the rule of thumb. But theres plenty more you need to know about hay when it is time to feed your goats, and making mistakes can harm their health. We would both probably prefer that the bales have not been rained on (unless, of course, there is no mold growth present and little moisture, and the farmer is selling the bales at a reduced rate). Hay Calculator for Livestock Producers Excel Program (V2019) Instruction Sheet Winter feeding costs make up a large portion of production costs for Mississippi livestock producers. How many bales? | CattleToday.com - Cattle, Cow & Ranching Community Each goat needs about two to four pounds of hay per day (3-4% of body weight in pounds), which can be fed free choice or twice a day. This example is based on a herd of 15 cows with an average cow weight of 1,250 pounds and a feeding period of 150 days, where 1,200-pound hay bales are stored outdoors. I do get alfalfa cubes for the goats and will for the horses, too. Round bales can be baled smaller or larger, lighter or heavier. Since adult goats should eat at least 3% of their body weight in hay per day, multiply their weight by .03 to get the number of pounds of hay needed. Obtain representative samples from each field and harvest date and have a certified forage-testing lab analyze them. :happyflower: It may be the glass of champagne talking, it is NYE after all, but I love you, I love your writing, I love your farm, I love your animals. Dry matter content also depends on where hay was harvested, as well as on climatic conditions where the herd is maintained. Our 3 girls can go through 1 square bale in 3 days when in milk, and 1 bale in 7 days when were drying them off. They are such a blessing! or 15 per month per cow. I've said it before, write it all down, because you will forget how many bales you had and how long they lasted. Underfeeding livestock in winter is an unfortunately common practice. People don't often give a simple answer to this simple question, and much ado is made about this mysterious topic. It never hurts to have a little extra. When I work on figuring out how much hay I need to have to get through the winter, I take the number that I got from the percentage body weight equation and automatically increase it by 10%. How much straw, when to buy winter hay? | BackYardHerds - Goats, Horses Without a lot of stockpiled forage the average Alberta cattleman will be feeding from Niv 1st to June 1st or 213 days. There are four critical aspects of large hay purchases: Knowledge of how much to purchase. Another $5 covers the cost of electricity to keep the alpaca's water drinkable. I wont embarrass myself by telling you how much I feed them, but Ill just say that I had to make Adam re-do the feed tray in my new milking parlor because the first one he made was too small. A few simple calculations can help livestock producers estimate how much hay they will need to get them through the winter. Sign up for emails about goats, raising goats, and goats for sale. Apart from nutrition, the other benefits of feeding plenty of good quality forage to goats is it will keep them warm. So here's what you need to evaluate. That means a 1000 pound The cow needs approximately 90 pounds of hay per day. = Bales Per Cow for the Feeding Period (5.9 bales). Does a 401k withdrawal affect your credit score? Their stomachs comprise 4 compartments, the first one being the rumen, which digests long fibers in the hay. Goats require additional hay, which is roughage, for their rumen to function properly. away! If you own goats long enough, you will eventually experience a drought year where there is little hay available (and what is available is extremely expensive). Good luckand dont bring home anything you cant feed! If we get 75 pound bales, it takes some of the bigger children. While we are talking about the differing weight of bales, make sure that your hay storage (if it is a loft) can support the weight of your hay. Privacy Policy, Disclosure, Disclaimer, and Terms of Use, Copyright 2004-2023 Suzanne McMinn Design by Swank Web Design Powered by WordPress. Farmer 101: How Much Hay? | Chickens in the Road Classic Fed them 2 Round bales and 100lb of whole corn from late October to March. Hay quality and type can be especially important in dairy animals, including cows, goats, and sheep, and you should do your research to make sure you are buying the right type of hay to meet these additional nutritional requirements. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. The right type and quantity of food are crucial, whether you are working with show goats, a pet goat, milking goats, or meat goats. Also if the pasture and browse is limited, you should feed more hay. You should assume any link is an affiliate link. In order to maximize herd health and minimize long-term economic consequences, you should develop a plan for winter feeding long before the last blade of grass or bale of hay disappears. Alfalfa is rich in protein, minerals, and vitamins, making it a great choice for goats raised to produce milk or meat. If you have lighter bales, or the hay is lower quality, you will have to buy more bales. Legume hays like alfalfa are great for growing kids and pregnant does that need extra calories and nutrients. I dont buy any alfalfa hay, though. A basic analysis will tell you the amount of dry matter, energy, crude protein (adjusted for heat damage), neutral detergent fiber, calcium, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium. Which still wasnt big enough, but we compromised on the conclusion that I could always refill it. The floors werent even, either. Most people wont try to cheat you, but there are always a few bad apples. Variations In Feed Requirements For Goats, Smaller bodied goat breeds (Kiki, Spanish), Goats with access to plenty of browse and lots of grazing time or dry grass forage. Its a truly important question. Early to mid-winter is a time when does should be in early pregnancy. If your round bales arent covered, or your square bales arent fed in a feeder, you have to include waste in your planning. Ha Ha. Enjoy banner ad-free browsing with The Goat Spot Forum Plus. Is pink eye only contagious for 24 hours? How