The need for a larger tractor to operate the grinder-mixer made this method the most costly. Unrolling bales resulted in greater waste (24%) compared to bales fed in round ring feeders (13%).Īn economic analysis of the results for a 200-head cowherd suggested the ring feeder method was more economical than feeding hay unprotected or processed with a grinder-mixer. Hay waste was greatest when bales were fed unprotected on the ground (42%), and least when hay was processed and fed in tire feeders (1%). In Year 1, round bales ground in a vertical grinder-mixer and fed in tire feeders was compared to round bales fed unprotected on the ground in Year 2, round bales unrolled and fed on the ground were compared to round bases fed in open ring feeders. University of Arkansas Extension workers conducted a case study comparing four hay-feeding methods using lactating beef cows over a two-year period. Hay waste was 4-5 times less in the tapered-cone feeders when dense alfalfa-grass hay was fed but not different for feeding method when poorly tied oat hay was fed.Īn economic model analysis of the three methods accounting for hay consumption, equipment costs and labor showed that feeding with the tapered-cone round bale feeder was the most economical for feeding cowherds of 100-300 head. The amount of hay wasted varied with type of hay, bale density and tightness of the bale twine. Round bales fed in a tapered-cone round bale feeder.Ĭows fed with the tapered-cone bale feeder consumed 15% and 5% less hay/day and gained 0.5 and 0.2 lb./day more weight compared to cows fed with the unrolled and shredded feeding methods, respectively. Round bales shredded with a power takeoff-driven bale processor and fed in windrows on the ground,
crossbred pregnant beef cows that averaged a 5.8 body condition score (BCS) at the start of the feeding period. The researchers compared three hay-feeding methods over three years using 1,350-lb.
feeding on the ground, North Dakota State University researchers found. Winter hay-feeding losses to cows can be reduced with round bale feeders vs.
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