As we move into fall, it's important to ensure that there are enough stored forages on the farm to get beef cattle through the winter. One of the more common stored forages is hay. Using an Excel inventory spreadsheet developed by Bill Halfman with the University of Wisconsin Extension, you can enter data from the farm to find the number of bales it will take to make it until the pastures green up again in the spring. The results you get here will also serve as an early indication as to whether or not additional hay needs to be purchased.

Here is the link that will take you to the spreadsheet: https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu...

To use this tool, you will need the following information:

• Weights of 6 bales
• The total number of bales that you have to feed for the winter
• The storage loss (There is a reference table in the spreadsheet to assist with this estimation)
• The number of bulls, mature cows, yearling cattle, and calves you expect to feed over the winter
• The number of days you anticipate needing to feed animals throughout the winter
• The amount of hay that is fed to each animal unit (1 animal unit = 1,000 pounds of animal) per day

For assistance with using this hay inventory calculator or for more information on determining forage inventories, contact Livestock and Beginning Farm Specialist, Amy Barkley, at amb544@cornell.edu or (716) 640 - 0844