Can Your Hay Pass the Test?
Don't just guess if your cattle are getting the proper nutrition.
Good-quality hay is an essential component of any beef production program. No matter how good you are at growing grass, there are times during the year when you are likely to encounter a grazing gap that requires feeding hay to provide cows with adequate nutrition.
A high percentage of hay harvested in the Southeast last summer was of poor quality because much of it was too mature when baled.
But whether buying or producing your hay, David Baber, Southern States feed sales and technical representative, recommends having it tested. Good quality and low-quality hay look the same in a bale form, he explains. The only way to know for certain its nutritive value is through lab analysis.
Forage test results will help your Southern States dealer or nutritionist develop a supplement program to meet your herd's nutritional needs.
B. J. Sifers of Powhatan, Va., can testify to the value of having a hay analysis done. He bales orchardgrass to feed his 150 crossbred Angus cows.
"Two years ago, I was feeding what looked to be pretty good hay. The cows were eating lots of it but were losing weight," Sifers recalls. He had Baber run several forage tests and was shocked by the results.
"The protein of the hay was only 8%, and the TDN [total digestible nutrients] was only about 41%," he reports.
"Lactating cows can't make it on that." Baber recommended that Sifers feed Select 32 Liquid Protein Supplement, a molasses-based supplement with 32% protein. He also used a Southern States mineral mix packed with essential vitamins and nutrients.
"We stood the bales on end on the feed wagon and poured the supplement over them and let it soak in the hay," Sifers says. "The cows loved it, and they immediately started regaining weight. I've been having my hay tested ever since."
Southern States dealers and representatives, as well as Cooperative Agricultural Extension and other farm agency personnel, can take hay samples for you or show you how to do it. They also have hay probes, forms and mailing kits.
Southern States sends its forage samples to Cumberland Valley Analytical Services in Maugansville, Md., to be tested.
"By using a single lab, we always get consistent assays," Mike Peacock, beef feed sales and marketing manager for Southern States, explains. "Different labs will use different processes, so if you change labs you may get different results from one test to the next."
But what exactly does a hay analysis tell you?
Ralph Ward, owner and manager of Cumberland Valley Analytical Services, says producers are always eager to know the protein content of their hay. But he points out two other measurements--fiber and TDN--that are equally important.
Crude fiber is used primarily to characterize fiber in commercial feeds. Better predictors of forage quality are neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF), Ward maintains.
"NDF is a measure of the total fiber content of a forage. It indicates how palatable the forage is and how much an animal will eat," he says. "If NDF value is too high, the forage has excessive stalk or fiber and possibly was baled after it was too mature. The animal may not eat enough to meet its nutritional requirements, and its performance will drop off."
ADF predicts how digestible the forage is--how much of the forage nutrients an animal can use.
TDN is a calculated measurement that predicts energy value of the forage. Animal nutritionist and livestock feed specialists use these three measurements--protein, energy and digestibility--to determine the need for and the amount of supplementation for adequate cow nutrition.
"For example, a cow nursing a calf requires a minimum of 2 pounds protein and 16 pounds TDN per day to provide adequate milk for her calf and to maintain her own body condition," Baber explains. "Let's assume the hay we're feeding contains 8% protein and 50% TDN, and the NDF value predicts she will only consume 20 pounds per day.
"That means the cow will only get 1.6 pounds of protein (20 pounds. x 8%) and 10 pounds of TDN (20 pounds x 50%)," Baber says. "Unless we supplement her, either the calf won't get enough milk and will grow slower or the cow won't produce enough milk for her calf, which will strain her body. If she loses body condition, she will be slower to rebreed."
The easiest way to ensure that a cow gets enough protein and energy is by feeding a molasses-based protein supplement. The sugar in molasses is a good source of energy. The protein stimulates growth of microorganisms in the rumen that are responsible for fiber digestion. As a result, animals can consume more forage and better utilize the nutrients.
Southern States sells molassesbased supplements in different forms, including liquid lick tanks and 200- pound solidified "tubs." The co-op also produces pelleted supplements and pressed blocks for various cattle needs. Peacock says mineral content is another important factor that can be determined through forage analysis.
"We want to make sure cows get the correct balance of major minerals and micronutrients as well," he says.
"These influence the health and strength of a newborn calf and the quality of the colostrum."
Baber says a standard forage test costs no more than $18. It's an investment that's well worth the price.
"Once you get your hay tested," says Baber, "bring the results to your local Southern States dealer and allow us to balance your ration for maximum performance."
Forage Analysis: A Sales Tool
For many beef producers, excess hay is a good source of income. You can improve the marketability of your hay by simply providing prospective buyers with a forage analysis.
"People who are buying hay are grasping for any information that differentiates one lot of hay from another," Baber maintains. "If you can provide a piece of paper from a certified testing lab that guarantees the nutritional value of your hay, it will automatically make the hay worth more."
You can also better evaluate progress by having an objective measurement of hay quality produced each year. This enables you to pinpoint measures and inputs that influence greater production and improved forage quality.
| Why Digestibility is Important | |||
| TDN of Forage Dry Matter Intake | % of Body Wt. | Lbs. Hay Required | Can Consume |
| 1.75% | 37.8 | 23.3 | |
| 2.00% | 34 | 30 | |
| 2.00% | 31 | 33.2 | |
| 3.00% | 28.4 | 40 | |
| Assumes a 1,175-pound cow that is nursing a calf | |||
