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Value of Hay Alternatives
Recent rain has delivered a very welcome dose of moisture to the soil profile and ground water reserves in Rockbridge. More precipitation is needed to fully restore ground water reserves and the effects of the drought that gripped the entire county since August are still with us.
The most pressing issue for many Rockbridge farmers is depleted hay inventories, forcing livestock farmers to search for hay to buy. This week, the column is devoted to assessing the true value of the hay being fed and alternatives to hay. An up-coming column will address specific feeding strategies depending on the inventory of hay available.
It is important to evaluate both price and quality together when considering a hay purchase. Comparing the value of nutrients (calories and protein we can measure with laboratory analysis) in a given bale of hay, to the cost of an alternative like corn, barley, or a grain byproduct suggests one can justify paying no more than $150 per ton for poor quality hay ($60 per 4-by-4 round bale or $80 per 5-by-5 round bale delivered to the farm) and no more than $175 per ton for medium quality hay ($70 per 4-by-4 round bale or $90 per 5-by-5 round bale delivered to the farm). Any prices higher than this for hay of the described quality means it’s very likely it will be less expensive to feed purchased grains or commodity byproduct feeds delivered to the farm in bulk along with limited amounts of hay.
These calculations assume the animals consume nearly 100% of the hay presented to them. Of course, this rarely happens and in the case of poorquality hay, livestock often leave 30% or more of the bale that’s offered. If a bale of hay costs $50 to deliver to the herd and they consume 70% of it, the actual cost of the hay is $71. Yes, there is some fertilizer value in the uneaten hay but this runs a very distant second to the immediate need to ensure the livestock consume all the calories and protein they need in order to sustain themselves and maintain production.
Grazing livestock require some fiber in order to ensure good digestive function and health. This requirement can be met when the animals can consume a quantity of dry hay equivalent to a little less than 1% of their body weight. For a typical beef cow this equates to about 12 pounds of hay. After that, calorie and protein requirements can be met with other feeds. Commodity grain byproducts often derive a high percentage of their caloric value from highly digestible fiber. Grain byproducts like corn gluten, soyhulls, and wheat midds are examples of feeds that can be economically and safely fed to livestock if the animals are given a week to ten days to adapt them to the new feed.
For assistance developing a winter-feeding plan customized to your situation, call me, Tom Stanley, through the Rockbridge County Extension Office at (540) 463-4734.
