Winter feeding of beef cattle is challenging and can represent an economic cost to the operation. Inefficient methods can lead to substantial hay waste, increased labor, and higher operating costs. There are many ways to effectively feed cattle throughout the winter, but a need existed to highlight the multitude of options and discuss pros and cons of each though on-farm demonstrations. 

To address these issues, the winter feeding field days were held as a collaborative effort between University of Kentucky Beef and Forage extension programs at the Beef Extension Education Farm at the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center in Princeton, KY. The program focused Ion the design and construction of improved hay feeding sites or systems that producers could replicate on their own farms. The field days highlighted the renovation of two existing hay feeding structures using affordable, locally available materials to improve drainage and reduce hay waste, Evaluate the use of a commercially available hay feeding structure (The Purple Hay Feeder), Demonstration of bale grazing systems, and utilization of stockpiled tall fescue.

The target audience consisted of beef cattle producers and county agents. The field days were hosted in December 2024, and March 2025 hosting over 50 participants. 

Post program evaluations from the field days show: 

- Participants rated the overall program quality at 4.8 out of 5. 

-100% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that they gained knowledge of one or more management practices that could improve profitability of their beef operations.

-All respondents agreed the event was an effective use of their time and resources. 

-Producer feedback also highlighted a high level of interest in adopting similar low-waste hay feeding strategies and inforastructure improvements on their farms. 

As a result of this program, Kentucky beef producers are better equipped to make informed decisions on facility investments that enhance efficiency of winter hay feeding and animal management, which ultimately contributes to more sustainable and profitable operations.