Hay Test Results, Let's talk feeding rations.

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Otha

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Got my Results back from the 3 cuttings of coastal Bermuda. I used one of those probes that cuts a little core into the bale. The reason for 4 samples is I sampled the first cutting twice to see what would happen. I pulled samples on every 3 or 4 bales out of 120 and put it all in a bucket, mixed it up and poured it into two bags. The only reason I can figure the 21-1 and 21-11 samples are 2.6 protein difference is maybe when I stirred it in the bucket some leaf and stem separated causing the difference. I called the lab and the guy I talked to said they are usually within a few tenths on running the same sample. The 15.4% third cutting seems a little high for coastal but it was cut a little early due to the army worms so maybe that's an accurate number.

So I entered all 3 cuttings into OSU's ration cowculater and started playing around with feeding dry cows in their second trimester and some 6 weight calves. It doesn't seem to matter which hay they get the cowculator shows them gaining weight. Even with limit feeding the cows at 1.5% or 2% of body weight they show to be gaining weight. I will have some standing dormant Coastal for them to get full on that I am not even putting in the cowculator. Feeding the lessor quality first cutting to 600 pound calves at 3% intake it shows gaining a pound per day with the only limitation being minerals(I will provide free choice mineral). Am I missing something here or is the hay alone good enough to keep the calves growing until they go out on wheat in late feb or early march?

Now back to my post about the value of fed hay as fertilizer the other day. Using the info given in that thread it seems there's around $7 worth of nitrogen in the 15% hay. I used the mineral contents on the bottom of the report and a 1,000 pound bale(I think they will go 1,100, will weigh some soon) and came up with around $15-20 worth of nitrogen phosphorus and potassium based on fert price the last time I checked. I don't know the value of the other micro nutrients but I would assume they account for the difference in the prices listed on the other thread(someone said $28 per bale). Now I haven't and probably won't test the manure but I've read in several places that 60-80% of fed nutrients pass through to the manure so $17.5x70% leaves us with $12.25 worth of nutrients that I can easily calculate. I know that $12 won't affect cash flow any time soon but it is nice to know a guest-a-ment of what the value is we are putting back into the soil.

Now let's hear what everyone thinks about all of this.

2021 Hay Analysis.jpg
 
I have some doubts about NIR results, I only use wet chemistry on my feed samples a bit more cost but I feel that they are more accurate.
 
I have some doubts about NIR results, I only use wet chemistry on my feed samples a bit more cost but I feel that they are more accurate.
From what I have read the NIR is pretty good on common forages like my grass hay. How much are you paying for wet chemistry and where are you sending your samples? I might try some of both.
 
Some Texas Extension agents don't recommend the A&M lab for hay testing. They question the accuracy of the results. Dairy One lab was recommended to me.
 
From what I have read the NIR is pretty good on common forages like my grass hay.
I might try some of both.
Tests of course are only as good as the sample collected. If you want to compare. Split the same sample, so that you are comparing apples to apples, rather than pulling 2 samples.
 
Calves should grow on decent hay. Thats a rumen for you. Bucket feeding a little supplement with ionophore, and mineral will gain you a lot.

Bale weight varies. Fertilizer price varies. Runoff varies. Assuming 75% nutrient utilization is high unless you unroll and have very deficient soils.
 
I don't think I have ever seen Texas Bermuda hay with a protein yield over15%. Last time I went by the local hay contest, the winner's hay yielding 14%. I knew the guys brother and he told me he had a small plot that he kept just for the contest. Dump enough nutrients (money) into a pasture I guess anything is possible.

My oats hay this year yielded 9.4% and was rained on after cutting. I was thrilled with that.
 
Calves should grow on decent hay. Thats a rumen for you. Bucket feeding a little supplement with ionophore, and mineral will gain you a lot.

Bale weight varies. Fertilizer price varies. Runoff varies. Assuming 75% nutrient utilization is high unless you unroll and have very deficient soils.
We do unroll the hay and I feed on the worst spots I can find. So I think I'm getting all I can there. I do feed some on good flat hill tops. Seems to do alot of good there too because I assume less runs off feeding on the side of a hill.
 
I don't think I have ever seen Texas Bermuda hay with a protein yield over15%. Last time I went by the local hay contest, the winner's hay yielding 14%. I knew the guys brother and he told me he had a small plot that he kept just for the contest. Dump enough nutrients (money) into a pasture I guess anything is possible.

My oats hay this year yielded 9.4% and was rained on after cutting. I was thrilled with that.
I hadn't seen any over 15 either but I have seen a quite a few samples and the hay that was in the 14's. 400 pounds of fertilizer under a pivot cut every 30 days. The stuff would run through a cow like april grazing will.

That cutting only yielded 3 bales per acre as opposed to 4.5 the first two cuttings did. It had 300 pounds of dry 33-0-0 on it that time and plenty of water. Sprayed for worms at the 10 day mark and when they came back at the 20 day mark we cut it. So I do believe it is a fair bit better than the other hay.
 
It's not hard if you gave good growing weather and you sacrifice yield.

Also, don't talk bales. Tonnage is the equalizer.
 
4.5 bales per cutting hmm 50 lb small squares plow it under. :)
1800 lb large rounds a keeper
It's not hard if you gave good growing weather and you sacrifice yield.

Also, don't talk bales. Tonnage is the equalizer.

In the past our bale weighed 950. This year the custom guy made them about 8 inches bigger. So I would think they are north of 1,000 now. I'll get back to yall when I ever get a few weighed.
 

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