PennState Extension
(Published online with PennState Extension: April 23, 2024)
(Image Source: PSU Extension)
The largest input cost for any livestock enterprise is feed costs. In forage dependent operations, most of these feed costs occur during the winter when feeding hay. Spring is a great time to assess hay feeding areas and consider how much hay the sheep wasted over the winter.
Is there a large amount of wasted hay lying next to the hay feeders? Did pens inside the barn require minimal bedding last year due to the amount of hay waste? A “yes” answer to either of these questions should inspire producers to look more closely at feed quality and feeder design. Using feeders should be an obvious means to help reduce waste. Less obvious perhaps is the concept that feeders can also help to promote animal health. This occurs by preventing fecal or soil contamination that can lead to problems such as internal parasites, coccidia, or listeriosis. Hay losses can range from 2% to 60% and results from trampling, forage quality or maturity issues, and fecal contamination. This results in sheep and goats refusing to eat what’s left at the bottom of the hay pile, which is typically decomposed and contaminated. Selecting an appropriate feeder can help to manage hay waste.
Not all feeders are Continue reading Reduce Feed Costs by Reducing Hay Waste
written from a cattle perspective, today’s article from Mike Rankin highlights that benefits and challenges of feeding high quality hay. For those looking to stretch their winter feed supplies, a combination of all quality types of hay may be the solution…. Be sure to look in to this one folks!
a lot about tradition in the American sheep industry. Traditions aren’t stagnant, they get modified from one generation to the next as new information and insights are gained.