Dispelling the Myth of the 1,000 lb. Bale and 1,000 lb. Cow

Becky Mills
Contributing Editor

When a producer calls Jackson County Extension coordinator Greg Pittman and asks him how much hay he needs for the winter, Pittman fires back with a series of questions. How much stockpiled grass do you have for the winter? Will you have any winter grazing? What age are your cows? While the last question might seem a bit odd, Pittman explains, "If she is 4, 5 or 6 years old, she's heavier than if she is a 2-year-old."

Pittman wishes producers could give him a closer estimate of what their hay bales actually weigh, as well as the average weight of their cows, so he could give them more than an educated guess. "A lot of people think their cows weigh 1,000 to 1,200 pounds and their hay bales weigh 1,000 pounds." It turns out, they usually overestimate the weight of their bales and underestimate the weight of their cows.

His goal is to dispel the myth of the 1,000-pound bale and 1,000-pound cow.

Thanks to a set of scales owned by the county Extension service and loaned to producers, Pittman knows his 4- x 5.5-foot bales weigh between 850 to 975 pounds, depending on moisture content and forage type. He also knows the 60 commercial cows he runs with his father, Jerry, average around 1,400 pounds. If you don't have access to a set of scales, your local co-op should be able to let you run your empty and full hay trailer over them. If you don't have scales in your working chute, check your ticket the next time you send an open cow to the stockyard. With the improved genetics of today's bulls, she's likely to weigh more than you think.

USE THIS FORMULA

If you do have a fairly accurate estimate on the average weight of your bales and your cows, Pittman recommends this formula:

Head in the herd multiplied by average pounds of body weight multiplied by dry matter intake, % of body weight multiplied by days, with all of that divided by (1-storage loss, %) multiplied by (1-feeding loss, %) multiplied by 2,000 pounds per ton.

Or, simplified as:

Head in the herd x avg. lbs. of b.w. x DMI, % of b.w. x days
Divided by
(1-Storage Loss, %) x (1-Feeding Loss, %) x 2000 lbs./ton

Here's an example of a 100-head herd with cows weighing an average of 1,400 pounds, the producer feeds hay in a hay ring (6% feeding loss), stores his hay on a covered stack pad with net wrap (5% storage loss) and plans to feed hay for 120 days:

100 multiplied by 1,400 pounds multiplied by .02 multiplied by 120 divided by .95 multiplied by .94 multiplied by 2,000 equals 188 tons of hay needed.

Here is the math:

(100 x 1,400 lbs. x 0.02 x 120) = 336,000
Divided by
(0.95 x 0.94 x 2,000) = 1,786
TOTAL: 336,000 divided by 1,786 = 188.13 tons of hay needed

The Pittmans store their net-wrapped hay in barns except when they have a bumper crop. Then, they cover the extra with a tarp. If hay is wrapped with twine, it can be a 2 to 5% loss if it is stored in a pole barn compared to a whopping 30 to 60% loss if it is stored outside in a poorly drained or shady spot.

"A ton bale of hay in the field isn't the same as a ton of hay fed," retired Banks County Extension agent Zach McCann says. "You lose 8 to 9 inches of the bale to weathering or about a third of the hay bale."

"You can pay for a hay barn with hay losses," Pittman adds.

The Pittmans also guard against hay loss by feeding hay in rings, which usually means a 4 to 8% loss compared to feeding it without a ring for a 20% loss.

Experience also adds to the hard math. Typically, their Angus-based cows eat around 9.5 to 10 bales a winter. That's supplemented with stockpiled fescue and home-grown ryegrass and oat, or bermudagrass hay. If needed, they'll also feed corn gluten pellets, especially to the replacement heifers.

TAKE THE TEST

Besides weighing the occasional bale, the Pittmans cut down on their guesswork by religiously testing their hay. "You can look at it, and it may be beautiful, but it could still be poor quality," Pittman explains. "Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) has made it pretty simple." The average RFQ is 100 and is based on a formula that takes both total digestible nutrients (TDN) and dry matter intake (DMI) into account. Their hay runs typically 55 to 62% TDN and 10 to 16% crude protein.

He adds, "Look at the moisture level as sampled. There is a hay barn that burns down every year in this county. If the hay is over 25% moisture, I'd be highly concerned. Store it outside."

The Pittmans also depend on the hay test for the nitrate content. High nitrates are a possibility in a well-fertilized hayfield, especially after a drought, and can be fatal to cattle.

With the results of the hay test, they know what hay to feed to what class of cattle and how much to supplement. "We try to feed our best hay right before calving and right after -- we aim for 115 RFQ or better," Pittman explains. "At the same time, we hope we have winter grazing. We feed our medium- to lesser-quality hay when the winter grazing is at its best in late winter and early spring, when the forages are building in the pasture, and we're trying to extend our grazing time."

Replacement heifers are fed with feeder calves and have access to more grazing and higher-quality hay. They are also supplemented with corn gluten.

At Elrod Farms, owner Cole Elrod and farm manager Beau Brissey use the same approach with home-grown hay and ryegrass baleage, which can run over 130 RFQ. Like the Pittmans, they store their hay in a barn. If they run out of barn space, they feed the hay stored outside first to minimize loss. They also feed their hay in a ring.

The higher-quality baleage goes toward developing the bulls and replacement heifers in the purebred Angus operation, as well as first-calf heifers. They save the lower RFQ hay for cold, rainy or snowy weather. Using a hay blower, they put it out in windrows so baby calves can bed down in it. "It is a game changer," Elrod says.

He also uses a genetic approach to cut down on the amount of high-quality hay he needs. "We try really hard to breed a cow that can make it on low-RFQ hay and little else."

TEST SO YOU DON'T GUESS

Fortunately, taking hay samples isn't rocket science -- that's left for the folks in the lab doing the actual testing.

Here's what you need:

1. a clean bucket
2. a hay probe and a drill
3. a gallon ziplock bag
4. a permanent marker

Greg Pittman, Extension coordinator in Jackson County, Georgia, recommends testing at least 10% of the bales in every field, every cutting. "With dry hay, we test it as soon after rolling it as possible. That's a true measure of moisture. As long as it is below 18%, no quality is lost if it is stored indoors. With baleage, don't test it for 40 days or more after wrapping so it will go through fermentation."

To get a representative sample, Pittman recommends inserting the probe on the curved side of the bale. Use the bucket to mix the samples from the other bales in the same field and cutting. Put the sample in a plastic bag, and mark the field and baling date on the bag.

Most county Extension offices can send it to a state forage testing laboratory for you, although there is typically a charge per sample.

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