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Cow-Calf Corner: Questions To Ask BEFORE Buying Hay

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Ask how the hay has been stored.  In a barn = less spoilage, stacked in rows on pallets is better than stacked on the ground.
  4. Ask what type of wrap is on bales.  Net wrap results in less spoilage than twine wrap.
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Trending Video

Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.