Homestead Livestock Feed & Hay Calculator
Created by: James Porter
Last updated:
Calculate how much hay and grain your animals need for winter or any off-pasture feeding period. Select your animal type and count, set the feeding duration, and get total tons, bale counts, cost estimates, and storage requirements.
Homestead Livestock Feed & Hay Calculator
HomesteadingEnter your animals and feeding period to calculate total hay, grain, bales, and cost for the season.
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What is a Homestead Livestock Feed & Hay Calculator?
A Homestead Livestock Feed & Hay Calculator estimates how much hay, grain, and supplemental feed your animals will need over a winter or off-pasture feeding period. By entering your animal type, count, and feeding duration, it calculates total pounds of hay, number of bales to purchase, grain requirements, and estimated cost — so you can buy confidently and avoid running short mid-winter.
The calculator uses USDA and extension-service feeding guidelines based on animal body weight and production stage, then adjusts for hay type, pasture availability, and typical waste factors.
Daily Feeding Guidelines by Animal
| Animal | Avg Weight | Hay/Day | Grain/Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef Cattle (1,000-1,400 lb) | 1,200 lb | 26 lb | 5 lb | ~2-2.5% body weight in forage/day |
| Dairy Cow (1,200-1,500 lb) | 1,350 lb | 30 lb | 10 lb | Higher intake for milk production |
| Horse (900-1,200 lb) | 1,050 lb | 20 lb | 4 lb | ~1.5-2% body weight in forage/day |
| Pony / Miniature Horse | 500 lb | 10 lb | 1 lb | ~2% body weight in forage/day |
| Dairy Goat (100-175 lb) | 140 lb | 4 lb | 2 lb | 3-4% body weight in forage/day |
| Meat Goat (60-120 lb) | 90 lb | 3 lb | 0.5 lb | 3-4% body weight in forage/day |
| Sheep (120-200 lb) | 160 lb | 4 lb | 1 lb | ~2.5-3% body weight in forage/day |
| Hair Sheep (80-150 lb) | 115 lb | 3 lb | 0.5 lb | Hardy, lower maintenance |
| Alpaca (100-200 lb) | 150 lb | 3 lb | 0.5 lb | Efficient digesters |
| Llama (250-400 lb) | 325 lb | 6 lb | 1 lb | Guard animal, moderate intake |
| Donkey (400-600 lb) | 500 lb | 8 lb | 0.5 lb | Easy keepers, prone to obesity |
| Pig (market hog, 50-250 lb avg) | 150 lb | — | 7 lb | Grain-based diet, not a hay animal |
| Rabbit (meat/fiber, 8-12 lb) | 10 lb | 0.3 lb | 0.2 lb | Timothy hay is staple |
Hay Storage & Waste Factors
How you store hay dramatically affects how much you actually get to use. Proper storage is one of the easiest ways to save money on livestock feed:
- Barn-stored (covered): 2-5% loss — the gold standard
- Tarped outdoors on pallets: 10-15% loss
- Uncovered outdoor stack: 25-35% loss from weather and ground contact
- Round bales on ground, no cover: Up to 35-40% loss of outer layers
This calculator adds a default 10% waste factor for storage and feeding losses. If you store hay in a barn, your actual needs may be slightly lower; if storing outdoors uncovered, consider increasing your order by an additional 15-25%.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much hay does a cow eat per day?
An average beef cow (1,000-1,400 lb) eats about 25-30 lbs of hay per day, roughly 2-2.5% of body weight. A dairy cow in milk can eat 30-35 lbs. Over a typical 5-month winter feeding period, one beef cow will consume about 2-2.5 tons of hay.
How many bales of hay do I need for winter?
It depends on bale size and animal count. A standard small square bale weighs 40-55 lbs. One beef cow eating 26 lbs/day for 150 days needs ~3,900 lbs, or about 87 small bales. A round bale (800-1,200 lbs) would cover 5-6 weeks per cow.
How much hay does a goat eat?
A dairy goat (100-175 lbs) eats about 3-5 lbs of hay per day (3-4% body weight). A meat goat eats 2-4 lbs. Over a 5-month winter, one dairy goat needs roughly 600-750 lbs (~14 small bales) of hay.
Should I feed hay or grain?
Hay (forage) should be the foundation of most ruminant diets — cattle, goats, sheep, horses. Grain is supplemental for extra energy (lactation, growth, hard work). Pigs are the exception: they are monogastric and eat primarily grain-based diets with very little hay.
How should I store hay to reduce waste?
Store hay off the ground on pallets in a covered barn or shed. Indoor-stored hay has 2-5% waste, outdoor-tarped hay 10-15%, and uncovered outdoor hay 25-35% or more. Round bales stored outside without cover can lose a third of their feed value.
Sources and References
- National Research Council, "Nutrient Requirements of Domestic Animals Series", National Academies Press, 2007
- Penn State Extension, "Hay and Pasture Management for Horses and Livestock", 2023
- University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, "Round Bale Hay Storage Losses", Publication AGR-171, 2022
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, "Pasture and Hay Planner for Small Farms", 2024