By Katie Martin – Smith County Extension Agent
We’ve all heard the saying, “Make hay while the sun shines,” but after we have worked hours to cut, tedder, rake, and bale our hay, then what? As hay season approaches this year, we want beef and forage producers to understand how to make the most of their hay. High-quality hay requires being harvested at the correct maturity stage and correct moisture levels and being stored correctly. However, did you know you can’t tell the nutritional quality of hay simply by just looking at it? That requires a forage sample. Forage testing can help better match the forage to the animal’s nutritional requirements. Even after receiving forage sample results, you must know how to interpret and utilize them. Understanding terminology and concepts like Total Digestible Nutrients, Crude Protein, and Relative Feed Value is key. To better understand and utilize your hay, we are excited to host one of our quarterly beef & forage meetings on the topic.
You’re invited to join us on Tuesday, April 23rd at 6:00 p.m. at the Smith County Ag Center for a Beef & Forage Meeting. We will have Rebekah Norman, Rutherford County Ag Agent with us to talk about unlocking your hay’s potential! This event is free and a meal will be provided, so please RSVP by April 17th so we can have an accurate head count.
Anyone interested in learning more about beef and forages can contact the UT Extension office at 615-735-2900 for more information or to register.
