Amber Friedrichsen, Managing Editor, Hay and Forage Grower
(Previously published in Hay & Forage Grower: December 16, 2025)
(Image Source: Oklahoma State University Extension)
Now that farmers have shifted from harvesting forage and grazing pastures to selling and feeding hay, forage analysis should be critical to marketing and purchasing decisions. But not all sellers and buyers test their hay products, even though knowing forage quality is essential to both parties.
On one hand, sellers can use this information to set their price and inform buyers, as well as to track production performance and identify areas for improvement. On the other hand, livestock producers must know forage quality to build winter feeding programs that meet their animals’ nutrient needs.
But to ensure those forage analysis results are useful, farmers must know how to take a proper hay sample. Luckily, the National Forage Testing Association (NFTA) provides a research-proven, standardized protocol to do so. Continue reading Don’t Fail Your Hay Test
health and productivity of sheep and goats in perennial pasture grazing systems are often limited by a combination of forage quality and gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection. This is particularly evident in lactating dams and their offspring, as these animals are at greater risk for GIN infection due to their lower immunity relative to non-lactating adults. Alternating the grazing episodes/bouts of these susceptible animals with either machine harvesting of the forage or by grazing with less susceptible animals or species (cattle, for example) are strategies to maintain forage quality while reducing infection risk. Another effective method is to integrate the use of annual forages into a grazing program. Annuals can provide grazing opportunities with zero to low risk for GIN infection while simultaneously providing a plane of nutrition even higher than perennial pastures, meeting the nutritional requirements of lactating dams and their offspring. 
pastures are grazed down tighter than they should be and earlier than they should have been in the fall. This weakens forage plants, slows growth in spring, and opens the stand for opportunistic weeds. It’s usually done with good intentions: “I don’t want to feed any hay until I have to.” Or “I want to use every bit of grass before feeding hay.” Or even, “I’m just trying to maximize my grazing days.” Those are understandable goals, but they can cost much more in the long run than a few extra days of hay feeding.
summer has come and gone and it feels that winter is on our doorstep, livestock producers throughout the state and region are still feeling the impacts of another dry summer grazing season. In some cases, fall and winter lambing systems are now seeing the result of long term fescue grazing during the critical phases of gestation. I realize that we are behind the curve on this topic, but wanted to share this important piece from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness to help us better understand how challenges associated with grazing tall fescue could be mitigated in 2026.
years of drought stress followed by erratic rainfall patterns in 2025, Ohio forage producers are facing a challenging landscape. Pastures across the region show signs of wear—uneven growth, bare patches, and thin stands—while newly seeded alfalfa fields have struggled to establish due to poor planting conditions and unpredictable moisture. As winter approaches, now is the time to take action to protect soil, improve forage stands, and plan for a more successful spring.
an important time of year for managing perennial weeds in forage crops, especially pastures. Some weed issues were exacerbated in 2025 due to last year’s drought, and we’ve seen many pastures and hayfields with high levels of hemp dogbane, milkweed, Canada thistle, and others. Perennial species can be particularly hard to control since their root systems and other underground structures allow them to regrow quickly after their above ground structures are killed. Fall is an important window for perennial species control, since actions taken now can reduce the amount of energy they store underground for next year.
going to take some planning before you go out and seed a field.
first-cutting forages during a wet spring is always a challenge, but timing remains critical for maintaining forage quality. Studies have shown that the ideal harvest window is narrow grasses should be cut at the boot stage, while legumes are best harvested at late bud to early bloom. In mixed stands, the timing should be based on the grass component, as grasses like orchardgrass mature more quickly than legumes. Missing this window by even 10 days can result in significant losses in both total digestible nutrients (TDN) and crude protein (CP). For example, an alfalfa-grass mix harvested at the right stage can contain 65% TDN and 18% protein, while the same stand cut at half bloom or later may drop to just 48–50% TDN and 12% protein or less.