I dont want to move round bales, so I dont intend to use any this winter. Hay should form the bulk of your goat's daily feed, making up to 40%. With winter coming on, it is time to make sure that you have enough hay in the barn to last until your pastures are growing again next spring. Don't switch from alfalfa hay one month to clover hay another to grass hay another. Extrapolate the calculation to round bales. All of my animals will be fed hay this winter in feeders. When buying hay for the first time from a farmer, also pay attention to the weight in relation to the size of the bale. Troy Downing, Ann-Marie Chamberlin, Michael Gamroth, Amy Peters | And you really need to know before you bring the animal home. Thanks. Any of these products should be offered free choice as the sole source of salt and minerals. They will tell you. The best way to feed round bales of hay to your sheep by unrolling the hay with a hay unroller. At Goat Milk Stuff, we prefer 50 pound bales because they are easier for the younger children to move. . Alfalfa should not be feed because it is too good, the opposite of everything else on this list! In my experience with my animals, sheep are the most wasteful hay eatersthis may vary and other people may find differently, but its what Ive found with my animals. Because Im using feeders this year and will have less waste, I would probably be fine at 600, but Im planning to pack in 700. On average a mature horse is 1,000 pounds. That means 213 days X 35 lbs = 7455 lbs/cow. Assists livestock producers in using forage analysis as a management tool to improve livestock nutrition. Simply input your animal species, average animal weight, number of animals, number of days you will need to feed hay, and average bale weight. You can always weigh one on a bathroom scale, to get a number for what you actually buying. Add description, images, menus and links to your mega menu, A column with no settings can be used as a spacer, Link to your collections, sales and even external links. We are located in th In deciding how many (and what size) animals you can afford to keep, take the rule-of-thumb number of bales and calculate it based on the cost of hay in your area. Extension Catalog publication On to the goats and sheep. Peer reviewed (Orange level). Goats generally need between 3% and 4% of their body weight in hay daily. to 10 lbs. , In previous blogs, we have shared information about the pine straw industry and how our equipment, e However, it is important to remember that outside bales can sustain substantial losses. Round bales can be baled smaller or larger, lighter or heavier. (This is why you often find cows and horses available at bargain prices in late fall.) (There will be a weigh slip showing the weight of the load that most hay sellers will give to you as a receipt.). First off, different stages of the reproductive cycle require different levels of nutrition. Each type of hay, whether it is grass, legume, or grain, has its own characteristics that make it suitable for different purposes in a goats diet. If your lambs are on a plentiful pasture with their moms, they do not need hay. Straw that is older, not shiny, is a better buy for bedding. It also can cause breathing issues. Let the ewe lambs eat what they want, since they are still growing. Other years are very hay friendly, it varies quite a bit. The more pasture you have per animal, the less hay you will need overall as you can leave your animals on pasture longer before starting in on full-time hay. Video. Ive been there/done that on a farm without enough pasture. Some animals may need additional nutrients to maintain the desired degree of body condition. One round bale a day works out well for our 18-cow herd! Heck you might only need 2 bales for the whole winter if you got big ones! Peer reviewed (Orange level). If you have problems with molding you might want to consider it for next year. In order to maximize herd health and minimize long-term economic consequences, you should develop a plan for winter feeding long before the last blade of grass or bale of hay disappears. As always - estimate what you think you need and then get some more. I like to feed milking does about 60%-80% alfalfa. ), Hays that are extremely rich, like 100% alfalfa. You now have to take your size, the weight, of the hay bales into consideration. It requires regular assessment of animal health, body condition, performance and feed costs, with adjustments and gradual changes made as necessary. My then-twelve-year-old son walked in the door and said, Youve brought us to this slanted little house to die." There are four critical aspects of large hay purchases: A few simple