Calculate your true cost per bale, daily feeding requirement, number of bales needed and total feeding cost for hay or wrapped bales.
Use the calculator to compare bale weights, dry matter, wastage, production costs and feeding periods before buying, making or feeding bales.
Work out true production cost per bale, daily dry matter (DM) requirement, bales needed for the season and total feeding cost for hay or wrapped bales on South African livestock farms. Enter herd size, bale weight, dry matter percentage, intake as a percentage of body weight and feeding days before you make or buy winter feed.
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Enter field and harvest costs, bale weight, dry matter percentage, number of animals, average weight, daily dry matter intake as a percentage of body weight, feeding period, wastage and optional market buying price per bale.
The calculator estimates cost per bale, cost per kilogram dry matter (DM), bales required per day and for the period, cost per animal and total feeding cost. It can compare your production cost against buying bales in.
Results are planning estimates. Check them against your bale weights, storage losses, animal condition, veld available and local bale prices.
Cost per bale (R) = total production cost ÷ usable bales (after storage or spoilage loss)
Dry matter needed per animal per day (kg) = average body weight × (intake % ÷ 100)
As-fed feed per animal per day (kg) = dry matter needed per day ÷ (dry matter % ÷ 100)
Total feed per day (kg as fed) = as-fed per animal × animals × (1 + feeding wastage % ÷ 100)
Bales per day = total feed per day ÷ bale weight (kg)
Total bales for period = bales per day × feeding days (rounded up for practical ordering)
Cost per animal per day (R) = as-fed feed per animal per day (with wastage) × cost per kg as fed
A farmer feeds 80 dry cows averaging 450 kg for 90 days. Each cow needs about 2.2% of body weight as dry matter (DM) — roughly 10 kg DM per day. At 85% dry matter in a 250 kg round bale, about 8 bales per day are needed before wastage. True production cost is R290 per bale versus R340 delivered. Over 90 days that difference on roughly 720 bales is worth comparing before locking in winter feed spend.
Enter the bale type, bale weight, dry matter, number of animals, daily feed requirement, feeding period, wastage and bale cost.
The calculator estimates:
Use realistic bale weights, dry matter values and wastage percentages. Actual feeding needs may vary according to animal size, condition, weather, forage quality and the amount of grazing available.
Usable dry matter per bale estimates how much actual feed remains after accounting for moisture and wastage.
Daily feed required shows the estimated amount needed for the full group each day.
Bales needed converts the total feed requirement into the number of bales required for the selected feeding period.
Cost per animal per day helps compare hay or wrapped bale feeding against other feed options.
Total feeding cost estimates the full bale cost for all animals over the selected period.
These figures are estimates only. Actual results may differ because of bale weight, moisture, storage losses, wastage, animal condition, weather and grazing availability.
Planning supplements as well as hay or wrapped bales? Use the Livestock Supplement and Lick Calculator to calculate intake, bags required and total supplement cost.
For cattle finishing, use the Cattle Feedlot Calculator to estimate feed intake, weight gain, days on feed and projected profit.
It estimates how much actual feed remains in each bale after accounting for moisture content and your wastage allowance. This is the basis for calculating how many bales you need.
The calculator works out total feed required for the group over your feeding period, then divides that by the usable dry matter available in each bale.
Wastage covers losses from handling, trampling, weather damage and uneaten feed. A higher wastage percentage increases the number of bales and total cost estimated.
Yes. Enter the bale type, weight, dry matter percentage and cost that match your wrapped or hay bales. Adjust dry matter if moisture differs from standard hay.
No. All results are planning estimates. Actual needs may differ because of bale weight variation, storage losses, animal condition, weather and grazing availability.