SG_USA_November_2022

STRETCH THOSEWINTER HAY DOLLARS SANTA GERTRUDIS Product ion By Randy L. Stanko, Ph.D., Texas A&M University-Kingsville

N ow, more than ever before, feed cost is the largest contributor to beef cow ranches’ profit or loss. For those of us who feed

time-lapse video and analyzed for cow access, occupancy rate and occurrences of agonistic interactions between cows. Dry matter hay waste was 3.5, 6.1, 11.4 and 14.6 percent for the cone, ring, trailer and cradle feeders, respectively. All cows consumed anywhere between 1.8 to 2.0 percent of their body weight in dry matter hay per day, which was not affected by round-bale feeder type. However, the cows feeding from the cradle feeder (straight line access on both sides with an attached feed bunk) had nearly three times the agonistic interactions and came to feed on the hay four times more than the cows eating from all other feeders. Hay losses were positively correlated with more agonistic cow behavior, frequency of regular and irregular entrances into the hay feeders and occupancy rate of hay feeders. In my opinion, not every round-bale feeder is meant to fit everyone’s management plan. We may not be familiar with one or all of the hay feeders used in this research, but these results should prompt us to do what I love to do best – watch my cows eat! The more that cows come and go from a hay feeder and, moreover, if they cannot or do not get along with each other, the more chance to waste that expensive hay. This research showed that a round, round-bale hay ring/ feeder works pretty well and apparently keeps cow fighting to a minimum. Spend some time with your cows this winter and evaluate hay consumption vs. waste. It will do you both good.

harvested hay (large round bales) for most of the winter, regardless of man agement reasons, we really need to watch the hay waste and cow behavior while at the feeder. I came across a research study report from Michigan State University. I fully understand that cattlemen in Michigan most likely feed more winter hay than typical Gulf Coast cattlemen, however, we all might learn something from their results. Historically, it has been reported that cattle producers can lose anywhere from 2 to 18 percent of a round bale during storage alone. This large variation in dry matter loss can be due to forage type, method of storing, length of storage and, of course, the environmental conditions (like 24 inches of rain in one month). In addition, hay losses due to hay feeding method have been reported to be upwards of 20 to 30 per cent. That is quite a bit of lost “hay-dollars.” To get a more current and accurate estimate of feeding-method hay losses, these researchers compared four different feeding methods (round-bale feeders) available to ranchers in Michigan. Each round-bale feeder type was set upon a concrete pad in the same location in each of eight different pens. For the study, 160 beef cows (1,391 pounds) were sorted by body weight and body condition score into pens with access to a filled hay feeder in groups of 20 cows. Hay feeder types included cone, ring, trailer and cradle. Regardless of hay feeder type, each provided 14.6 inches of linear access to the hay per cow. Specific differences between the cone and ring type bale feeders were that the cone feeders had a solid sheet-metal ring on both the top and bottom of the feeder, while the ring feeder had the solid metal ring only at the bottom. Both round-bale feeder types were a circle, had 18 total feeder spaces (70-degree slanted bars, spaced 14 inches apart) and were 7.67 feet in diameter. The trailer feeder was 20 feet long; however, hay was placed only to cover 12 feet and adjacent to 19 feeding spaces. Alfalfa and orchardgrass round bales were weighed and sampled before feeding, and any hay that fell to the concrete surrounding the feeder was collected daily and considered waste. Cows were rotated between pens with different feeder types every seven days. Cow behavior was also collected by

George West, Texas (361) 566-2244 lacampanaranch.com campana@granderiver.net

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