Winter Feeding: How Much Forage Do Your Animals Really Need?

Winter feeding is one of the biggest challenges for UK smallholders and farmers. Grass growth slows or stops, days are short, and animals rely almost entirely on what you provide. Getting forage levels right keeps livestock healthy, reduces waste, and helps control costs. This guide explains, in simple terms, how much forage your animals really need over winter, focusing on pigs, sheep, cattle, and chickens.

Sheep are the easiest place to start. An adult sheep will typically eat around 2–3% of its bodyweight in dry matter per day. In winter, this usually means good-quality hay or haylage. A 70kg ewe may need roughly 1.5–2kg of hay per day, more if she is pregnant or lactating. Poor-quality forage means higher intake and higher costs, so testing and planning forage early is key for winter sheep feeding.

Cattle have much higher forage needs due to their size. A mature cow can eat 10–15kg of dry matter per day, depending on weight and condition. For many UK farms, this means silage as the main winter forage, topped up with hay or straw. Growing cattle and in-calf cows will need more energy, so forage quality matters just as much as quantity. Running out of forage late winter is costly, so accurate records and forward planning are essential.

Pigs are different from grazing animals but still benefit from forage. While pigs rely mainly on compound feed, they can eat hay, silage, root crops, and vegetables as part of a winter diet. Forage helps with gut health and boredom, especially for outdoor pigs. It should be seen as a supplement, not a replacement for balanced pig feed, particularly for growing or breeding pigs.

Chickens need much less forage, but winter feeding still matters. Hens will eat grass, weeds, and vegetables when available, but in winter this drops sharply. Hay or straw can be used in runs for scratching, while leafy greens and veg trimmings provide variety. Most of their nutrition should still come from a good-quality layers pellet to maintain egg production through colder months.

Planning winter forage is about knowing your animals, your land, and your feed stocks. Tools that track livestock numbers, forage usage, and winter feed budgets—like those available at farm-manager.co.uk—can help smallholders and farmers avoid shortages and unnecessary expense. With clear records and realistic calculations, winter feeding becomes manageable, predictable, and far less stressful.