Spring rain affects hay quality

Spring rains may have helped keep things green but the inability to get into fields to fertilize and cut caused the quality of Van Zandt County hay to suffer, County Extension Agent Tommy Phillips told hay producers last week.

Van Zandt County hay growers met Oct. 8 for the 2015 Hay Clinic hosted by the Van Zandt County Livestock/Forage Committee. County hay producers can submit a hay sample to be tested and scored upon its crude protein content (dry matter basis) and acid detergent fiber.

Crude protein is defined as the measure of the total nitrogen content of the forage multiplied by 6.25. ADF is the portion that remains after treatment with an acid detergent. This figure includes the cellulose, lignin and silica in a sample. As the ADF increases, the forage becomes less digestible. ADF increases with advancing maturity of forages.

This year 68 hay samples were submitted. Phillips began the presentation by thanking the members of the County Hay Committee and recognizing Sandy Scheu for her contributions this year.

The judging format was changed this year. Phillips saud “two advantages of the new format are that it removes the subjectivity of the visual observation as it relates to the overall score and it rewards hay samples with higher crude protein contents by not limiting the amount of crude protein used in scoring to the 12 percent of the old judging system.”

Phillips gave the average hay quality for the past five years with this year’s crop being the worst due to the spring rain. Producers were not able to fertilize and cut the hay at the required time to produce high quality hay because fields were to wet. 

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