– Dr. Chris Teutsch, UK Research and Education Center at Princeton
Figure 1. As plant maturity increases, yield increases and forage quality (digestibility and crude protein) decreases. The single most important factor impacting forage quality is stage of maturity at harvest.
In many parts of Kentucky first cutting hay was delayed. Although yields were good, forage quality is another story. As the grass plant reaches maturity (gets mature seed) yield goes up, but quality decreases (Figure 1). This year we were on the right side of this figure, good yield but lower quality. We have already got our hay testing results back from the lab for our first cutting and that is exactly what they show (Table 1).
I wish we could have been more timely in our hay harvest this spring but weather conditions were just not conducive to dry hay harvest. In fact, weather records indicate that we are seeing a trend toward fewer baling days in May (baling day = 3 curing days + 1 harvest day). It is just getting tougher to be timely with our first cutting harvested as dry hay. So, the question becomes what do we do? The list of practical solutions is short; in fact, there is really one viable alternative and that is baleage. High quality baleage can be made with a curing window as short as 2 days (one day to mow and wilt and a second day to bale and wrap). This provides more opportunities to harvest at the correct stage of maturity (late boot to early head).
Table 1. Forage quality of 2025 first harvest hay at UK Research and Education Center in Princeton. †CP, crude protein, ADF, acid detergent fiber, NDF, neutral detergent fiber, TDN, total digestible nutrients.
Hay Testing Even More Important in Wet Years
In years like this one, hay testing becomes even more important. Since most of Kentucky’s first cutting hay was put up at an advanced stage of maturity, testing is going to be a critical part of making sure that we meet the nutrient requirements of our cows this winter. The single most important factor impacting rebreeding in cow herds is body condition at calving. To design an effective supplementation program for our lower quality hay we must know what the quality it. If you have never tested your hay, this is the year to start!
EDITOR’s NOTE: Until the end of July OSU Extension is offering a forage testing program with the goal of providing timely education regarding forage quality and winter supplementation. To find more detail and participate follow this link: https://go.osu.edu/testyourhay