The Value of Forage Testing
 | Author:
Allison Kosto, MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent
Vic Sample: MT43 News Treasurer |
The Value of Forage Testing
Allison Kosto
MSU Broadwater County Extension Agent
Feeding hay seems easy… toss it over the fence or off the back of the truck. If the animals are hungry, they will eat it, and all is well. Right?! Well… the actual physical process of feeding hay is fairly straightforward but hay itself is more complex. It’s a diverse mix of protein, nutrients, energy and more. Every bale of hay is different. Every animal’s nutritional needs are different, and even personal preferences can vary. How do you know if what you are feeding meets the nutritional needs of your animals? It’s not like each bale is equipped with a nutritional label like food at the grocery store. However, it’s still possible to get nutrient information for all the forage that you feed.
Forage testing is a process that allows you to see the nutritional quality of hay or other forage types. It helps you be able to match your animal’s nutritional needs to the feed. This is extremely valuable for several reasons. First, and most importantly, it helps your animals stay healthy and happy by ensuring they are getting adequate nutrition. Additionally, if you are feeding animals for meat or dairy products, it helps make sure that your animals are growing and productive to reach the end goals.
Finally, it helps you be more strategic in purchasing hay that fits your animal’s needs. The hay market is highly dynamic. A few years ago during the drought, hay prices were extremely high, and people were often left with whatever was available and unable to be selective. This year, hay is plentiful and there are many options. However, due to fluctuating weather in the summer and fall, the quality is highly variable and it’s important to be aware of what you are purchasing. For example, hay that has been rained on several times will be of poorer quality than that which was put up in sunshine. Grass or alfalfa that was at full maturity will have lesser quality than forage that was baled at a lower maturity. There are lots of factors that affect hay quality and years like this one provide you with many options to consider.
The first step in forage testing is proper sampling. The main goal here is to make sure you are getting an accurate representation of the entire lot. For hay, a lot is typically defined as hay taken from a single field from a single cutting. If there is a large variation in the lot, then it might be beneficial to send in more than one sample for testing, but in most cases one sample from the lot is sufficient.
To take samples from baled hay, it is recommended to use a hay probe. A hay probe is ideal instead of using your hands or another tool because it minimizes leaf loss and allows you to reach the interior of the bale. One is available to borrow from the Extension Office or you can purchase one from a farm supply company. Next, you’ll need a bucket, a gallon Ziplock bag and a cordless drill. If a drill isn’t available, a hand crank is sufficient but it’s a lot more work!
Using a hay probe, collect core samples from a minimum of 10 percent of the bales in the lot. Collect two core samples from each bale. Except for small square bales which only require one core sample. For round bales, samples should be collected from the (rounded) sides, not the ends. Square bales, on the other hand, should be sampled from an end. This is important to get a cross-section of the hay within the bale. Place all of the core samples into one Ziplock bag for the lot, and it’s ready to send to the lab.
There are many labs available that conduct forage testing with a variety of testing options. Your local MSU Extension Office can also handle it for you and send it to a lab. Once the results are in, your local Extension Agent or livestock nutritionist can help interpret the results to make sure the forage is meeting the nutritional needs of your livestock. If it is not, you can look at options to improve nutrient availability often through supplementation. It might also be time to look at other hay or forage options.
If you are purchasing hay, ask the producer if they have already tested their hay. There is a good chance they have and will share the results with you. There are many factors that affect forage quality so don’t be afraid to reach out for help. If you have any questions about forage testing or livestock nutrition, stop by your local MSU Extension Office at 416 Broadway or contact us at 406-266-9242 or allison.kosto@montana.edu.
