Hay, January and Markets

[inyati13]

January is moving quickly. I put out protein tubs yesterday. I started feeding hay on a regular basis this week. Up to now, the cows would walk past the hay rolls and go out in the pasture and forage. I am feeding my best hay first. The hay from my fields runs about 10% protein. The square bales are alfalfa and grass. I have not tested them but they are clearly high energy and high protein. I feed those on a select basis.

I bought 60 rolls of hay that to the eye looks good. Red clover, fescue and orchard grass. It tested 5% protein. The cows don't want to eat it. I assume it was cut too late, mis-handled at cutting, etc. Looks fair. There is some weeds but it would not take much to beat 5% so I assume it must have been poorly handled.

Here is what I have learned in my four short years:
First, The market for hay does not reflect quality. The hay that goes for 15 to 20 dollars a roll is generally poor.
Second, I will not buy hay in the future until I test it first, and set a minimum quality.
Third, if your want good hay, you better be prepared to pay a premium. Hay masters know their hay is better and the price is going to reflect that.

I am thinking forward. I am going to fertilize my hay land around mid-March. If you want quality you better feed the soil. Quality in equals quality out. I have been working on the crushed limestone applications and I have finally got good lime treated hayland. I am expecting yields and quality to go up this year if the weather cooperates.

I want to produce my own good quality hay. It takes input if you want good output. Buying hay here is a crap shoot and mostly the cheap hay is crap!

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Inyati, I agree with your assessment of buying hay and the problems one encounters with quality but in my opinion your cows need protein tubs about as much as Rosanne Barr needs another trip to the buffet table, lol!

Have a blessed day Sir.

 

[hurleyjd]

No your problem is that you have created welfare cows. Need to let them fend for themselves. They are just like kids they will eat the candy first.

 

[AllForage]

I'm willing to bet, if weather allows, cutting your hay at proper maturity is more important than fertilizer for quality.

Please expand on your fertilizer ingredients.

Oh yeah I agree, why aren't you grazing still? I know you aren't out of grass.

 

[M5farm]

IMO you should feed oldest hay first. Since your trying to fatten em up. The protein tubs tubswill mame them eat the lesser hay.

 

[inyati13]

IMO you should feed oldest hay first. Since your trying to fatten em up. The protein tubs tubswill mame them eat the lesser hay.

My logic on the better hay first is related to calving ease. These cows are about 3 to 4 months away from calving. I did not want the higher quality hay going into them at a time when it would contribute the most to the growth of the calf. Keep in mind, I am experiencing some very high birth weights!!!

 

[TexasBred]

I bought 60 rolls of hay that to the eye looks good. Red clover, fescue and orchard grass. It tested 5% protein. The cows don't want to eat it. I assume it was cut too late, mis-handled at cutting, etc. Looks fair. There is some weeds but it would not take much to beat 5% so I assume it must have been poorly handled.

ALL hay looks good in a roll or a bale IF the person doing the baling knows what he's doing. Only way to ever know what you have is by testing.

 

[inyati13]

I bought 60 rolls of hay that to the eye looks good. Red clover, fescue and orchard grass. It tested 5% protein. The cows don't want to eat it. I assume it was cut too late, mis-handled at cutting, etc. Looks fair. There is some weeds but it would not take much to beat 5% so I assume it must have been poorly handled.

ALL hay looks good in a roll or a bale IF the person doing the baling knows what he's doing. Only way to ever know what you have is by testing.

Agree. That is why I will test before I buy in the future.

 

[bigbull338]

if you put out fert in march your wasting money unless you have clover or rye on your meadows.best thing todo is bale your meadows 1st of may to clean them up.then put fert out and pray you get rain on it.as for that 60 bales of hay.let it sit till next winter and i bet your cows will eat it.ive seen cows eat 4yr old hay down to the ground and want more of it.because that hay has something they need after it sets a while.

 

[Angus Cowman]

if you put out fert in march your wasting money unless you have clover or rye on your meadows.best thing todo is bale your meadows 1st of may to clean them up.then put fert out and pray you get rain on it.as for that 60 bales of hay.let it sit till next winter and i bet your cows will eat it.ive seen cows eat 4yr old hay down to the ground and want more of it.because that hay has something they need after it sets a while.

Now big bull you are in Texas and Ron is in Kentucky with a totally different kind of grass and climate than you so what makes you capable of saying fertilizing in March is a waste of his money as more than likely you are cutting bermuda a warm season grass and he is more than likely cutting fescue or fescue and clover mix

 

[Nesikep]

If my cows don't like the hay I give them, that's tough luck for them! At this time of year I make them clean up every straw unless it's brutally cold. I'm not feeding a high protein hay right now, it's got a fair bit of grass in it, but has alfalfa as well.

If I were in your shoes Ron, I'd pen the cows, and limit feed them until they clean up the leftovers. That said, Round bales are a PITA for that, which is one reason I'm staying with small squares.

 

[inyati13]

I'm willing to bet, if weather allows, cutting your hay at proper maturity is more important than fertilizer for quality.

Please expand on your fertilizer ingredients.

Oh yeah I agree, why aren't you grazing still? I know you aren't out of grass.

