Roll out the bales
With haying season out of the way, many livestock owners are trying to figure out how many bales they will need this winter to feed cows.
“Once you know how to figure out the formula, it’s easy to do,” said Susan Markus, beef specialist with Alberta Agriculture. “Working out the number of bales needed to winter a cow herd is not the same as balancing a ration.”
She said hay quality makes a difference in the quantity needed. Average to good quality hay can be consumed per day at about two percent of a mature cow’s body weight. Straw and poorer quality hays can only be consumed at about 1.5 to 1.75 percent of body weight. While lactating, the cow may be able to consume up to 2.5 percent of her weight in feed.
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“These percentages are on a dry matter basis, so it is important to know the moisture content of the feed in order to accurately assess the feed consumption,” said Markus.
She added it may be necessary to factor in losses of 10 to 15 percent caused by transport, storage and feeding method.
Using a 120 head cow herd with an average weight of 1,350 pounds as an example, the formula would go something like this:
Two percent of 1,350 is 27 lbs. of dry matter that a single cow will consume in a day. If each cow eats only hay in her ration and the hay has a moisture content of 15 percent, 31 lbs. of hay is needed for each cow per day (15 percent of 27 equals 4. Then 27+4=31.) If cows will be on feed for 190 days, then 31 lbs. multiplied by 120 cows multiplied by 190 days works out to 706,800 lbs. of hay.
Determining bales needed
Once you know how many pounds of hay are needed, divide that by the average bale weight to get the number of bales needed. If the average is 1,200 pounds, then 590 bales would supply the needed amount of hay.
If 15 percent has been determined for losses or waste, producers must add another 88 bales into the total, which would equal 679 bales.
If feeding silage, the cow still needs two percent of body weight. However, silage has about 60 percent moisture and that means each cow would need 43 lbs. of silage per day if that is all they will be fed. To feed the same herd you would need 980,400 lbs. of silage over the winter, (120 head x 190 days x 43 lbs.)
Since there is often some spoilage, waste and other losses, adding 15 percent (147,060 lbs.) brings the total to 1,127,460 lbs. or about 512 tonnes.
“Adjustments should be made if the herd varies a lot in weight and age,” said Markus.
“It may be necessary to work out requirements for first calf heifers and bulls separately from the rest of the mature cow herd as consumption can vary.”
While it is impossible to predict the weather for the coming winter, livestock owners may want to consider a cold adjustment factor in their equation.
Having an extra 20 percent of feed on hand for those extreme cold spells makes sense. It is also wise to get a nutrient analysis completed on the feed so the ration can be balanced for the herd’s needs.
– Alberta Agriculture
Direct seeding answers
Farmers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba with questions about direct seeding systems can get answers with a toll-free phone call this fall.
The direct seeding hotline got a good workout when it was introduced last spring, receiving 10-12 calls a day, said Blair McClinton, Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association assistant manager in Indian Head, Sask.
The flow of calls has slowed since then, but the service is still available this fall.
“We might get questions like ‘can I surface apply granular herbicides or do they have to be incorporated?’ ” he said.
Later this fall, producers thinking about buying direct seeding equipment could turn to the hot line.
The number is: 1-800-213-4287.