calculations can help livestock producers estimate how much hay they will need to get them through the winter. They need the roughage to keep their rumens functioning properly. I always recommend that you try to keep 2 years of hay stored. Despite all the variables, I hope this helps if youre planning a farm. Some people choose to not feed hay during the summer months while their goats are on summer pasture, but at Goat Milk Stuff, our goats get free-choice hay year-round because I want the dry material in their rumens in . If you own goats long enough, you will eventually experience a drought year where there is little hay available (and what is available is extremely expensive). With a square bale, if its set directly on the ground, the animals will eat it from the outside in and down, leaving the bottom of the bale wasted by the time they finish tromping on it and spreading it around. Sign up for emails about goats, raising goats, and goats for sale. Here is what Jim from MD has been up to: Aurora Villarroel | Judicious livestock feeding is an art. Absolutely. "It was a cold wintry day when I brought my children to live in rural West Virginia. The farmhouse was one hundred years old, there was already snow on the ground, and the heat was sparse-as was the insulation. Even last year straw. Have a great day! The International Exposition of Machinery for Agriculture and Gardening, Customer Spotlight: Jim from MD and the Ibex Compact Homesteader Hay Package, Pine Straw Production: A Personal Look at the Industry. My Dad always made us stack it on end to keep it from molding. The sagebrush ecosystem is shrinking at an alarming rate. But theres plenty more you need to know about hay when it is time to feed your goats, and making mistakes can harm their health. Extension Catalog publication Do the Math for Winter Feed Preparation - Cornell Small Farms And the average round bale weights about 500 lbs. Another rule of thumb says that goats will eat 5 pounds of hay per day (not counting what they waste). I have also mentioned the issue of regional feed sources, in an above section of this article. Estimating hay needs, size, weights and costs - Farmbrite I think there are going to be a lot of people around here struggling to keep their livestock fed this winter . This stuff will be cheap, but theres very little nutrition here. Thread starter Goatscrazy1; Start date Nov 14, 2017; Tags Which do I need. On average that horse should be offered/be eating around 2-3% of their bodyweight in forage/hay per day. Jan 7, 2009 It is really really hard for me to break it down - as DH HAD to have round bales this year, and I am hating life! Please seek the advice of a professional vet beforemaking any changes to your herd management or individual treatment ofyour goat. Why might I need one? Now that you have estimated your feed requirements, you need to evaluate your feed supply. Feeding hay on the ground will result in higher losses and waste of these scarce resources; it can also have negative health effects. Extension Catalog publication Even though, ewe lambs are smaller than ewes (3.5% of their body weight would be less than 4.55 pounds) they seem to eat just about as much. , In our phone calls and chats with customers, many ask about the Ibex Drawbar Kitwhat it does and wh That is lighter than most, but since you are paying by the ton, it does not matter. 30-40% alfalfa is good for mantainence for all goats. There is a higher risk of listeria associated with haylage and silage feeding that you should be aware of, should you consider haylage for your flock. Disclaimer: This information is provided as an example of how we personally raise goats at Goat Milk Stuff. Bear in mind that this stockpiled forage will be very low quality and provide mostly fiber; energy, protein, vitamin and mineral supplementation will be required. Sad, but true! Goats dont really need grain as a staple in their diet, but in some cases it can be a beneficial supplement.Choose high-quality grains that are low in sugar and carbohydrates, feed sparingly, and always introduce them slowly to avoid disrupting their rumen. How Much Food Do Goats Need Per Day? - Silver Lake Farms Round bales are nicetheyre fix-it-and-forget-it, like putting supper in a crock pot, and theyre usually more economical. What does the Ibex Drawbar Kit Do? Sergio Arispe, Shelby Filley | Ha Ha. 800 South 9th Street Hay is expensive because:It requires a large investment in equipmentIt requires . This is a good place to start, but may not be where you and your flock end up. Listen on Spotify By Teagan Moran, OSU Extension Small Farms Program This series is all about connecting listeners to small scale farmers and ranchers. Since raising your own Hey there, Im Kathy! People end up trucking in hay from across state lines. Therefore, eight adult does equal one animal unit. For example, a 200 lb. Cold weather will require an increase in nutrients to meet increased maintenance requirements as well. As I've mentioned before, at Goat Milk Stuff, we make hay available free-choice. or 15.6 tons or 625 square bales (50 lbs each). 