We haven’t paid much attention to ash until recently when we have begun using the summative equation to estimate energy of forage.

As dairy businesses become larger, more specialized and management-intensive, producers are focusing more on production from forages, requiring larger quantities of high-quality forages.

Hay crops in many ways are a unique crop to market. The demand for hay in the winter is very closely tied to the past summer’s production and supporting weather. This alone does not make it much different than most grain crops and their markets. But it is here that the similarities end.

You prepare the land; purchase the seed and fertilizer; plant the crop; manage the pests; nurture that crop throughout the season; harvest when the crop matures or when the weather allows.

Haymaking conditions this spring were very poor in some areas. Much hay has been rained on or left lying in the field for prolonged time periods due to cool and humid conditions, which reduced drying rates.

Forage management strategies are as varied as the farmers who grow the forages. “Despite differing management plans, there are a few key concepts to remember with the advent of fall,” says a University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist.

This year’s unusually wet spring and early summer has led many farmers in some areas to store hay that’s wetter than normal, increasing the danger of barn fires.

Dairy farmers now have an option to purchase consistently high-quality hay that provides 23.3 percent crude protein and virtually no waste because of the way it’s processed.

When large round hay balers first became popular in the 1970s, one of their strong selling points was the fact that you could store the bales in the field without covering them.