Area Weather Delays First Hay Harvest This Season

Area cattle producers are known for putting up some of the best quality hay in the region. The cooler than normal spring and above normal rainfall in May has delayed many producers from putting up their first cutting of hay which typically consists of fescue with small amounts of other cool season grasses or legumes mixed in it.

The delayed harvest is now yielding hay which is very mature. What this means is that these cool season grasses have passed the point in growth for when they are at their highest nutritional value for cattle consumption. Having good nutritional hay is very important for cattle producers to have at times of weather extremes such as snow and ice. Hay will need to provide enough energy to keep cattle warm and thrive during winter months. Producing high-yielding and top-quality hay requires attention to harvest management, soil fertility, pest management, and good storage methods.

Hay is mainly fed during winter, but can be used anytime to supplement low pasture availability. Good quality hay can be made from almost all forage species. But every species can be very poor quality if allowed to become too mature. Forage quality is influenced mainly by maturity of the forage at harvest time and to a lesser extent by soil fertility. Fiber content of the forage increases as the forage matures and is the primary factor that controls the animal’s intake. Visual evaluation of hay may indicate good or poor forage condition, but a lab analysis is the only way to determine nutrient content. Hay samples can be tested for nutrient content by the University of Arkansas Forage Lab and by private laboratories.

Knowing the nutritional value of one’s hay is important for feeding as well as being an important factor for selling hay. When hay is not providing all the required nutrients for cattle to thrive, a producer will need to supplement with feed. The key to hay testing is to use the test analysis and match up a feed that will provide what the hay is short on.

The first step to get your hay tested is to collect a good sample. The analyzed nutrient composition of hay is only as accurate as the sample sent to the lab. Begin by accurately identifying the dominant forage species of the field harvested to get an accurate estimate of total digestible nutrients (TDN). Test each lot of hay. A lot represents hay harvested from each cutting within a single field under similar harvest conditions. Harvest date, plant species, fertility and weather can all result in variations within and between fields and cuttings.

Core samples are preferred over grab samples. Even with hay that is not weathered, multiple core samples will contain a better distribution of plant material, which will result in a more accurate assessment of nutrient composition. Hay sampling probes are available for use through the county Extension offices. Samples should be taken from the end of square bales and from the side of round bales. Twenty to thirty percent of the bales must be sampled to accurately estimate the nutrient composition of a particular cutting. Collected samples are mixed and one gallon of the mixed sample is submitted to the County Extension office. In Arkansas, the cost for running a routine hay analysis is $18.

For more information about testing nutritional quality of hay, contact the Washington County Extension office, 479-444-1755.