Winter round bale bedding requirement

[brandnew]

Hi all,

New to farming so be kind please!

I have a rough calculation for straw bedding, but I’d like to ask for confirmation, how many big round straw bales roughly will I need to see a herd of 100 cattle through winter?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Werzle]

Cattle in for fattening? Stores to turnout next spring? Cows to calve? Size of roundbales?Size of shed for the 100?

 

[steveR]

Eating silage or hay? If silage, clamp or bales?

This makes a massive difference.

 

[Werzle]

Mechanical bedding or rolling out?

 

[IOW91]

Feeding area inside or out?

Ie a rail along the edge of the barn so they stand on some of the barn area when eating. Or are they eating in a external yard so the barn area is less trampled.

 

[buttercup]

Simple answer : I guess 3 bales a day, assuming feeding outside on hard standing.

 

[brandnew]

Cattle in for fattening? Stores to turnout next spring? Cows to calve? Size of roundbales?Size of shed for the 100?

Spring calving suckler herd. Stores to turn out in spring. 4x5ft straw bales. Size of 2 sheds 170x50ft.

 

[brandnew]

Feeding area inside or out?

Ie a rail along the edge of the barn so they stand on some of the barn area when eating. Or are they eating in an external yard so the barn area is less trampled.

Feeding area outside, open fronted cattle sheds 170x50ft

 

[brandnew]

Mechanical bedding or rolling out?

Mechanical

 

[brandnew]

Eating silage or hay? If silage, clamp or bales?

This makes a massive difference.

They will be eating silage bales

 

[Werzle]

Mechanical

Got a fair bit of space and on a dry ish diet, plus they do not need to be kept really clean for slaughter or calving inside and your dusting them daily with a chopper so probably 2/day.

 

[Sharpy]

Location location location. Fort William or East Anglia?. Rainfall and humidity levels make a massive difference,

 

[topground]

Orkney floor?

 

[brandnew]

Location location location. Fort William or East Anglia?. Rainfall and humidity levels make a massive difference,

Northumberland

 

[Chae1]

They will be eating silage bales

Dry or wet silage?

 

[Wooly]

Bet you wished you never asked now !!


You will probably get away with two a day............. but budget for 3 !

 

[Hesstondriver]

straw stacked inside or out ?

3 a day min 180 day winter + wastage / snowy days etc . minimum of 600

 

[DanM]

1/day. Most posters here will be old school and want to see cattle on golden strawed carpets, then post that there’s no money in the job!

 

[David.]

I have no cattle anymore.
But I do know I would rather have none, than listen to cattle's feet sucking at sh#t all winter.
Tbh, makes a big difference if you have your own straw or are buying every bale.
Is woodchip not a viable option?

 

[Optimus]

There will big a big difference to the straw depending what kind of combine cut it.