In our final edition of the Forage Webinar Series, Dr. Rob Kellenbach, University of Missouri Associate Dean, discussed how to get the most out of your winter feeding, including using stockpiled fescue and evaluating various hay feeding methods and equipment. It was an excellent session and I encourage you to watch it on the Smith County Extension YouTube channel.
In a year where margins are tight, managing feed costs can be the difference in a negative return versus a profit. Specifically, the amount of stored feed, i.e. hay, that is fed often separates the top percentage of producers who are profitable from those who are not.
In his presentation, Dr. Kellenbach mentions two approaches to attack winter feed costs: extending the grazing season and using stored feed efficiently. I would add a third option which is culling unproductive animals.
I realize that saying “the best way to save money on feed is to feed less animals” is somewhat like saying “the best way to avoid a car crash is don’t drive a car.” However, it seems like a valid point to bring up that feeding cows who are open, old, or just plain mean, or one that didn’t wean a calf that was close to half her body weight in the previous year might not be the best way to maximize profits.
To Dr. Kellenbach’s point, extending the grazing season is option number one as far as a feeding strategy. We talk extensively about stockpiling tall fescue and using winter annuals so animals can do the harvesting of forage as opposed to being fed forage that we harvested, stored, and fed. I stand behind those recommendations while also acknowledging that they work a lot better when it rains.
Option two is to minimize hay-feeding losses. Feeding hay during the winter is inevitable but losing a tremendous amount during feeding is not. However, that is exactly what will happen if you are not intentional about minimizing losses. While hay loss will never be zero, there are some things to do that will get it lower.
The typical way we limit waste in Tennessee is to use bale rings or feeders as opposed to unrestricted access. There are so many types on the market it is impossible to cover them all here, but suffice it to say they can vary significantly in the amount that is pulled out and wasted or used for bedding. I will say, though, that regardless of type or model, simply having metal sheeting around the bottom will cut waste in half. Dr. Kellenbach does an excellent job discussing various models in his presentation.
More and more producers are feeding hay by unrolling bales. It can be very successful or terribly wasteful, depending on how it is done. Unrolling should be done on a daily basis or you will be unrolling bedding rather than feed.
One final point I would make is that animals do not need 24-hour access to hay. Research has shown that animals will consume what they need within about eight hours. Given 24-hour access, they won’t eat that much more but will certainly waste more. To limit access, animals should be in good body condition and be fed good quality hay. Evaluate body condition regularly to make sure animals are not going backwards. Testing the quality of your hay and supplementing if necessary is also a good idea, regardless of the hay feeding method one chooses.
Feed is expensive, regardless of whether it comes in the form of a bag or a roll. Take some time to think about ways to limit feed waste on your operation. The University of Tennessee Extension,
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