Bales to put up
113 to 130bales
- 50.1 to 57.645.4 to 52.2tons of haytonnes of hay
- 27 to 3112 to 14lb each a daykg each a day
- 892405lb a balekg a bale
- Put up about 113 to 130 bales. That is 50.1 to 57.6 tons of hay.
- Each one eats about 27 to 31 lb of hay a day. That is 2.0 to 2.3% of its weight in dry matter.
- One bale holds about 785 lb of dry matter. As hay, it weighs about 892 lb.
- We added 6.1% wasted at the feeder and 13% lost in storage.
- They will go through a bale about every 1.3 days.
What a bale holds
Pounds of dry matter in one bale, by size and how tight it is. Hay is about 88% dry matter, so the bale itself weighs a bit more.
| Bale | Loose | Firmer | Tight | Very tight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round, 4 ft wide, 4 ft across | 452 lb205 kg | 503 lb228 kg | 553 lb251 kg | 603 lb274 kg |
| Round, 4 ft wide, 5 ft across | 707 lb321 kg | 785 lb356 kg | 864 lb392 kg | 942 lb428 kg |
| Round, 4 ft wide, 6 ft across | 1,018 lb462 kg | 1,131 lb513 kg | 1,244 lb564 kg | 1,357 lb616 kg |
| Round, 5 ft wide, 5 ft across | 884 lb401 kg | 982 lb445 kg | 1,080 lb490 kg | 1,178 lb534 kg |
| Round, 5 ft wide, 6 ft across | 1,272 lb577 kg | 1,414 lb641 kg | 1,555 lb705 kg | 1,696 lb770 kg |
| Big square, 3 × 3 × 8 ft | 648 lb294 kg | 720 lb327 kg | 792 lb359 kg | 864 lb392 kg |
| Big square, 3 × 4 × 8 ft | 864 lb392 kg | 960 lb435 kg | 1,056 lb479 kg | 1,152 lb523 kg |
| Big square, 4 × 4 × 8 ft | 1,152 lb523 kg | 1,280 lb581 kg | 1,408 lb639 kg | 1,536 lb697 kg |
Penn State Extension: a loose bale holds about 9 lb of dry matter in each cubic foot; a very tight one, about 12.
Hay wasted at the feeder
| Cattle feeder | Waste |
|---|---|
| Cone feeder | 3.5% |
| Ring feeder | 6.1% |
| Trailer feeder | 11.4% |
| Cradle feeder | 14.6% |
| Horse feeder | Waste |
|---|---|
| Waste Less | 5% |
| Cinch Net | 6% |
| Hayhut | 9% |
| Covered cradle | 11% |
| Tombstone Saver | 13% |
| Tombstone, cone or ring | 19% |
| Hay Sleigh | 33% |
| No feeder | 57% |
Cattle: a trial of round bale feeders (Virginia Tech, 2003). Horses: a University of Minnesota trial. For sheep and goats, and other feeders, we use Nebraska's "at least 10%".
Where the numbers come from
A cow eats about 2% to 2.3% of her weight a day in dry matter, or 2.3% to 2.5% if she is nursing a calf. On poor hay she eats less: 1.8%, or 2% if nursing. These are from Nebraska Extension.
Horses eat 1.5% to 2% (Florida Extension). Sheep and goats eat 2.5% to 3% (Arkansas Extension).
So we show a low and a high count. Put up the high one if you can.
Questions
How much hay does a cow eat a day?
A cow eats about 2% to 2.5% of her weight a day in dry matter. A 1,200 lb cow nursing a calf eats about 30 lb of dry matter. That is about 34 lb of hay.
How much hay does a horse eat a day?
About 1.5% to 2% of its weight a day, says Florida Extension. A 1,000 lb horse eats about 15 to 20 lb of hay a day.
How much does a round bale weigh?
It depends on its size and how tight it is. A bale 4 ft wide and 5 ft across holds about 706 to 942 lb of dry matter, from loose to very tight, says Penn State.
Which hay feeder wastes the least?
For cattle, a cone feeder wasted 3.5% in one trial. A cradle feeder wasted 14.6%. For horses, the best feeders wasted 5% to 6%. With no feeder, horses wasted 57%.
How much hay is lost when stored outside?
Bales left outside with no cover lost 28% on average in one study. Covered bales lost 13%. Bales in a building lost about 5%.
Sources
- Nebraska Extension BeefWatch, How much forage a beef cow needs per dayJan 2024What a beef cow eats: 1.8% to 2.5% of her weight a day, by hay quality; at least 10% waste
- University of Florida IFAS, Stretching Your Hay SupplyundatedHorses: 1.5% to 2.0% of body weight a day in hay
- University of Arkansas Extension FSA9613, Balancing Rations for Sheep and Goats2014Sheep and goats: 2.5% to 3% of body weight a day; hay is about 88% dry matter
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Large Round Bale Feeders ComparedFeb 2003Cattle hay waste by feeder: cone 3.5%, ring 6.1%, trailer 11.4%, cradle 14.6%
- University of Minnesota, Selecting a Round-Bale Feeder for HorsesundatedHorse hay waste by feeder, 5% to 33%, and 57% with no feeder
- NDSU Extension, Develop Strategies to Reduce Feed WasteOct 2011Hay lost in storage: 5% in a building, 13% outside covered, 28% outside uncovered
- Penn State Extension, How Much Does That Bale Really Weigh?updated Nov 2025Dry matter in a bale: 9 to 12 lb per cubic foot, from loose to very tight