648/40=16.2, or 16 small square bales per day. However, dont fall into the trap of thinking that just because they eat all the hay you provide that they are getting enough nutrition. Reply Save Like It never hurts to have a little extra. Troy Downing, Michael Gamroth | I have seen anything from 40-80lbs depending on the type and . Robert KallenbachDepartment of AgronomyFigure 1. Animals eat a round bale from the center out, and the outer layer will be left behind when theyre finished eating the good stuff. This 2-year project has been helpful in characterizing nonstructural carbohydrates in cool-season grasses. Aug 7, 2010 Estimate about 5 lbs per goat per day. The seller will know the weight per bale of the hay being sold. Peer reviewed (Orange level). Read my barnyard stories! Again, there are a lot of factors, but if you have absolutely no idea how much hay you need, start there and keep track. Use a hay-feeding rack to store forage and regulate intake, and select a well-designed portable mineral feeder with a roof to protect it from moisture. Peer reviewed (Orange level). Most flocks of sheep will be fed some hay for the winter. How Much & How Often to Feed Goats: Feeding Chart & Guide A small amount of wasted or uneaten hay is to be expected, but more than that starts to get pricey. #1 We've got ten Charolaise cow/calf pairs to feed this winter. Hay Selection. The best hay for maintenance needs sheep is a nice first cutting grass, like timothy or orchard grass that is made early and was never rained on. Peer reviewed (Orange level). SWEETLIX x Waste Factor (1.2) Hay Calculator - Tractor Tools Direct Reducing Losses When Feeding Hay to Beef Cattle | MU Extension Last winter, with the round bales I had, I found that my two cows would go through a round bale about every five days, so the round bale was worth about 10 square bales (after accounting for the excess waste because the round bales werent coveredwithout so much waste, each round bale would have been worth more). A herd of 25 will require 200 to 250 lbs. The larger yourgoat herd, the more important this is. Ability to work with the hay producer's schedule. 1 horse at 1000 pounds x 2% BW = 20 lbs hay per day. Since hay is just dried grass, it works out great as a food source for your sheep. How much hay do you keep for the winter - CattleToday.com Cold weather will require an increase in nutrients to meet increased maintenance requirements. The best way to determine hay needs is to know the weight of the bales and the weight of the goats. Jun 2023 | You may not see the problems from limiting feed right away - but nutritional deficits build up and will lead to sick goats and bad birthing outcomes eventually. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. DMI rates are estimates of how much dry matter (water component subtracted) an animal can consume in one day. How much straw, when to buy winter hay? | BackYardHerds - Goats, Horses You never know what your winter is going to be.) Tom has lived and worked on farms and homesteads from the Carolinas to Kentucky and beyond. SWEETLIX Caprine Magnum-Milk Mineral is a 1:1 Ca to P free choice mineral designed for specifically for lactating dairy goats on a legume-based diet. Your sheep may need more or less than the 4.55 pounds per day. I should have said on edge not on end!! If you are keeping your lambs inside with their moms for now, they will eat some of the hay that they see the ewes eating. To be more accurate, you need to consider dry matter content as well as exact nutritional requirements for the size of animal and stage of production. Good news, these bales are very typical, having a 50 pound weight per bale. is a good article to start with if you are not sure of hay cuttings and why it matters to you and your sheep. Share your story and receive a free gift! gives you a cost breakdown of buying lamb versus raising them yourself. A 130 pound ewe will need 4.55 pounds of hay per day. Ive been buying hay from the same guy for three years, so Im experienced with using his hay and know that it falls closely to the rule of thumb. If it feels lighter than it should, the farmer may be baling light and selling underweight baleswhich is only fair if the price is also underweight. To feed 10 