Hay cost per cow per day
What winter hay costs you per cow per day, per herd, and to green-up. Uses your numbers; the price can start from USDA's Texas Panhandle hay report.
USDA Texas Direct Hay Report, Panhandle, Oct 30, 2026
USDA-reported range, not a quote. Midpoint used. Source: AMS report 2707, next report November 13.
$4.34 per cow per day
$434.03 per day for 100 cows · $65,104.17 for 150 days
About 474 bales (284.1 tons as fed) to green-up.
Each cow eats 30 lb of dry matter a day (1,200 lb × 2.5%). At 88% dry matter and 10% waste, that's 37.9 lb of hay put out per cow per day at $0.115/lb.
A rule-of-thumb budget, not a ration. Ask your extension agent for a ration balanced for your hay test.