much does a bale of hay weigh? Forage can be a grass, or a legume such as alfalfa. The good news is that goats really like hey, and so long as it is chosen with care and tested for good nutrition it is the mainstay of their diet, one that they can eat all year long. As I've mentioned before, at Goat Milk Stuff, we make hay available free-choice. I don't want them to be too fat when they kid so they are getting a lot of excercise every day, and the opportunity to browse on the dead leaves and the grass that's left when I turn them out of the shed. We owe it to them as their stewards to be practical and realistic with ourselves in choosing whether we can afford to keep them. This system is good for goats since they will not eat more hay than their rumens can handle, and the dry roughage will aid in digestion. Each goat gets one cup of grain daily if not nursing and the nursing does get one cup grain twice a day. #1 We've got ten Charolaise cow/calf pairs to feed this winter. Come join the discussion about breeding, health, behavior, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more! It is really really hard for me to break it down - as DH HAD to have round bales this year, and I am hating life! Calculating winter hay needs for livestock - OSU Extension Service ! Jan 7, 2009 It is really really hard for me to break it down - as DH HAD to have round bales this year, and I am hating life! Entire Contents Copyright 2004-2022 Chickens in the Road, Inc. Table of Contents How many bales of hay per cow should be given for winter? It may be that they are filling up on pasture but if you are talking about the 50lb (roughly) square bales they will go through a LOT more than 3 bales for the winter. As we near our kidding dates I will be upping pellet and probably slowing working on my mix. I went through 1 1/2 bales a day last winter for 9 pygmies and 1 llama. Straw that is older, not shiny, is a better buy for bedding. Many regions will have some natural winter forage available, and you can always look into planting something for your livestock to eat during the winter, depending on what zone you are farming in. They foundthe following amounts of hay waste: Without a feeder, the herd actually consumed less hay and lost weight because so much of the hay was trampled and spoiled. I feed two-three flakes of timonthy hay a day for 2 standars and 2 minis----. I will also be upping the alfalfa pellet all the way up to kidding. We're about halfway through it now but we've been using up the rest of the 100 lb. Assuming a 40 lb bale, 3915/40 = 98 bales per horse. Hay Cost Calculator for Goats: How Much Hay Do I Need? The total cost of hay for one cow for one winter would be $90. A sheep, a draft horse, a goat, and a steer calf share some hay. We prefer them to be wrapped in plastic to offer some protection from the rain. If youre uncertain of how to judge quality, before purchasing hundreds of bales of hay, buy one and take it to an experienced farmer for an assessment. Old hay (that isn't moldy or too dusty), is still good to feed to goats. Forage testing will yield this information. Although there is a wide variety of foods goats can eat, be mindful of potential poisonous weeds your goats may have access to. This is especially important when incorporating grain, pellet feed, concentrate, green grass, kitchen scraps, or new types of pasture into the diet of these natural grazers. JavaScript is disabled. Still, the method above helps anticipate how much hay you will need and figure out a feeding budget to keep your goat happy and healthy. How do you know how much a round bale weighs without weighing it? If you cant provide the hay that animal needs for the winter, step! That includes their care and their feed. In the 15 weeks they have been home they have eaten maybe half of a bale of hay. (at $60.00 a bale) Next year I am SOOOOO getting squares - I don't care what he says!!! Sweetlix - Do you have enough hay for your goats this winter? Grass hay is a category that includes both perennial and annual varieties, but all grass hays provide lots of nutrition for goats. Each type of hay, whether it is grass, legume, or grain, has its own characteristics that make it suitable for different purposes in a goats diet. However, it is important to remember that outside bales can sustain substantial losses. However, when he went to go pick them up a couple weeks ago the farmer said he couldnt let them go for less than $185 each!!! Suzanne, does what you know about hay quality hold true to what I know? That way, you aren't over or underestimating feed needs too extremely. You can give goats hay on an as-wanted basis since they will eat as much as they want, but not more, or you can schedule feedings for them two times a day. Goats require plenty of weeds to do well. Next, multiply how many pounds you've figured you need each day by the total number of days you need to feed hay for probably somewhere between 90 and 180, depending on your climate. Find a hay that you can consistently feed your goats. If you havent already, take time to have forage analyzed for nutrient profiles in order to determine supplemental feed needs. Here, we will assume 5% storage waste because our bales are stored inside and 13% waste from feeding small square bales on the ground. Anyway, I do feed pellet along side my does hay twice a day. How long is your winter? = Amount of Hay DM Per Day (5,625 pounds). I feed hay, at the very least, from November through the end of May, for a total of about 210 days. Its much more expensive in many areas.) When placing your electric fence, make sure your goats do not have access to lush pasture and other types of rich foods, causing a buildup of gas. Hay comes in different forms, and its nutrition content is determined by factors such as the type of grasses or legumes that comprise the hay, the nutrients that were available in the soil, and whether the hay is the first or third cut of the season, etc. I havent heard that in regard to goats specifically, though that may be true. And I would have some extra square bales stashed in case I ran out. Despite all the variables, I hope this helps if youre planning a farm. It can