Effect of Hay Feeding Methods on Cow Performance, Hay Waste, and Wintering Cost

A 3-yr investigation was conducted to determine the effect of hay feeding methods on cow wintering cost. A conventional method of rolling round bales out on the ground was compared with shredding round hay bales on the ground with a bale processor and with 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 d during the test period. Data recorded from the multipleyear 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), tended to increase rib fat depth (P = 0.06), reduced estimated hay consumption by an average of 10.2% compared with 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 first 2 yr of the study when alfalfa-grass hay was fed, but not in the last year when oat hay was fed. The tapered-cone round bale feeder reduced waste, decreased the amount of hay required per cow, and decreased wintering cost per cow while maintaining body condition. Overall, for the 3 yr evaluation period, using the tapered-cone round bale feeder reduced wintering cost by 21.0% for a 100-cow reference herd and 17.6% for a 300-cow reference herd compared with feeding with a bale processor.