"It depends wholly on facilities and where you're feeding. However, you can drastically reduce that amount by using an efficient hay feeder and implementing rotational feeding. Hay feeders like the 700 DRB, are built to keep hay bales in the center of the feeder and encourage cattle to take smaller portions of hay. Does not keep hay off the ground. Plus, it does what one haynet cannot. How Do You Feed Hay With No Waste to Cattle? To efficiently use your hay, hay must be sampled in separate lots or cuttings, tested for its nutrient content and fed based on your cattle's nutrient needs.
"Cost is going to drive a lot of decisions, and you have to consider labor. You can quickly see that a minimum-waste hay feeder for cattle is an investment that will probably save you thousands of dollars in the future. These more efficient feeders are considerably heavier and cannot be stood up and rolled to a new location as with the open style feeders. More goes into how much hay is wasted than simply the feedbunks themselves. The Problem With Hay Feeders. If you choose not to feed on a high traffic area pad, moving the feeding area around will help spread manure more uniformly over the field, improve soil fertility of thin spots, and reduce sod damage. The amount of time feeding has been positively correlated with dominance behavior, " Buskirk said, adding that in some cases, it's as much about providing feedbunk space as it is providing the right bunk in general.
It's wise to first feed the lower quality (stored outside) hay first then give your cows the better hay last (hay stored inside). Note: We are assuming hay is 92%-100% dry matter. Photo Credit: UNL Beef. In summary, the following key management tools will help to reduce hay losses during feeding: - Match hay quality to animals' nutritional requirements. The results showed some types of feeders do a better job of reducing round-bale hay loss than others: - A cone-type hay feeder with a solid panel at the bottom to keep any loose hay in had 3. You will understand the value it can bring your operation and you're likely not going to go without it. Tired of Wasting Hay?
"Data shows the type of feeder you have has a big impact on the utilization of that forage. Avoid bars or dividers between feeding stations. A hay feeder is just different. "Hay quality is generally higher when you put it up wet, but a lot depends on the weather. Reflective Insulation. Customers are responsible for any brokerage fees incurred on shipping. ALL PURCHASES ARE FINAL. Spend less time feeding cattle. Sioux Steel Bull Hay Feeder. When combined with a bale feeder with a cradle or cone bottom that prevents dropped hay from immediately becoming waste, forage sized with either a bale processor or chopping baler can have a considerable influence on hay waste. The animal behavior component.
Even when feeding hay with hay feeders, the waste can vary from 15 percent to 50 percent depending on type of feeder, significantly increasing feed costs. According to Vermeer Product Manager Josh Vrieze, there are many options to optimize hay feeding operations, both in terms of equipment and overall strategy. At 30 percent, that cost is nearly $3, 200. QUESTIONS & ANSWERSAsk a Question. If you ground-feed your cattle, only feed a day's amount of hay (rather than several days) to your cows. Sources: - Dan Undersander: - Michigan State University research: - Phone interview with Josh Vrieze, email follow-up with Dan Buskirk (MSU).
In a pasture, do you want to feed whole bales or use a bale processor? " Let's look at 2 different examples of hay feeders that can greatly improve hay savings.
Therefore, improving hay feeding efficiency represents "low-hanging fruit" in many seedstock and commercial operations. Achieving high hay feed efficiency and resulting rate of gain is ultimately a function of both size and management strategies. Luckily, there's a solution. But this all depends on the method of feeding. If large amounts of hay must be put out at one time, it is helpful to place a barrier between the hay and animals to reduce waste. Avoiding low areas and marshy grass for feeding grounds is a good idea. The feeder rests on (4) 15"x8" rims for easy transportation. Finally, lighter calves may not be able to access the core of the bale in some models. Hay usage can easily be improved if the current method used for feeding is to place bales out in the pasture or lot without any type of feeder. Handles big and small animals like bulls and cows. In comparison, the hay ring feeder elicited a waste percentage of 6. MSU Extension - Broadwater County. 5 to 8% of the original bale weight. Hay production in the Southern Great Plains has steadily increased over the last 50 years.