Determining how much forage cows will eat on a per day and per month basis for the duration of winter always requires a little “cowboy math”. Chapter 16 of the eighth edition of the OSU Beef Cattle Manual is an excellent reference for estimating intake and the nutritional requirements of dry and lactating beef cows.
This year, with many “non-traditional” sources of hay such as soybean, milo, cotton and corn fields that were turned into hay out of dire necessity, requires a little additional math to make a good estimate. Making the best estimation of how much hay you will need…
