Summer is probably keeping you busy with fieldwork, fences that need to be fixed — the list can be endless for Wisconsin farmers! Now is the time to start planning for your winter feed. Some hay may fill a cow’s stomach without meeting her nutritional needs, while higher-quality forage could provide more nutrients than she needs. Account for feed lossCalculating winter feed needs goes beyond knowing a cow eats roughly 2% of her body weight in dry matter every day. Plan for the herd’s changing needsCows’ nutritional needs increase as they move further into pregnancy.