I have taken two sets of samples. The top of my main ridge has a history of being used for tobacco. Tobacco is really hard on the nutrient levels. It needed limestone. I do not need phosphorus so I am using a mix of Urea and Muriate of potash.

Bigbull338: Angus cowman is right. The UK Extension Agent recommends fertilizer in the spring. In fact, I talked to her last week. I was going to put down my spring fertilizer in mid-February. She advised it would be better to put it down in mid-March if it included N because the N will be gone before the roots are active. My hayland is fescue, orchard grass and red clover. I have to be careful. If the red clover comes on strong, it can dominate the grasses. The nitrogen helps the grasses get a good start.

 

[Tim/South]

We fertilize the fescue hay in February, cut and bale it the second week in May if the weather window is open.

 

[highgrit]

A cow will starve on 5% hay with a full belly. Inyati are you going to buy new or used hay equipment? Depending on someone else to cut your hay on time is very stressful, been there done that. And yes I believe that cutting your hay on time is the most important part. But without proper fertilizer it's not going to produce quality hay either.

 

[Jogeephus]

Take some of the bad hay and unroll it in different parts of your pasture. If it was cut late you may have more money in clover seed value than you do in feed value. Might as well make lemonade.

 

[shaz]

I'm willing to bet, if weather allows, cutting your hay at proper maturity is more important than fertilizer for quality.

Please expand on your fertilizer ingredients.

Oh yeah I agree, why aren't you grazing still? I know you aren't out of grass.

I have taken two sets of samples. The top of my main ridge has a history of being used for tobacco. Tobacco is really hard on the nutrient levels. It needed limestone. I do not need phosphorus so I am using a mix of Urea and Muriate of potash.

Bigbull338: Angus cowman is right. The UK Extension Agent recommends fertilizer in the spring. In fact, I talked to her last week. I was going to put down my spring fertilizer in mid-February. She advised it would be better to put it down in mid-March if it included N because the N will be gone before the roots are active. My hayland is fescue, orchard grass and red clover. I have to be careful. If the red clover comes on strong, it can dominate the grasses. The nitrogen helps the grasses get a good start.

What do you expect nitrogen and potash to cost this year Inyati?

 

[inyati13]

I'm willing to bet, if weather allows, cutting your hay at proper maturity is more important than fertilizer for quality.

Please expand on your fertilizer ingredients.

Oh yeah I agree, why aren't you grazing still? I know you aren't out of grass.

I have taken two sets of samples. The top of my main ridge has a history of being used for tobacco. Tobacco is really hard on the nutrient levels. It needed limestone. I do not need phosphorus so I am using a mix of Urea and Muriate of potash.

Bigbull338: Angus cowman is right. The UK Extension Agent recommends fertilizer in the spring. In fact, I talked to her last week. I was going to put down my spring fertilizer in mid-February. She advised it would be better to put it down in mid-March if it included N because the N will be gone before the roots are active. My hayland is fescue, orchard grass and red clover. I have to be careful. If the red clover comes on strong, it can dominate the grasses. The nitrogen helps the grasses get a good start.

What do you expect nitrogen and potash to cost this year Inyati?

61% Muriate of Potash @ $520 per ton
46% Granular Urea @ $500 per ton

 

[tistis]

I'm going right to the heart of the Mather you you feed them some type of feed everyday feed them the old stuff first

 

[greybeard]

I too always feed the old stuff first, and like BigBull, I have found that year after year, they prefer last years to last summer's hay. (this is coastalbermuda/bahia mix or jiggs-----clover and alfalfa hay are very hard to find around here and I've seen alfalfa priced 3x what jiggs is for the same size bale)

 

[kenny thomas]

January is moving quickly. I put out protein tubs yesterday. I started feeding hay on a regular basis this week. Up to now, the cows would walk past the hay rolls and go out in the pasture and forage. I am feeding my best hay first. The hay from my fields runs about 10% protein. The square bales are alfalfa and grass. I have not tested them but they are clearly high energy and high protein. I feed those on a select basis.

I bought 60 rolls of hay that to the eye looks good. Red clover, fescue and orchard grass. It tested 5% protein. The cows don't want to eat it. I assume it was cut too late, mis-handled at cutting, etc. Looks fair. There is some weeds but it would not take much to beat 5% so I assume it must have been poorly handled.

Here is what I have learned in my four short years:
First, The market for hay does not reflect quality. The hay that goes for 15 to 20 dollars a roll is generally poor.
Second, I will not buy hay in the future until I test it first, and set a minimum quality.
Third, if your want good hay, you better be prepared to pay a premium. Hay masters know their hay is better and the price is going to reflect that.

I am thinking forward. I am going to fertilize my hay land around mid-March. If you want quality you better feed the soil. Quality in equals quality out. I have been working on the crushed limestone applications and I have finally got good lime treated hayland. I am expecting yields and quality to go up this year if the weather cooperates.

I want to produce my own good quality hay. It takes input if you want good output. Buying hay here is a crap shoot and mostly the cheap hay is crap!

I am notdoubting your tests but I have never seen hay test as bad as 5%. But anyway, I fertilize my hayground in the fall, Let them graze the fields if it is not wet in January, then add Urea if I need it in late March.