Calculator
How much hay will your cows need?
Change any number. The defaults are a 1,200 lb cow eating 2.5% of her weight in dry matter, fed from a ring feeder.
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Round bale prices
What round bales are selling for
Large and medium round bale trades in the latest USDA hay reports for Tennessee and nearby states.
| State | Hay | Package | Unit | Range | Wtd avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Oct 26, 2026 | Bermuda GrassPremium | Medium Round | per bale | $85.00–100.00 | $97.33 |
| Tennessee Oct 26, 2026 | Clover/Grass MixGood | Large Round | per bale | $35.00–50.00 | $37.20 |
| Tennessee Oct 26, 2026 | Mixed GrassGood | Large Round | per bale | $40.00 | $40.00 |
| Kentucky Aug 31, 2026 | Alfalfa/Orchard Mix | Medium Round | per bale | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Kentucky Aug 31, 2026 | Alfalfa/Orchard MixPremium | Medium Round | per bale | $85.00 | $85.00 |
| Kentucky Aug 31, 2026 | Grass | Medium Round | per bale | $45.00–60.00 | $45.39 |
| Kentucky Aug 31, 2026 | Orchard Grass | Medium Round | per bale | $65.00 | $65.00 |
| Alabama Oct 26, 2026 | Bahia GrassPremium · Southeast | Medium Round | per ton | $150.00 | $150.00 |
| Alabama Oct 26, 2026 | Bermuda GrassGood · Southeast | Large Round | per ton | $100.00 | $100.00 |
| Alabama Oct 26, 2026 | Bermuda GrassGood · Southeast | Medium Round | per ton | $100.00–120.00 | $109.56 |
| Alabama Oct 26, 2026 | Bermuda GrassPremium · Southeast | Large Round | per ton | $160.00–200.00 | $171.11 |
| Alabama Oct 26, 2026 | Bermuda GrassPremium · Southeast | Medium Round | per ton | $150.00–200.00 | $162.43 |
| Alabama Oct 26, 2026 | Mixed GrassGood · Southeast | Medium Round | per ton | $80.00 | $80.00 |
Prices as USDA Market News published them. More on the hay prices page.
How much hay does a cow eat a day?
A cow eats about 2.5 pounds of forage dry matter for every 100 pounds of body weight, the figure Cornell Small Farms uses for winter hay planning. A 1,200 lb cow needs about 30 lbs of dry matter a day. Dry cows in mid-gestation eat less; a cow nursing a calf eats more.
Hay is not all dry matter. At 88% dry matter, 30 lbs of dry matter is about 34 lbs of hay as fed. A forage test gives the exact figure for your hay.
Feeding waste
A Michigan State study (Buskirk and others, Journal of Animal Science, 2003) measured round bale waste by feeder: cone 3.5%, ring 6.1%, trailer 11.4% and cradle 14.6% of the hay's dry matter. Feeding on the ground without a feeder wastes more. The calculator adds waste on top of what the cows eat.
How many round bales per cow for winter?
With the defaults (1,200 lb cow, 120 days, 1,000 lb bales, ring feeder), a cow goes through about 36 lbs of hay a day, a little over one bale a month, and about 4.4 bales (2.2 tons) over the winter. Weigh a few bales: two bales that look the same can differ by 200 lbs.
Questions
Questions about How Much Hay Does a Cow Eat? Winter Hay Calculator
How much hay does a cow eat a day?
About 2.5% of her body weight in dry matter, so roughly 30 lbs of dry matter (about 34 lbs of hay) for a 1,200 lb cow, before waste.
How many round bales does a cow eat per month?
With 1,000 lb bales and a ring feeder, a 1,200 lb cow goes through about 36 lbs a day, a little over one bale a month. Use the calculator for your herd, bale size and feeder.
How much does it cost to feed a cow hay per day?
Divide the pounds fed per day by the bale weight and multiply by the bale price. At the defaults and $45 a bale, it is about $1.63 a cow per day.
How much is a round bale of hay worth?
See the round bale table above for the latest USDA-reported trades in Tennessee and nearby states.
How much hay does a cow-calf pair eat?
A lactating cow eats more than a dry cow, and the calf starts eating hay at a few months old. Raise the intake to about 3% for a cow nursing a calf, and count big calves as part of a cow.