The last few years in Kentucky we have seen a few farms in Anderson County change their hay feeding system by feeding round bales without using a tractor and building up the fertility of their pastures at the same time. These farmers are using a feeding technique called "Bale Grazing."  Bale grazing is a winter feeding technique where bales are set out on a pasture before winter and fed in a planned, controlled manner, somewhat like rotational grazing.  Temporary electric fence and posts are used to allow cattle access to those bales that you want fed in the current move.  Each move a new fence is erected in front of the current fence.  The previous fence is then taken down to allow the cattle access to the new bales.  The hay rings are then rolled to the new  bales and flipped over into place. This process is repeated every 1-7 days, depending on a number of factors.

The movement of cattle gives farmers a better nutrient distribution across the land.  This is particularly beneficial on land that has not received any other fertilization across their land.  The increase in better nutrient distribution due to bale grazing can also help offset fertilizer cost.  In order to set out hay in late fall  and early winter, right where you want it fed, you need to accurately estimate your winter hay needs.  But this does allow you to not need a tractor then when damage to pastures from equipment is obvious. 

Bale grazing combines very well with stockpiled pasture.  With this system, cattle get both hay and strip of stockplied pasture with each move.  Since stockpiles pasture is typically much better in both energy and protein compared to typical hay, the stockpile can effectively serve as both an energy and protein supplement.

The two farmers who experimented with bale grazing this past winter are so impressed with the system that we have written a SARE Grant to further collect data.  They were impressed that their pastures were not tore up from hoof action coming out of the winter months and have agree to participate for the next two yearsd helping to collect data from their farms.