Over mature hay

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kentuckyguy

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I have a couple fields I have still not cut this year due to lack of dry weather. The hay is starting to turn brown up by the seed heads.

Will this hay still have some feed value? Most likely I won't have much choice but to feed it due to it being the 2 biggest fields I have.
 
kentuckyguy":dvjgad0t said:
I have a couple fields I have still not cut this year due to lack of dry weather. The hay is starting to turn brown up by the seed heads.

Will this hay still have some feed value? Most likely I won't have much choice but to feed it due to it being the 2 biggest fields I have.

I can't answer on specifics of feed value but will tell you this my nay seasons are normally wet and result in over mature hay even my oats now are over mature but im feeding them it beats a snow ball. I also feed other stuff so it evens out for me.
 
It will always have some feed value, but how much will be determined by how far past prime it is. Just might have to supplement it a little more.
 
The protein value reaches a peak and then declines as the hay becomes over mature. Just catch the next window of opportunity.

It is pouring here right now. I got my hay harvested last week. Production is low this year.
 
TexasBred":2gkvdrah said:
It will always have some feed value, but how much will be determined by how far past prime it is. Just might have to supplement it a little more.

X2...you gotta have it , you gotta have it.
Just be prepared to supplement. Especially if you fall calf.
 
We had alot of overmature hay last year from first cutting due to no windows to get it made from all the early summer rain. We try to feed it to the dry cows and the ones with the spring calves that have some size to them, before we wean and sell them, and usually put out some protein tubs or feed some 17% stocker pellets to them to help add value to it. If we feed it to the younger animals or the fall calving cows, they definitely get some protein supplementation.
As Sky says, it beats snowballs, and they will eat it if it is not moldy or put up poorly. It is raining here again, after being very dry early in march and april when we needed the rain. Still, we are not going to complain about the rain now. Just trying to patiently wait for some hay making weather again. You do what you can.
Supplementing is still alot better than having drought conditions and having to buy hay that may not be all that great but they gotta have the fiber and bulk. All we have been able to get made is the 22 acres of wheat and it is real nice. Soft dough stage, lots of grain, and it was a nurse crop for the orchard grass on 10 acres and that is coming up pretty nice with all the rain. Gonna make another 10 acres of pretty poor "hay-weeds" right next to the half that didn't have orchard grass, then kill it and put grain sorghum on the 20+ acres for chopping this fall. The rest of the hay will all be over mature for first cutting, but they will eat it and we hope to get a better 2nd cutting.
 
If this is fescue in Ky, your still good. Hampering your second cutting each that passes, but still ok.
 
It's shocking how many people around here feed first cutting hay put up in Sept. It looks terrible, full of ironweed, goldenrod, and brown grass. Usually, their cattle look better than I think they should.
 
I'm hoping to get into the fields here in a couple weeks. I had wheat planted last fall that is basically useless now.
This year I picked up 2 extra hay fields so I should have plenty of hay. Just hoping after this first cut is off I will be able to cut when quality is good.
 
We can only do what we can do, you can't argue with mother nature. I refuse to cut hay in may anymore , it has never worked out for me. I'd rather it be a little overmature, than get wet for 2 weeks .
 

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