Calculate harvestable forage production as hay or silage. Estimate total tonnage, number of bales, and yield per hectare.
This calculator estimates how much hay or silage you can harvest from a field, accounting for pre-cut yield, residual stubble, and field area. It outputs harvestable DM, total tonnes, bale count, and per-hectare yield. Critical for winter feed budgeting.
A 5 ha alfalfa field at 6,000 kg DM/ha pre-cut with 1,500 kg/ha residual = 4,500 kg/ha harvestable = 22.5 tonnes DM total. As hay (85% DM) = 26.5 tonnes as-fed. At 400 kg/bale, that's 66 bales — enough for about 11 cows through 6 months of winter feeding.
✓ Expert Reviewed: This calculator and its content have been reviewed by agricultural experts. Formulas are based on NRC, FAO, and university extension recommendations. For site-specific advice, consult your local agronomist or veterinarian.
Select fodder type (hay or silage). Enter pre-cut yield, residual stubble, field area in hectares, and bale weight. Click Calculate to see harvestable DM, total tonnage, bale count, and yield per hectare.
The Fodder Production Calculator helps plan winter feed inventory. Harvestable DM = pre-cut yield minus residual (which protects soil and supports regrowth). NRC recommends maintaining adequate feed reserves for 30-60 days beyond expected needs.
Harvestable DM = pre-cut yield − residual. Total DM = harvestable × area. As-fed: hay = DM ÷ 0.85, silage = DM ÷ 0.35. Bales = as-fed kg ÷ bale weight. Typical harvest efficiency is 60-75% of standing crop (machinery losses, weather, accessibility).
Pre-cut: 6,000 kg DM/ha. Residual: 1,500. Harvestable: 4,500 kg/ha. 5 ha × 4,500 = 22,500 kg DM = 22.5 tonnes. Hay as-fed = 22,500 ÷ 0.85 = 26,471 kg. At 400 kg/bale = 66 bales. Yield = 4.5 t DM/ha = 1.82 t DM/acre.
Common mistakes: not accounting for harvest losses (10-20%), using wet-weight instead of DM, forgetting that silage needs fermentation time before feeding. Tip: always produce 15-20% more hay than you think you need. Test hay quality by lab analysis for accurate NRC ration balancing.
Yields vary: timothy/orchardgrass hay 4-8 t DM/ha/year (2-3 cuttings), alfalfa 8-15 t DM/ha/year (3-5 cuttings), mixed grass-legume 6-10 t/ha. As-fed (85% DM), multiply by ~1.18. In bales (400 kg), 4.5 t DM/ha = ~13 bales/ha. NRC recommends testing hay quality for ration formulation.
Leave 5-10 cm (2-4 inches) residual height. This protects the crown, maintains root reserves, and allows rapid regrowth. For grass-legume mixes, leave 7-10 cm. Too-low cutting reduces next cutting yield by 15-30%. NRC recommends not graze below 5 cm for sustained production.
Hay: dry matter 85-90%, stored as dried bales. Yield as-fed = DM ÷ 0.85. Silage: DM 30-40%, fermented in oxygen-free environment. As-fed = DM ÷ 0.35. Silage typically retains 90-95% of forage nutrients vs 80-85% for hay (due to shattering and weather losses). FAO recommends chopping silage to 1-2 cm length.
A 500 kg cow eats ~12 kg DM/day. At 400 kg/bale (85% DM = 340 kg DM/bale), that's 12 ÷ 340 = 0.035 bales/day = ~11 bales per cow for 100 winter days. Add 10% waste factor = ~12 bales/cow. NRC recommends increasing feed allowance by 10-15% in cold weather (below freezing).
Cut grass at late boot to early head stage. Cut legumes (alfalfa) at 10% bloom stage. Morning cutting after dew evaporates gives faster drying. Target 15-20% moisture for baling hay. Rain after cutting reduces quality by leaching nutrients. Extension recommends cutting during dry weather windows and testing cured hay moisture before storage.