Abstract

The amounts of wheat or hybrid sudan hay wasted with three large round bale feeding methods were evaluated at two ranch locations. The feeding methods were: 1) bale processor (Hay Forage Industries BP 25®) used to shred forage into bunks; 2) the same processor used to shred forage onto the ground; and 3) unrolling large round bales on the ground. Estimated forage wastages or refusals from unrolling, shredding onto ground, and shredding into bunks were 23, 13, and 8% with wheat hay and 22, 16, and 11% with sudan hay, respectively. These results demonstrate the potential for substantial savings of forage. Shredding or tub-grinding large round bales and feeding in bunks appears to have economic potential when hay prices are high and when herd size is large.

Keywords: Cattlemen's Day, 1993, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station contribution, no. 93-318-S, Report of progress (Kansas State University. Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service), 678, Beef, Feeding management, Feed wastage, Large round bales

How to Cite:

Taylor, R., Warmann, G., Plaschka, B., Blasi, D. A. & Newdigger, G. E., Jr., (1993) “Large round bale hay wastage by various feeding methods”, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports 1(1), 46-48. doi: https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.2107