ewes that weigh 130 pounds each, you would need one 45.5 pound bale per day. Makes it sturdier to climb on. Too expensive. A bale of hay is only as good as the meadow from which its cut. I do get alfalfa cubes for the goats and will for the horses, too. Depending on the weight of the goat, breed, and quality of the hay, a goat can eat up to 6 pounds of hay per day.This means an average 150-pound goat could consume as much as 180 pounds of hay in a month! How to Store Hay - Hay Quality | Horizon Structures :sheep: Enter Number of animals: * Enter number of days feeding hay: * Enter Average Bale Weight: * lbs. However, you either must have them delivered exactly where you want them, or be prepared with the equipment to move them (with a tractor). how to calculate how much hay to feed! - Wild Oak Farms In most years, you won't need that backup, but when you do, your goats (and your pocketbook) will thank you for it. Id have to buy the same number of round bales for the two horses, the same number for the goats, and the same number for the sheep and donkeys, which would mean at least 70 round bales total (if they were the exact same size round bales I used last year). We also recommend conducting an inventory of hay and other feed resources. That's about 70 pounds of milk. When I look at a cow or a horse, I see $250 stamped on their forehead because thats what it will cost me to provide them 100 bales for the winter. Having the capacity to store large amounts of hay is one of the requirements before buying enough hay to last an entire season. 2,420 lbs x 1.05 (storage waste) x 1.05 (ground waste) = 2,668 lbs hay per . As long as you have plenty of quality hay available to the flock, hell get what he needs. Heres a link to another sheep website for more details on sheep and haylage. For show goats: for this article, I'm speaking of commercial goats, not show goats. Alfalfa only hay is probably too rich for your sheep, especially the main flock. Bigger breeds will eat even more. He still reminds me to this day, make sure you stack it on end! Ive been putting hay in for 40+ years. Thank you. Also if the pasture and browse is limited, you should feed more hay. You should know, some sheep are very accepting of a creep gate keeping them out of an area and others will try all day to get through it. Is Raising Sheep Worth It? Like most livestock, its up to us to ensure that our goats get plenty of food every single day, and that means providing it for them in the form of hay to supplement what they find in the pasture, if you allow them to browse. Its a great source of nutrition, and is something that goats can and will eat all the time assuming they like it, of course! Nope, not as pretty, but LOTS more absorbent as a bedding I often receive emails from people who are just starting out on a farm, or planning to start out on a farm soon. To stock up for the duration of the winter, assuming the cold weather starts in October and ends on the 1st of March, you'll need to buy $13,590 worth of hay. The videos in this library fall within the Sergio Arispe | Some people choose to not feed hay during the summer months while their goats are on summer pasture, but at Goat Milk Stuff, our goats get free-choice hay year-round because I want the dry material in their rumens in addition to the wet pasture they are eating. per square foot. The price of the bale should be fair in relation to both the weight of the bale and the going rate for an average bale in your area. Consistency is what we try to achieve the most with our goats. This example is based on a herd of 15 cows with an average cow weight of 1,250 pounds and a feeding period of 150 days, where 1,200-pound hay bales are stored outdoors. Dont set hay directly on the ground. Youll either have to run it yourself or hire someone to bale your hay for you (which is another cost). Take 1.5 tons x 2,000 pound per ton=3,000 pounds of hay, 3,000 divided by 60 bales=50 pounds per bale. And the average round bale weights about 500 lbs. Then we ha Always add 5% to 10% to your determination to have a margin of safety! Feeding Goats: What you need to know about forages and winter Discusses the causes and symptoms of the condition, effective treatments, and ways to prevent calves from getting scours. It is particularly beneficial for pregnant does as it has plenty of folic acid that helps with mineral absorption. Theyll nibble around and gradually build up to eating alongside mom. What's new. Defines calf scours (diarrhea), a potentially lethal condition. (6 cubic feet), and you have a loft space 10-foot high and 12-foot square, you should comfortably fit 200 bales at 56 lbs. If you also feed your goats