Farm & Producer
Hay for Winter
Bales and storage space needed to feed your herd through winter.
Hay for Winter
Inputs
Results
Total hay needed
30.0 tons
60,000 lb
Bales needed
at 1200 lb each
50 bales
Storage volume
5,455 ft³
Barn floor area
assumes 12 ft stack height
455 sq ft
How to use this
A mature beef cow eats roughly 2.5% of bodyweight in dry matter per day — about 25 lb of hay for a 1000 lb cow, plus 10–15% waste from feeding losses. Round bales waste more than square bales unless you ring-feed.
Round bales left outside lose 20–40% of dry matter to weather. Under roof, losses drop below 5%. That's the real payback on barn storage.
Formula
total_hay = head × daily_lb × days
bales = ceil(total_hay ÷ bale_weight)
barn_sqft = total_hay ÷ density ÷ stack_height
Related calculators
Pasture Stocking Rate
Animal units per acre — see whether your forage quality and head count balance.
Grazing Days
How long a pasture lasts — forage pounds × allowable utilization ÷ herd demand.
Cattle Feed Conversion
Days to finish, feed pounds, and cost per gained pound for grass, mixed, or grain finishing.
Formula
total_lb = head × daily_intake × days; bales = total_lb / bale_lb