Latest News From Hay

With the start of the new year comes the setting of resolutions for personal habits, behaviors and practices. Dairies can and should do the same for their operations. Here are six places to start.

Tightening profit margins behoove growers to pay careful forage options, micronutrients, plant health and productivity. Partnering with agronomists, nutritionists and dairy advisors is an important piece of the puzzle.

With fall just around the corner, now is the time to think about applying fertilizer to perennial forages.

Dry conditions in the West have plagued producers for months. And while some recent relief has come in the form of rain, a new USDA report shows just how dire the hay situation is for many livestock producers.

As drought plagued the West and Plains in 2021, grasshoppers took over many pastures and crops, which demolished grasses and hayfields. In the South and Midwest, fall armyworms were a costly battle for farmers.

Whether your sampling square bales, round bales or baleage, it’s important to keep these eight tips in mind in order to get accurate quality predictions.

The agronomic benefits of alfalfa are many and in some areas of the country it is still my preferred legume. However, let us look at what modern improved varieties of red clover bring to the table.

The most important number to review on a forage analysis is the ADF or NDF content of a forage on a dry matter basis, not crude protein.

One of the “normal” elements of this highly abnormal time is the fact that hay-making season soon will commence throughout most of the country.

“The reality is, bale density, or the hardness of the bale, has a heck of a lot to do with your return on investment.”

The Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC) lowered hay yields across the board this week and edged prices up as this spring continues to have devastating impact on fields and fieldwork.

All hay contains some mold, but when mold becomes noticeable the decisions become important.

High-moisture grass baled above 24% moisture can cause spontaneous combustion. Overheated bales can burn down a hay barn.

The timing of the rains can make it difficult for producers that are trying hard to put quality hay in the bale for next winter’s feed supply.

The latest Crop Production report from USDA-NASS shos May 1 hay stocks at 14.9 million tons, down 2.9% year over year.  However, May 1 hay stocks in 2018 were also small. 

High prices rationed hay disappearance between December 1 to May 1 to the lowest level since 2013/14 at 64 million tons.

As farmers throughout the country experienced record-cold temperatures, blizzards that seemed to last weeks rather than days, and unrelenting wind, many fed more hay than they usually do.

As farmers throughout the country experienced record-cold temperatures, blizzards that seemed to last weeks rather than days, and unrelenting wind, many fed more hay than they usually do.

If there was ever a year to focus on hay quality over quantity, weather permitting, this has to be it. Most of the reasons should be obvious. Perhaps a few are less so.

Weeds can reduce the quantity and the stand life of desirable forage plants in pastures and hayfields.

The current political situation with China continues to have an impact on exports to that country.

As temperatures begin to creep up and spring starts to arrive, it is time to start thinking about the coming hay season.

Flood waters are receding, but the challenges in recovery for farmers and livestock producers are just beginning. Beth Doran, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach beef specialist, recommends producers get out in their fields as soon as possible.

With the start of spring comes the start of allergy season, but not for some farm kids, researchers say.

A farm aid nonprofit is launching an effort to deliver donated hay to ranchers in flood-stricken Nebraska, resurrecting a program first used nearly two years ago to help cattle producers facing drought conditions.

December 1 hay stocks declined nationally for the third year in a row to 79 million tons, the smallest December 1 figure since 2012.

Adding extra fertility after drought is boosting toxins like nitrates in hay.

Hay produced on irrigated grass and subirrigated meadows can be a potential supplementation source throughout Nebraska.

The Washington Hay Growers Association represents the farmers growing feed and fiber crops that fuel global industries, from Northwest dairy cattle to pets large and small and livestock around the world.

A better way to determine feeding value is to have a representative forage sample tested by a laboratory that uses proven and accepted methods of forage analysis.

Shopping for hay should be carefully researched because making the correct purchase can drastically affect your bottom line.

Every year county agents get questions from producers concerning if they should burn their Bermuda grass hayfields. There are several benefits to burning your hayfield.

Declining hay acres and fewer dairy cattle might have an impact on what direction hay prices go.

Harvested tons of all hay trended higher during most of the 20th Century, but lower during the 21st Century.

Warm-season grasses are plentiful in hay producing areas, but the rain that helped improve growing conditions following an extended period of drought is hurting their chances for more round bales.

In order to successfully produce alfalfa, there are several things that are important.

Forage growers in Mississippi are trying to keep insects from making meals out of their hayfields and compromising their stockpiles of winter feed.

High level of nitrates have been detected in forages this year in South Dakota and other states. Depending on where you live, it could be due to weather conditions, fertilizer, previous crop, or a combination.

The RazorEdge 1300 Series pull-type disc mower conditioner is now available from Hesston by Massey Ferguson.

Purchasing hay based on quality is a key to ensuring the best product for the price, but it requires being proactive and asking the right questions.

Glenn Obermann has a winning recipe for quality hay. At the 2018 Missouri State Fair, Obermann took Champion and Reserve Champion awards in alfalfa and grass classes 4-8, and Champion in alfalfa classes 1-3.

After this year's drought in Missouri it might be a good time adjust a forage program.

Case IH unveils latest updates to model year 2019 disc mower conditioners.

To maximize quality and minimize waste, read on to learn some research-based tips on forage storage.

While most farmers certainly won’t turn down a year with ample rain, the frequency of rainfall can pose a challenge to putting up high-quality hay for the winter months.

More than 80% of North Dakota is drought-free this year, a welcome change from 2017.