be a good choice for feeding milking goats as it has more protein, energy and calcium. When buying hay for the first time from a farmer, also pay attention to the weight in relation to the size of the bale. How long will a bale of hay last a cow? Alfalfa Pellets vs Cubes and Hay - The Thrifty Homesteader I have 17 does, 1 buck and 8 kids. PDF Hay Calculator for Livestock Producers - Mississippi State University It depletes B vitamins in the gut and can lead to goat polio (severe thiamine deficiency). If it feels lighter than it should, the farmer may be baling light and selling underweight baleswhich is only fair if the price is also underweight. Another variable, of course, is quality of the haypoor, average, high. Goats generally prefer the leafy parts and will eat more of that. Goats require additional hay, which is roughage, for their rumen to function properly. Bigger breeds will eat even more. Enter Number of animals: * Enter number of days feeding hay: * Enter Average Bale Weight: * lbs. For example, pregnant sheep need up to 5% of their body weight in hay each day, and pregnant goats sometimes need up to 6%. And don't use it as bedding because goats eat their bedding all the time. We hadn't been feeding it, but started them back on it a few weeks ago. Updated: Nov 7, 2022 How much hay do you need to store for the winter? He!! Please seek the advice of a professional vet beforemaking any changes to your herd management or individual treatment ofyour goat. Ten goats? Goats typically need more than just hay to stay healthy and thrive, so make sure that you also supplement their diets with minerals, vitamins, and other feed supplements as needed. At Goat Milk Stuff, we tend to use old hay as bedding or to put down on muddy areas of the property where we are trying to get grass to grow if we've had extremely wet weather. Not all bales of hay, be they round or square, are created equal. I also however, give alfalfa pellets. It depends on the size of the baler, the grass being baled, and other factors, and every bale is slightly unique even from the same baler. What about cubes? So 1 cup per doe per day. Its also essential to consider the quality of the hay you are feeding your goats. That means that a 1,200-pound cow needs 24 pounds of hay per day! I assume round since it's been 15 weeks. I am feeding my two doelings off of square bales. Forage is the most important part of your horse's diet, and during Pennsylvania winters, hay is the most economical way to provide forage. (most of it is winter feed). Tom has lived and worked on farms and homesteads from the Carolinas to Kentucky and beyond. Since adult goats should eat at least 3% of their body weight in hay per day, multiply their weight by .03 to get the number of pounds of hay needed. Posted by Janet Dowell on August 22, 2013 at 6:14pm in Goats 101 Hay is in in our area and I should purchase now for best selection. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. If theyve used his hay, theyll be able to give you a good estimate of his round bale weight. Grain hays can be a great supplement to grass and legume hays when chosen with care and fed sparingly. However, dont fall into the trap of thinking that just because they eat all the hay you provide that they are getting enough nutrition. The Southern states of the US might only have a 60-day window where hay is really necessary to keep animals from growing thin. x Number of Cows (15) A bale of hay weighs 40-60 pounds and costs $12.99, so you will need seven bales of hay for one cow For one winter. This is not a prescription telling you exactly how to feed your particular animal, but this is a great starting point and certainly you should feed your animals at least this much. Just finished putting the last of ours in yesterday. His childhood experiences instilled in him a deep respect for sustainable and humane farming practices. (at $60.00 a bale). Five sheep? Then, multiply that number by the corresponding body weight percentage. Calculate Winter Forage Needs - Hobby Farms = Amount of Hay DM Per Bale (960 pounds), DM Needs Per Cow (5,625 pounds) If you have minis you could probably go with about 3lbs per goat per day. In my experience with my animals, sheep are the most wasteful hay eatersthis may vary and other people may find differently, but its what Ive found with my animals. At around $20 per bale for these large round bales, you can see that my winter feed costs in this scenario aren't through the roof. Ok, my main reason for this questinwellbesides the DH that has to see that they are giving back..I weighed y girls the other day ad now I wonder if I am "over loving" them. Storing hay inside or covering it well can reduce the amount wasted. for your critters. To avoid waste, get feeders! Heck you might only need 2 bales for the whole winter if you got big ones! More hay generates more heat and helps keep your goats warm from within. One of my goals as a beginning farmer is to produce at least half of the hay that my livestock need by the third year of owning my farm. Im not that bad. In addition, we generate revenue through advertisements within the body of the articles you read on our site. Suhail Zubaid aka Clark Kent from Mississauga, ON on November 05, 2017: This is a very informative article, Rachel! I buy square bales for $2.50/bale. To answer this query, you need to know how many days you'll be feeding hay and how much your animals weigh, and then calculate their feed needs based on their body weight! When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. I go through a 600 # bale of hay a week between 6 sheep, 20 goats, and 2 horses. 16 10 comments Add a Comment fryerdan 8 yr. ago I have 4 lamancha does and they would go through a 70 lb square bale of hay a week. Feeding hay on the ground will result in higher losses and waste of these scarce resources; it can also have negative health effects. First you should look at the amount of vegetation on your land. By planning ahead and running some simple calculations, horse owners can save money and ensure that they have purchased the right amount of hay to last through the winter.
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