Estimating winter hay needs

Cow Calf Corner Mark Johnson: Estimating Winter Hay Needs - Oklahoma Farm Report

Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist, offers herd health advice as part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner,” published electronically by Dr. Derrell Peel, Johnson, and Paul Beck. Today, Johnson discusses Estimating Winter Hay Needs Some basic rules of thumb to follow when determining the hay supplies you will need to sustain your cow herd over the winter and into next spring. Determin…

Estimating winter hay needs

Some basic rules of thumb to follow when determining the hay supplies you will need to sustain your cow herd over the winter and into next spring. Determine your average mature cow size. This can be done by weighing your 4- to 7-year-old cows and calculating the average weight. From mature cow size, we can approximate the amount of forage dry matter cows will need to consume per year or per day. For example: a 1,000-pound cow will consume about…