If you would like a more specific estimate, you will need to determine the dry matter content of your hay and use that in your calculation. Keep in mind that this is an estimate. There are many factors that contribute to how much hay a group of residents will go through. The quality of the hay and seasonal temperatures will impact how much hay a resident may consume on any given day.
While cows will always waste some of their hay, certain feeding and storage methods will result in more wasted hay than others, and we will discuss these methods in more detail below. Some of this will depend on what is available in your area and what type of baling equipment your supplier has.
Large round bales are much more common than small round bales, and typically range between lbs and lbs kg. Square bales come in a wide range of sizes though not all will be available to you , typically weighing between 50lbs and lbs kg suppliers in your area may only offer one or two different sizes. Depending on your resident population, you may find it makes sense to have both large and small hay bales available, especially if you care for other species who consume hay.
Keep in mind that you will need equipment, such as a tractor or skid-steer, with the proper attachment to move large bales of hay, whereas small bales can be moved by hand. As previously noted, in general, we do not recommend feeding hay without a feeder. Doing so will result in much more waste as cows trample and spread out the hay. While there is still waste with a hay feeder, it will reduce the amount wasted by keeping hay contained. If you are only feeding a few cows, wall-mounted hay racks may be a good option.
However, if you need to feed out a large amount of hay, using wall racks can be tedious because you will likely have to fill them by hand. For larger populations, a free-standing hay feeder designed for cows or horses may be a better option, especially if you are using large hay bales, as you will be able to use equipment to move the bale directly into the feeder.
To prevent the risk of entrapment, avoid styles that a cow could get their head caught in. Another option would be to build your own hay feeder s. It can be arduous opening gates to bring equipment into a resident space and either navigating around residents or moving them out of the feeding area ahead of time. Additionally, driving equipment into resident spaces that are wet or snowy can be tricky and can result in muddy or slippery areas that could pose a safety risk to residents.
Whatever feeder design you choose, make sure to use enough feeders to comfortably accommodate all of your residents at once. Hay feeders can take up quite a lot of space if you are feeding a number of cow residents. It may not make sense, or be possible, to feed residents in their indoor living space , in which case you will need to determine where your residents will be fed.
Additionally, depending on your barn design and the type of feeder you are using, it may not be safe to house feeders inside the indoor space, as cows may move free-standing feeders and cause structural damage to the barn. Feeders will also need to be moved regularly, especially in wet areas, to prevent cows from having to stand in deep mud.
If you can, building a covered feed area with proper drainage will help protect the hay from the elements and also allow residents to eat without being stuck out in the rain, snow, or sun. Depending on your resident population, feeding can be time consuming, so you may find it easier to feed out enough hay to last a few days at a time, but keep in mind that, in general, the more hay you feed at a time, the more will be wasted.
Regardless of your system, make sure hay supplies are checked daily and added to as needed. Whether your bales are secured with wire or twine, be sure to remove this when feeding out hay. Twine is especially easy for cows to ingest, and both twine and wire can also pose safety risks in other ways. Pay attention to hay bales as they are opened and as hay supplies are checked daily, watching for objects they could ingest. Some styles of free-standing feeders have open bottoms so that the hay inside the feeder is resting on the ground.
Depending on the weather conditions and how long the hay sits in the feeder, it can become wet and potentially begin to mold even if it is kept in a covered feed area.
Proper storage of hay is important. If you have large quantities of hay to store, having a separate hay storage area may be the way to go. Storing large quantities of hay inside resident structures is not the safest practice since the hay could potentially cause a fire due to spontaneous combustion see below or fuel a fire that starts from a different source.
Moisture Matters! While you may not need to know the specific moisture content of your hay when estimating how much hay your residents need, you do need to know the moisture content when safely storing your hay. Hay that is baled with a high moisture content can not only become moldy, it can also heat and spontaneously combust! If you store hay inside resident living spaces, we strongly encourage you to check the moisture level first using a hay moisture meter to ensure it is safe to store.
Consider who is allowed in hay storage areas, and put up signage that communicates this. A giant stack of hay may look like a fun climbing structure to a young visitor , so be sure to let people know that these are not play areas. Also consider ways in which you can keep those who do need to access hay storage areas safe.
Railing in lofts and safety harnesses for those who must climb to the top of large stacks of hay are just a few options to consider. While not all climates and sanctuary properties can accommodate healthy grass pastures, whenever possible, giving cow residents access to grazing pastures is beneficial.
We suggest working with your local cooperative extension office to determine which cow-friendly grasses and other vegetation are best suited for your area.
Make sure they understand the specifics of your resident population, that these individuals will be living out their entire natural lives at the sanctuary, and that your goal is to support the health and longevity of your residents rather than any sort of production. They will be able to recommend the best seed mix for your pastures as well as other pasture maintenance practices to ensure healthy pasture for your residents.
