Forage Analysis
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A better way than crude fiber

Distinguishing between neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber can better predict how forages change nutritionally as they grow and mature.

January 25, 2023

Woody Lane

It’s a world full of confusing, shifting, mislabeled and misunderstood compounds and structures.

5 factors to evaluate horse hay

There is opportunity for horse owners to use hay analysis as a tool to improve their horses' nutrition.

January 16, 2023

Rebecca Kern-Lunbery

Hay is the bulk of horse diets. Therefore, it is critical to utilize and understand an analysis. Interpreting your report will help determine which supplemental feeds to incorporate into your horse’s diet.

Forage testing for the future

July 14, 2022

Joy Hendrix

The case in favor of how valuable a forage test can be is solid and largely undisputed, but how often do those tests need to be performed to be most efficient?

It’s not too early to evaluate hay and forage levels

May 30, 2022

Robin Cox

Hay season will soon be upon us; how will your forage perform? This question is on the mind of growers who raise, feed and sell this precious commodity.

The dictionary behind forage analysis

By understanding your forage tests and the lingo they use, you can make more educated decisions on how you want to utilize the feed in your operation.

April 30, 2022

Louisa Koch

With spring just around the corner, you may be starting to think about your forage plans for your operation. Whether you are ready to put your cows out on pasture or begin a new harvest of haylage, it’s important to know what you are feeding your animals.

Why is my RFV so different from my RFQ?

March 31, 2022

Rebecca Kern-Lunbery

As a consultant at a commercial testing laboratory, this is one of the most common questions I receive from producers looking at their forage report.

Forage quality and quantity in 2022

January 31, 2022

Michael F. Hutjens

Profit margins could be a challenge in 2022 as feed prices remain high, with premium-quality alfalfa hay over $240 a ton, shelled corn approaching $6 a bushel and soybean meal over $370 a ton. One solution is if you have adequate forage amounts and quality.

Leaf percentage and why it matters

November 30, 2021

Dan Undersander

Many farmers have harvested alfalfa and then found it did not have the expected relative forage quality (RFQ). A new forage analysis, leaf percentage, may help determine the cause of the problem.

LEAF: The new tool of forage evaluation

November 1, 2021

Joy Hendrix

The standard for alfalfa is evolving, and so is the way we evaluate it. At the 2021 World Dairy Expo, David Weakley, director of forage nutrition research for Forage Genetics International, unveiled the new Leaves Enhance Alfalfa Forage (LEAF) test now available to growers.

Evaluating handheld NIR equipment

November 1, 2021

Debbie J. Cherney, Jerry H. Cherney, and Matthew Digman

Nutrient composition of fed rations differs from formulated rations due to day-to-day variation in dry matter (DM) content and nutrient composition of forages, as well as mixing wagon variation and sorting.