Hay testing looks for nutrient value
Rain and colder weather are signs of the beginning of winter and time for cattle producers and horse owners to start feeding hay.
The first step in developing a hay-feeding program is to test all hay for nutrient value. Estimating the nutritive value of hay from theoretical values or visual evaluation only will lead to errors in feeding. This results in reduced animal performance, costly errors in under- or overfeeding and loss of potential profit.
A routine hay analysis usually includes moisture or dry matter (DM) content; crude protein (CP); and analysis of structural plant fiber that may be reported as crude fiber, acid detergent fiber (ADF) or neutral detergent fiber (NDF).
The only way to know what’s in your hay is to sample it and have it analyzed. Collecting a hay sample correctly is very important to insure an accurate analysis. The best technique is to use a mechanical coring probe made specifically for this purpose. The coring probe consists of a metal tube with a serrated end. A wooden plunger is included with the probe.
Cores are taken by placing the serrated edge on the side of a hay bale that is most resistant to puncture. By turning the brace and applying pressure, the coring probe cuts through the layers of the hay bale, filling the tube portion of the probe with the sample. Contents of the probe are deposited into a small paper sack or other suitable container by removing the probe from the adapter and pushing a wooden plunger through the probe to force the coarse hay material out of the probe and into a bag.
To obtain an accurate representative hay sample, samples should be taken from several bales — at least five
— from a lot of 20-30 bales or if you’re testing a group of 100 bales, be sure to sample at least 15 to 20 bales from that lot. This ensures an accurate analyze of the hay sampled.
Put your sample in a plastic zip-top bag and take it into your local county extension office. The routine fee is $18 per sample.