2006 Annual Report Beef Section | Dickinson
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Does Hay Feeding Method Effect Cow Performance, Hay Waste and Wintering
Cost?a
R. Fast1, D.G. Landblom2, C.J.
Wachenheim3, T. Petry4, G.P. Lardy5
Abstract A conventional method of
rolling round bales out on the ground was compared to either shredding round
hay bales on the ground with a bale processor or feeding hay in a tapered-cone
round bale feeder. The cows used in the study were in the third trimester of
pregnancy and were fed for an average of 59 days during the test period. Data recorded from the three-year study was
then used to prepare an economic analysis model with operating budgets for 100
and 300 head reference herds.
Feeding
bales in a tapered-cone round bale feeder increased cow weight gain (P < 0.01), resulted in greater
positive rib fat depth change (P =
0.06), reduced estimated hay consumption an average 10.2% compared to rolling
bales out on the ground or using a bale processor to shred hay on the ground (P < 0.01), and reduced hay waste in
the two years of the study when alfalfa-grass hay was fed, but not when oat hay
was fed. Overall, for the three year evaluation period, using the tapered-cone
bale feeder reduced wintering cost by 21.0% for a 100-cow reference herd and
17.6% for a 300-cow reference herd compared to feeding with a bale processor.
aAbstract and poster presented at the 4th Annual,
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