Straw bedding calculations

James Stoyles

Member
Location
South East
Hello,

I had a web site page from ahdb saved to my favorites but it can't be found when i try to open it. It had on it how to calculate straw usage for bedding down housed beef cattle. How do people work out how much straw they need?

Would be for a shed 18m x 12m divided into 3/4 pens , 50 weaned native calves (200kg) for 5/6 months. Outside feed face but whole area bedded no option for scrapped section so probably mucked out more often to prevent build up of bedding getting to high along feed barrier. Would want them well bedded to keep clean and prevent any waste run off from shed. Would have wind breakers to prevent worst of wet weather getting in. Would ideally like to bed down every other day. Would this work?

Roughly how much straw would i need?

Thanks for any help - James
 

Agrivator

Member
One good dry 4ft round bale each day should be a good starting point.

Every few days, you might be able to miss a day, or if necessary, give them an extra bale. So 200 bales for bedding only should be enough for 6 months
 

HarryB97

Member
Mixed Farmer
I would say on average 2.5-3 four foot rounds every 2 days which should allow for bad weather and more muck as they grow etc. I'm always heavy on straw though!
 

Highland Mule

Member
Livestock Farmer
Four weaned calves used a dozen 4’ straw here last year, but got top ups with lambing pen straw during April. In from mid Nov to mid May. Some days I let it get a bit wetter to help make decent dung, when it’s coming up to kicking out time.

I’d budget on 150 bales, but buy 200 if you can and have the extras for next time. Up here, straw is cheap as chips this year.
 
got a 100x 35 pen which I put about 70 weaned calves in, blow in approx. 100kg of straw a day over the back 20 feet, nothing against the barrier, don't muck the rear at all, all winter, just let it build up in a big slope. muck the barrier side about once a month, dung is quite dry obviously. they get a bit dirty early winter but in the warm spring it just drops off and they're as clean as a whistle at turnout. straw is expensive here
 

puppet

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
sw scotland
2kg/head/day. A dry bale every 2 days but let it get deep at the back and clean along the barriers so it acts as a soakaway then you will need less.
Dependent on whether they are getting 25% dry matter silage or hay also makes a big difference
 

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