A cow can eat 25 to 30 pounds of hay a day and waste a couple of more pounds. This adds up to 27 to 32 pounds per day per cow. Allow about half this amount for weanling calves and about three-quarters for yearlings.Large round bales often do not weigh as much as you might think. It is not unusual for so called 1000 pound bales to weigh 800 pounds or less. In addition, bales stored outside on the ground may easily lose 20 to 30 percent more weight. Covered bales can also lose 10 to 15 percent if a portion of the bales are in contact with the ground.
Look for additional forage alternatives. Beef cattle have the ability to consume numerous types of feed and perform well. Hay can be expensive and in some years more expensive than others. Feed hay only when needed or when costs warrants doing so.
A popular forage substitute is commercially prepared pasture cubes. These cubes, or large pellets, can be fed on the ground but preferably in troughs and are designed to substitute for some portion of the hay. Use crop residues such as corn stalks. When available, crop residues can trim many days off the hay feeding period when pasture is limited. The use of supplemental feeds can reduce the need for and consumption of hay.
High starch supplement feeds such as corn reduce consumption of forage and hay. Corn may be "substituted" for hay. High starch feeds, such as corn, do decrease use of forages in a "free-choice" forage situation. But when forage is limited, corn can be used to "stretch" the hay supply, especially when corn is relatively inexpensive. Cattle should be adapted to corn slowly over a 7 - 10 day period. As a rule of thumb, one pound of corn can replace two pounds of hay. Do not feed less than five pounds of hay per day with corn.
With low-quality forages, protein often improves forage consumption and use. This is because the protein requirements of the rumen microbes must be met if forage is going to be effectively used. If hay doesn't meet the protein requirements of the animal, add supplemental protein. For example, adding as little as a pound a day of a 30 to 40 percent protein feed could increase total hay consumption and assist in keeping cows in optimal body condition. Soybean meal, cottonseed meal, corn gluten feed, whole cottonseed and commercial mixtures are some suggested protein sources.
Provide adequate mineral supplements. Minerals do not have to be super expensive to work, but rarely are the "cheapest" alternatives the best. Genetically superior cattle have higher mineral requirements. This becomes apparent if nutritional needs are being stretched in a difficult weather situation.
Processing feeds may or may not improve efficiency. Many feedstuffs (milo, whole soybeans) need to be at least coarsely ground or hammered to make nutrients available, while others do not. Most research has shown that only marginal benefits are gained from grinding corn. In fact, fine grinding of corn increases dust and makes it more likely to cause digestive upset. The best argument for using a coarsely ground or cracked corn is that it improves mixing with other ingredients.
Pick a supplement that fits the situation. Many producers do not have time to carefully mix ingredients and balance rations. Some do not have time for daily feeding. Some products, such as whole cottonseed, are excellent sources of both energy and protein, but generally require considerable labor in feeding. Consider labor and equipment in selecting a feed to stretch forages. However, most of the low labor alternatives cost more. This is often termed the "cost of convenience." A feed that is expensive to one producer may be a bargain to another.
Manage feeding to stretch hay supplies. Feed in hay rings. Without rings, consider unrolling hay, but only if the amount that can be consumed in one feeding can be unrolled. If too much is unrolled cows will use the excess for bedding. Cut and remove the strings on large bales fed in bay rings as well as that unrolled. Learn when to feed more hay. This is easier said than done. Sometimes the last 1/4 to 1/3 of a large round hay bale is weather damaged, spoiled and has low nutritive value. Forcing cattle to eat this may decrease both production and body condition. Conversely, replenishing hay before the cattle have eaten the "good parts" of previously fed hay is inefficient and wasteful with limited hay supplies. Developing the knack to feed correctly may require that the manager carefully observe the remnant hay in the feeder to assess quality. Avoid excessive mud. Walking through mud very quickly burns energy. Many days of this can definitely decrease performance and body condition. It is also hard on the person who does the feeding. Increase hay allotment in cold weather. Nothing makes body heat better than consumption of plenty of good hay. Corn does not increase body heat as well as hay. A little protein will allow cows to better digest hay and increase body heat.
Watch the cows! Carefully observe the body condition of your cattle. Strive to keep only minimal ribs showing; back bone and hooks visible but covered. When too many ribs and backbones are showing increase hay or supplement. Cows with poor body condition have been shown to be slower to re-breed and less likely to breed at all. This is particularly true with first calf heifers. Calves born to poorly conditioned cows are likely to have lighter birth weights and be more susceptible to scours and pneumonia. These calves often will not suckle and survival is poor. Severely undernourished cows may not have adequate colostrum to prevent disease.
Nutritional Needs:
Water - Clean, fresh water must always be available to your cattle. A mature animal will generally consume between 10 and 20 gallons a day, so be sure to use a container large enough to hold that quantity. Water needs increase with hot weather. Although initially expensive, you may want to invest in an automatic watering system (available through farm supply stores) as it will greatly reduce water waste.
Salt - Salt should always be available to your cattle. Salt blocks and specially designed holders for them can be purchased at most feed stores.
Feed - Cattle are ruminants (animals with stomachs that have 4 chambers) and consequently, rely mainly on hay or pasture for their dietary needs. Grain is very high in energy, and therefore we do not recommend its use for healthy cattle. Feed necessary for maintenance is approximately 2% of the animal's body weight in dry matter/hay per day.
Pasture should be of a good quality & plentiful as it provides the bulk of their dietary needs. Before pasturing, be sure to remove all plants that are poisonous to cattle. Contact your County Ag Extension Agent for a complete listing of poisonous plants in your area. If adequate pasture is not available, you will need to supplement with hay. Adult cattle need 2 lbs of hay per 100 lbs of body weight daily. Alfalfa hay is a very high protein hay and should only be used for sick or debilitated animals. To avoid hay waste, we suggest the use of a hay feeder. If feeding your cattle outdoors, place hay under cover to prevent wet feed - a costly and unhealthy problem. To locate a source of hay in your area, check with your County Ag Extension Agent for a listing of hay/straw auctions or look in the farming section of your local paper. It is less expensive per bale if you can buy in large quantities, therefore it is well worth the investment to build some type of hay storage building or loft.
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