Forage Inventory Calculator Tool for Beef Producers
Amy Barkley, Livestock Specialist
Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Program
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
Upcoming Events
WEBINAR - Automated Milking Systems Efficiency: Balancing Focus on Individual Cows and System Optimization
May 8, 2024
Please join Cornell the SWNY team and MSU Extension for our talk with Dr. Pablo Silva BoloƱa on improving efficiency of Automated milking systems by focusing on milking settings for individual and group success.
Broiler Field Day at Sunny Cove Farm
June 6, 2024
Alfred Station, NY
Join us for a field day to explore broiler production, processing, and finances. Meghan Snyder of Sunny Cove Farm will be our host. She raises small batches of organic broilers, processing them on-farm under the 1,000 bird exemption.
Stockmanship and Stewardship 2024
October 25, 2024
Hamburg, NY
Save the date!! The event is one of 4 across the US and is a two-day educational experience featuring low-stress cattle handling demonstrations, Beef Quality Assurance educational sessions, facility design sessions, and industry updates.
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