Cow-Calf Corner: Questions To Ask BEFORE Buying Hay

Dec 28, 2022

By Mark Z. Johnson

Winter is coming and hay inventories are low. Given the current situation it can come as a relief to just find hay to purchase. In 2022 many of us in Oklahoma find ourselves making hay purchases from out of state that are not the typical harvested forages we use in Oklahoma. Regardless of the hay source you are considering, ask the following questions and consider the following before making purchases:

Ask for a FEED ANALYSIS REPORT of the hay before you agree to buy and consider the moisture, protein, energy and relative feed value of what you are purchasing. Also consider the nitrate levels if you are purchasing sorghum hay.
Purchase by the ton, not by the bale. In a drought year like 2022, there will be hay on the market from roadsides and abandoned fields. Some bales of low density depending on baler settings. In order to get what you are paying for base purchases on tonnage. All hay bales are not of equal weight or quality.
Ask how the hay has been stored. In a barn = less spoilage, stacked in rows on pallets is better than stacked on the ground.
Ask what type of wrap is on bales. Net wrap results in less spoilage than twine wrap.

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Video: Intrauterine Vaccines in Swine - Dr. Heather Wilson

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Heather Wilson from VIDO at the University of Saskatchewan explains how intrauterine vaccination is being developed as a new option for swine health. She shares how formulation, adjuvants, and delivery methods influence immune responses and what early trials reveal about safety and reproductive performance. Listen now on all major platforms.

"The idea was that an intrauterine vaccine might avoid a tolerance response and instead create an active immune response."

Meet the guest: Dr. Heather Wilson / heather-wilson-a8043641 is a Senior Scientist and Program Manager at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan. Her work centers on vaccine formulation and delivery in pigs, including the development of intrauterine vaccination to support reproductive health and passive protection of piglets. Her background spans biochemistry, immunology, and functional pathogenomics.