Hurricane Florence flooding had many impacts on agriculture and the loss of pasture and hay will impact us through this winter. Given that winter feed was lost, there will be the need to buy hay. It is important for you to prepare for the winter by making sure you have the hay and pasture you need to get to spring.

Start by deciding how many days you will need to feed hay. One hundred days will be common for many producers. Now you can estimate your hay needs. Each lactating cow will need about 3 percent of its body weight per day of hay (small cows need 33 pounds of hay). Knowing how much your cows weigh is critical to calculate an accurate feed budget. If you have other livestock, figure their hay needs at 4 percent of body weight for sheep or goats and 2 percent of bodyweight for horses.

Next inventory your hay — count bales and estimate bale weight. Using a scale is the only accurate way of estimating weight. Keep in mind that round bales of hay rarely weigh as much as you think they do. Hay that was flooded (sat in 12 inches-plus water for more than 24 hours) is a complete loss. Hay that was stored outside and exposed to a lot of rain will in most cases will not be a total loss. Usually grazed forages will meet the needs of a lactating beef cow. Hay harvested late or under poor drying conditions usually do not meet the requirements. A mature cow needs about 60 percent TDN (energy) and 11 percent protein. If you don’t regularly test your hay, we strongly recommend you start this year. Extension livestock agents can help.

If you are short of hay, plan to buy hay or other feed sources and plan before cold weather arrives. The Hay Alert website (ncagr.gov/HayAlert/) is available to help farmers secure winter hay supplies. Another option may to consider selling off some cattle. Cow prices are a little depressed right now, but it may allow you to use funds to build your hay supply.

For a more in-depth article, see a more extensive article, “Time To Make Your Winter Feed Plan,” online at bladen.ces.ncsu.edu.

Becky Spearman, the livestock extension agent in Bladen County, can help you determine how much hay is needed for your farm and can develop a ration (mix of feed ingredients) to make sure your animal nutritional needs are met.

There will be a meeting on planning your Winter Feeding Program on Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. at 450 Smith Circle Drive in Elizabethtown. Topics include estimating livestock and horse hay needs, how to meet those needs and how to plan to reestablish pasture next year. RSVP by Nov. 19 by calling the office at 910-862-4591 or email becky_spearman@ncsu.edu.

For more information about anything in this article or any livestock, horse or forage questions, please contact Becky. For accommodations for persons with disabilities, call the office at 910-862-4591 or email becky_spearman@ncsu.edu seven days before the meeting.

Matt Poore and Becky Spearman

N.C. Cooperative Extension

Matt Poore is an animal science departmental extension leader at N.C. State University. Becky Spearman is the Bladen County livestock extension agent.