If you’re like me, your kitchen has a cupboard designated for leftover containers, which may or may not all have the correct lids. Those containers get some extra use this time of year to prevent the surplus of holiday meals and family potlucks from being thrown away.
Cattle, on the other hand, don’t put leftover hay in containers to save for lunch the next day. That leftover hay just goes to waste. Reducing hay waste this winter will have a direct effect on feed costs, and how much hay ends up on the ground ultimately depends on the type of feeder.
Open feeders won’t cut it
The lighter construction and lower upfront costs of open ring feeders may be convenient, but those savings will come at the expense of more wasted hay — sometimes exceeding 20% of the original bale weight. Without a basket, cone, or sheeted bottom, cattle have continuous access to the entire bale and can easily pull hay out, dropping a higher percentage of it on the ground.
Ring feeders with solid sheeted bottoms limit how much hay is dropped and trampled. Research from Oklahoma State University shows feeders with sheeted bottoms kept grass hay waste to 12% to 13% of the original bale weight. A sheeted bottom is especially effective at reducing waste after bales collapse since it will contain loose hay within the feeder and maintain a cleaner feeding area.
The most efficient hay feeder design includes a basket or tapered cone feature that further restricts access to hay and/or keeps bales suspended. Basket and cone feeders with sheeted bottoms can curb hay waste to 2% to 5% of the original bale weight. These types of feeders also limit how much hay is available to calves. Of course, they will come at a higher cost, are heavier, and are harder to move compared to open ring feeders. But less hay waste will likely pencil out to a higher return on investment.
Other options
Limit feeding hay is one solution to minimize waste around ring feeders. In fact, research from the University of Minnesota shows that cows wasted less than 1% of bales when they only had access to hay for six hours a day. But for this to be an effective strategy, hay must be high quality, and cows should already be in healthy body condition. Farmers also need to ensure there is sufficient space in the feeding area in case animals get aggressive when it’s time to eat.
Another alternative is to omit ring feeders altogether and unroll bales in a pasture. Only unroll as much hay as the herd will eat within 12 to 24 hours to avoid excess waste. Even then, significant amounts of hay can go uneaten, and cows may start to use it as bedding. The wasted hay can add nutrients and organic matter back to the soil, but the value of those nutrients may not measure up against feed costs.
