The Kerr Center’s beef cattle program tries to feed as little hay as possible.
This is because it costs less to graze forage than to cut, bale, and feed hay.
In a 2013 study, the Kerr Center compared the costs of wheat pasture versus feeding hay:
| Wheat pasture | Hay |
| $1.27 per head per day | $0.99 per head per day |
Hay looks cheaper – but the hay would have required a protein supplement to match the nutritional quality of the fresh pasture. Factoring that in would make for more or less equal costs.
Still, a barn full of hay is good insurance against harsh winters and summer droughts.
When putting up hay, cattle producers should look carefully at the costs of baling versus buying. In many cases, labor, equipment, and fertility can cost more than buying hay.
Whether baled or bought, careful storage and feeding reduces hay wastage.
Best Practices:
Storage: in barns or covered on pallets
Feeding: skirted, elevated bale rings
HAY POSTS AND PUBLICATIONS
The True Cost of Hay
This intern report compares the cost of baling versus buying hay, taking into account labor, machinery, and fertilizer.
Hay, Fertility, and Profit
