Hay Protein Level

[inyati13]

I was telling my brother who just retired as the Pendleton County Judge/Exec. I mentioned that the UK Extension service came out, sampled my hay and sent me the results for ten dollars a sample. I told him the samples came back 5 % protein.

He said before he retired, the county filed charges against a man who was straving horses to death. The man claimed he kept hay out for them. The county tested the hay. It was 1% protein!!!!!!!!!!

 

[highgrit]

I can't believe the 1% it doesn't sound possible.

 

[inyati13]

I can't believe the 1% it doesn't sound possible.

I have no idea. I watched the Agent core my hay with a tube on a cordless drill and put the sample in a bag. That is all I know about hay testing. Now I do know everything else. This is just one of those rare subjects I don't know.

 

[1982vett]

I can't believe the 1% it doesn't sound possible.

I have no idea. I watched the Agent core my hay with a tube on a cordless drill and put the sample in a bag. That is all I know about hay testing. Now I do know everything else. This is just one of those rare subjects I don't know.

Probably going to start getting educated now.....

 

[Craig Miller]

I can't believe the 1% it doesn't sound possible.

I have no idea. I watched the Agent core my hay with a tube on a cordless drill and put the sample in a bag. That is all I know about hay testing. Now I do know everything else. This is just one of those rare subjects I don't know.

At least you know your limts

 

[Bigfoot]

Wheat straw test higher than that.

 

[TexasBred]

I can't believe the 1% it doesn't sound possible.

I have no idea. I watched the Agent core my hay with a tube on a cordless drill and put the sample in a bag. That is all I know about hay testing. Now I do know everything else. This is just one of those rare subjects I don't know.

Hopefully he sampled more than one bale.

 

[inyati13]

Of the 5 children Henry is the oldest, one year my senior. He is a Christian. So if he says it was 1%, I believe him. Now the rest of us boys, you can't believe a damm thing we say.

 

[AllForage]

5% protein eh no problem. Just make sure they are not selenium deficient!! That cures all ailments and production issues. Also that miracle sack mineral that I heard can even cure cancer !!!

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I'd feed 5% hay to cattle and supplement with protein tubs and quality mineral and not think twice about it if 5% was the only hay I could find. In fact, if truth be known, that's probably what we're doing right now. I just haven't gone to the trouble to have it tested.

 

[inyati13]

I'd feed 5% hay to cattle and supplement with protein tubs and quality mineral and not think twice about it if 5% was the only hay I could find. In fact, if truth be known, that's probably what we're doing right now. I just haven't gone to the trouble to have it tested.

Re: 5 % Hay
I bought this hay TT from the same guy who done your fencing work. I told him in advance, I wanted good hay (whatever that means, ). In my opinion the hay was cut about 4 weeks late. I found out where it came from so I know. I also had it tested. I decided to call him. I didn't know what his reaction or remedy would be. All I knew was that I was going to be factual and calm. I did not form any expectations; only the satisfaction that he would know I am not a sucker just a dumbazz with bad hay.

To my delight, he is going to come and get the remaining rolls and trade it out for some grass/alfalfa hay which I have seen and is good because I purchased some this fall and the cows inhale it.

I agree with you. Many producers are feeding hay as bad if not worse than mine. What I have been doing is supplementing with a few square bales of alfalfa/grass hay. Putting out purina rangeland 20% protein tubs and good mineral (concept-aid). The cows still look good and I am not worried. But this has been a process and cost I should not have had. I paid $25 a roll for what was suppose to be good hay!

 

[highgrit]

I'm no hay expert, but Bigfoot touched on what I was thinking. I have had hay tested that was full of dog fennel and broom sage. It was off a field that hadn't been cut for better than a year. The hay if you want to call it that was 3%protein and TDN was less than 30, might of been just over 20. So 1% to me is not possible. But with the DA trying to build a case anything goes. Inyati, I was questioning the hay test results, not your brother.

 

[inyati13]

I'm no hay expert, but Bigfoot touched on what I was thinking. I have had hay tested that was full of dog fennel and broom sage. It was off a field that hadn't been cut for better than a year. The hay if you want to call it that was 3%protein and TDN was less than 30, might of been just over 20. So 1% to me is not possible. But with the DA trying to build a case anything goes. Inyati, I was questioning the hay test results, not your brother.

I knew that. I was totally being silly.

Seriously, I have no idea what it was they tested or if my brother got his facts straight. My problem is the 5% hay.

 

[Bigfoot]

Just me, but if I bought the hay, I'd of kept the hay. If I had a super high expectation of grass hay cut in Ky, I would test it before I bought it.

 

[TexasBred]

Ron...as over conditioned as your cattle are 5% hay is more than enough. That and a good exercise program. They certainly don't need alfalfa. Keep the low quality hay and ask for a partial refund...say $15 a bale.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

If you only gave 25 dollars a bale for it you got what you payed for.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

$25 a roll will get good hay in the part of KY our place is located. The junk is $15.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Baler lost money at 20.00, and would have been better of burning it than baling it at 15.00. It will cost you 18.00 to get hay cut raked and baled here.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Baler lost money at 20.00, and would have been better of burning it than baling it at 15.00. It will cost you 18.00 to get hay cut raked and baled here.

I think the operative word in your post is "here', which in your case is Arkansas. If a man is looking to sell his hay for $15 and I need hay and can pay $15 why would I pay more?

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

You get what you pay for. Out here$25 rolls are usually 4x5 and about 700 pounds. Many people out here test their hay, but not all. This was the first year I bought hay (too many cows, now enough grass to cut my own, we only were able to cut 36 bales on our land), and I traded a really nice fall bred 3 year old for 100 bales. I did specify it had to test at least 10% protein and net wrapped, but learned a valuable lesson in that I did not specify size. I got some decent hay that tested ten percent, but they were only 4 x5 and averaged 700 pounds (we weighed a handful after the cows were eating more than expected). My bales we put up average 1000 pounds, are 4.5 x 5 net wrapped. I pay $17 to have it baled. So, I was shorted 30,000 pounds of hay in essence (100 bales x 300 pounds less than the hay I normally feed). That is a lot of hay. So now I am sitting in the middle of Feb trying to find decent hay to finish off my winter feeding (about 3 more weeks, I hope no more!).
My point is, hay prices and availability vary by region and season! I have always tested my hay, and learned this year that not only is quality important, but weight, when buying hay. $25 a roll for 700 pound hay sounds cheap, but I would rather pay $35 to $40 for that same hay and it be a 5x5, or 500 pounds more.