Even if you are working with an established pasture, your local cooperative extension office can still be a good resource for you. They can help identify toxic plants that will need to be removed and can give you suggestions to improve pasture health.
A Note About Toxic Plants While not true of all toxic plants, there are some plants that are toxic to cows that they will typically avoid eating so long as they have enough cow-safe vegetation on their pasture or supplemental hay , but during times when food is sparse, they may be more likely to consume these toxic plants.
So just because you have never had an issue with toxicity, this does not mean that your pastures do not contain toxic plants. Cows will spend a significant portion of the daylight hours grazing, though the amount of time will be affected by the weather and pasture quality. On average, cows will graze between six and eleven hours a day and will graze for the longest periods of time and take their largest grazing meals at dusk and dawn with shorter grazing periods in between.
Cows grazing on high quality pasture will spend less time grazing than cows on lower quality pasture, who may have to spend more time looking for palatable forage. Seasonal temperatures will also impact grazing behavior and can cause deviations from their natural grazing behavior. In hot climates, midday grazing may be replaced by nighttime grazing in order to avoid activity during the hottest part of the day.
Cows will eat the best tasting plants and most lush parts of the pasture first, typically choosing tender, immature leaves before more mature plants. They will also avoid eating patches of grass that have been defecated on.
Grapefruits provide cows with small amounts of proteins, phosphorous, and calcium. Like with other citrus fruits, cows can gain benefits from Vitamin C in grapefruit. When feeding grapefruit to your cows, be sure to cut the fruit into smaller pieces. Large or whole grapefruit can become a choking hazard or cause an intestinal blockage if not chewed properly. Leftover or broken pumpkins? You can feed them to your cows!
Cows can usually figure out how to break into pumpkins on their own, and it is safe for them to eat the entire vegetable. Pumpkins include a balance of high water content and fiber that help them become more easily digested.
They are also a decent source of protein and supplement for cows that eat mainly on dry hay or feed. Pumpkins also provide valuable Vitamin A, E, and folate to support healthy vision and bone growth.
Cows can safely eat raspberries, including the stem and leaves, along with other brambles. Many farmers will allow their cows to graze on their bramble bushes to help naturally cut back on the sometimes invasive plants. Raspberries are also nutritionally beneficial with high Vitamin A levels. The stems and stalks from the raspberry and other bramble bushes also provide high dietary fiber. Grapes and grape by products such as stems or pulp are great for mixing into feed.
They can add Vitamin C and Vitamin A for healthy immune support. Added benefit: while eating too many grapes or too much of any one type of food can cause bloat in cows, eating grapes in a balanced diet can reduce how much methane gas they release. Ripened plums are safe for cows to eat.
They also have high levels of zinc, magnesium, and calcium which support proper development and bone strength. Make sure you do not feed any other part of the plum tree to your cows! All other parts of the plum tree can be poisonous to your cows and other livestock. Plum trees produce cyanide compounds that are toxic to animals.
Blueberries provide a number of antioxidants, as well as potassium and Vitamin C, that are beneficial to for maintaining good health. As always, blueberries and other fruits should be included as part of a balanced diet. Blueberries have also been shown to increase natural glucose in cows, giving them more natural energy. This can help support milk production by supplementing energy and increasing milk yield.
Tomatoes can be safe for cows but should be carefully selected and provided to ensure the correct ripeness. Unripe tomatoes can be toxic to cows since they contain tomatine, which can cause diarrhea and inflammation. Tomatoes should be incorporated as part of a more balanced diet if used in cow feed. Cows can eat pears that are either fresh or dried. Pears have a high moisture content, so be sure to balance the rest of their diet with dry feed and monitor how much they eat. If cows eat too much of a food with a lot of water, they will not have the hunger or the stomach room to eat other foods and balance their diet.
Pears can also overripen and turn bad quickly, so be sure that you only feed pears that are not moldy to your cows. Cherries, especially wild cherries, are dangerous to cows. When foods began to spoil they cannot be sold for human consumption. Due to the four-compartment stomach and the microbial population of the ruminant digestive system, cattle have no problem including these products to some degree in their diet. Rather than ending up in a landfill, they can be fed to cattle, reducing the loss for the commodity producer, reducing the production cost for the cattle producer, and reducing the environmental impact of placing the waste in the landfill.
Actually, many by-products make great cattle feed. By-products are the left over components after the main product is extracted. For example, when sugar is made from sugar beets, an energy-dense, fibrous pulp is left over. When ethanol is made from corn, a product high in digestible fiber and protein is left over called distillers grains.
The process that produces corn oil and corn starch produces wet corn gluten feed, which is a by-product high in fiber and protein as well. These by-products are excellent cattle feed, as their nutrients are very concentrated and they can usually be included in the diet very economically creating a win for the producers of the primary product, the cattle producer, and the environment. Would you like a bowl of grass or a juicy steak for supper?
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