Questions about hay supply

By: 
Staff Writer

After the wet spring, growers in Ohio are facing issues of quantity and quality with the supply of hay.
“Some of the hay’s quality is so low, the animal could actually starve with their hay right in front of them,” said Ted Wiseman, Ohio State University Extension educator.
He said the high level of rainfall last spring left many farmers unable to get into their fields to harvest hay before it became too mature. The longer the hay matured in the field, the lower its nutritional value got, Wiseman says.
There are other nutritional alternatives to replace hay in a herd’s diet. A farmer could use corn as a protein source, for example, if protein is what the hay is lacking. Wiseman advises farmers and ranchers to get their hay nutritionally tested as a first step toward making sure their herds are getting the nutrition they need.
After testing the hay, a nutritionist can tell farmers what nutrients their herd could be lacking, and can help set up a strategic feeding plan. This plan could include supplementing with other feeds to provide the vitamins or nutrients your hay doesn’t have enough of.
“There are plenty of other alternative feeds that we can give that provide nutrients,” Wiseman said. “The most important part is knowing what you have in your hay now and knowing what you need to make up that nutritional difference.”
In addition to excess rainfall, farmers should watch out for cooler temperatures—particularly frosts that are occurring now.
Frosts can poison certain grasses that livestock feed on, said Mark Sulc, an OSU Extension forage specialist.
“Herds should be removed from pastures of sorghum grass species after a killing frost and even after a non-killing frost. Toxic levels of prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide) can be produced in those plants after a frost, which can lead to death of animals,” Sulc said.
He advises leaving livestock off of the pasture for at least five days after a killing frost, and for two weeks after a non-killing frost.
For more information visit forages.osu.edu.

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