Hay Contest ???

[Nowland Farms]

Anybody in Alabama or the southeast ever entered your hay into a state or regional hay contest?

Last week when I went to my 2007 Forage Class, our 12 county Regional County Extention Guy said that he had been planning to call me. He said that Auburn University had sent him a copy of my hay analisys and he was impressed with the results of my hay. He asked me if I would consider entering my hay in the hay contest for Alabama and the Southeastern Hay contest to be held at the Sunbelt Expo in Moultrie GA in October. I told him I had never considered it. He seemed to be impressed with my hay and even brought the paperwork and the core sampling bit.

I delivered the hay samples to him earlier this week and he was going to mail them off. We'll see what happens. Southeastern results to be disclosed in mid-Octorer. Alabama results to be dis-closed in December.

 

[MikeC]

Go for it Rod. Good on you.

Lots of people don't care about putting up good hay, but sure beats feeding pellets in the winter when they can get all they need out of the hay ring.

You entering that fescue hay?

 

[Nowland Farms]

Yep,

It's the Pennington Max Q Tall Fescue.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Thought at first you were talking about the contest that happens around here. They stack up round bales in some sort of form and paint it. They have done cartoon charactures and other neat things. Pretty cool to see.

 

[Jogeephus]

If you have never been to the Expo you should take the time to go. It is truly something to see. Congratulations on the hay!

 

[preston39]

Anybody in Alabama or the southeast ever entered your hay into a state or regional hay contest?

Last week when I went to my 2007 Forage Class, our 12 county Regional County Extention Guy said that he had been planning to call me. He said that Auburn University had sent him a copy of my hay analisys and he was impressed with the results of my hay. He asked me if I would consider entering my hay in the hay contest for Alabama and the Southeastern Hay contest to be held at the Sunbelt Expo in Moultrie GA in October. I told him I had never considered it. He seemed to be impressed with my hay and even brought the paperwork and the core sampling bit.

Where I delivered the hay samples to him earlier this week and he was going to mail them off. We'll see what happens. Southeastern results to be disclosed in mid-Octorer. Alabama results to be dis-closed in December.

=====================
Nowland...,
Care to share the analysis. Not trying to verify your hay quality. Should we ever get around to testing it we can have a comparison.

As they say in merry old England....Good show.

 

[Nowland Farms]

According to the website, the Sunbelt Expo uses a factor callled RFQ (Relative Forage Quality) to grade hay. The results are analysed and calculated by the University of Georgia.

Here are the results from last years Cool Season Grass Hay competition at the Southeast Region Hay contest at Sunbelt Expo

Range of Cool Season Grasses submitted for contest -
Crude Protein = 6.4% - 12.1%
TDN = 52% - 62%
RFQ = 80 - 116


2006 Winners

1st Place Cool Season Grass-
Crude Protein - 10.1%
TDN - 58%
RFQ - 116


2nd Place Cool Season Grass-
Crude Protein - 11.4%
TDN - 62%
RFQ - 108

3rd Place Cool Season Grass-
Crude Protein - 10.6%
TDN - 60%
RFQ - 108



The analyses from my fescue hay as determined by Auburn University.

Crude Protein - 11.7%
TDN - 58%
RFQ - ????

I'm just learning this hay quality stuff so we will see.

Here is the url for the results of the top 3 winners in each class from last years Sunbelt Expo Hay contest -

http://www.aces.edu/dept/forages/SE_HAY_CONTEST.pdf

And Jo, yes I do plan on making it to the Sunbelt Expo this year, if my heifer calving dates don't interfere. I have been wanting to go for several years but have not been able to work it into my schedule.