fruits or vegetables, they will eat 6 pounds of them per day. You can ask the person baling it. It is also high in calcium and essential amino acids, which are all important for growing kids. You should know that if you put out nice hay for the lambs to snack on, the ewes will hog it all! How do you know how much a round bale weighs without weighing it? (See round bale notes below for my extrapolation with my round bales.). Assuming that a mature meat doe weighs 125 lbs. Hay may have to be fed from October through March, perhaps even April. You count bales as you are helping unload and come up with 60 bales. The outer layer of a round bale is exposed to weather (or the ground). Well see. Hay + Goat + Winter = How much? | The Goat Spot Forum We can turn a lot of it into pasture with some work ( a lot of it is shrubby growth now). The first thing we need to know is how many calories goats need daily, and with so many breeds, this is easier said than done. 20 lbs x 121 days = 2,420 lbs hay per horse. , Drum mowers, as a general category, are sturdy, low-maintenance machines designed for the compact tr TABLE 1: Dry matter intake as percent of body weight of livestock species. Round bales are generally more economical than square bales. Assuming a 40 lb bale, 3915/40 = 98 bales per horse. I have two horses200 square bales for the two horses. Suzanne McMinn We are not veterinarians and any information on the GMS website should not be taken as veterinary advice. Let us say that we feed small square bales of dry hay, that weigh about 40 pounds each. I average a bale a week per goat during the winter. What is a lift kit? (Will your flock make money?). What Is 1st Or 2nd Cutting Hay? Estimates are based on livestock body weights, number of head to feed and days to be fed. How Many Bales Of Hay Per Cow For Winter According to the National Dairy Council the average dairy cow produces about six to seven gallons of milk per day. Hay Cost Calculator for Goats: How Much Hay Do I Need? We owe it to them as their stewards to be practical and realistic with ourselves in choosing whether we can afford to keep them. How Many Bales Of Hay Per Cow For Winter - All Animals Guide Old hay (that isn't moldy or too dusty), is still good to feed to goats. Just know that you have to monitor your sheep to see if they are getting what they need. If you discover moldy hay, throw it away or compost it, but it's not worth the risk of feeding it to your goats. Alfalfa hay is more expensive. square bales you would need approximately 750 lbs. Various websites suggest that a full-size goat will eat about 5 pounds of hay per day and a dwarf will eat about 3 pounds per day. Is Raising Lambs For Meat Worth It? Hay Calculator Hay Calculator Choose Type of Livestock: * Cow Sheep Alpaca Goat Horse Beef Steer Llama * See the Hay Consumption Table for details. You can carry them by hand, roll them end over end, or load them into a lawn cart to get them where theyre going. If you cant feed your animal through the winter, you shouldnt have that animal. They do have requirements for the amount of water, protein, energy, vitamins and minerals needed for maintenance, various rates of gain and other forms of production. It's also great to use for composting for your garden (but make sure it is completely composted so you kill any seeds). How many bales of hay you feed your goats depends on their weight and the size of the hay bale, but the calculation is simple. Thank you! I go through a 600 # bale of hay a week between 6 sheep, 20 goats, and 2 horses. The Best Way To Feed Round Bales To Sheep - Family Farm Livestock If you have minis you could probably go with about 3lbs per goat per day. Chemical analysis of the hay being fed would be a valuable source of information and help guide feeding decisions. Explore more resources from OSU Extension: Regional Livestock and Dairy Extension Specialist, Credit Alyson Yates (Cropped from original), Photo: Teagan Moran (Cropped from original), Credit Amanda Loman (Cropped from original), Calculating winter hay needs for livestock, Commercial fishing, crabbing and clamming, Local, regional and community food systems, Scours in Beef Calves: Causes and Treatments, Living on the Land: Winter Livestock Care, Series of livestock clinics enhances 4-H experience in Lake County, Grazing Management for Rangeland Health: A Threat-based Land Management Approach, Bunchgrass Phenology: Using Growth Stages of Grasses as Adaptive Grazing Management Tools, Nonstructural Carbohydrates in Cool-season Grasses, 2023 Wildfires, Smoke, and Livestock Webinar Series.
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how many bales of hay per goat for winter