By Paul Schattenberg
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Bandera County will hold a Hay Testing Campaign through the entire month of September.
“Testing forages — baled or standing — is the only true way to gain an understanding of their nutritional quality,” said Sam Womble, AgriLife Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources in Bandera County.
Womble said to have hay tested, producers should stop by the AgriLife Extension office at 2886 U.S. Highway 16N to pick up a sample bags and instructions. They should collect and return the samples to the AgriLife Extension office no later than Sept. 30.
A hay and other forage testing campaign by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is taking place Sept. 1-30 in Bandera.
“Hay can be divided into three categories: poor, medium and high quality,” Womble said. “Poor quality hay has less than 7 percent crude protein and less than 50 percent total digestible nutrients or TDNs. Since the nutritive content of this type hay is so low, supplemental needs are high.
“Medium quality hay has higher protein and TDN values, so it needs little or no supplementation. And with high-quality hay, typically the only instance in which a producer might need to supplement would be if there’s an extremely high volume milking cow with a poor body condition.”
He said understanding livestock nutritional demands and hay quality is vital to developing a cost-effective supplementation program.
“We hope producers will take advantage of this opportunity to have their hay tested and use the results as a tool for marketing or purchasing hay,” Womble said.
Individuals may submit either baled or standing forage samples, he said. All grasses will be accepted, including Bermuda grass, bluestems, Klein grass and mixed grasses. Forage sorghums, Sudan grass and legumes, such as clover and alfalfa, will also be accepted.
Samples will be analyzed for protein, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, total digestible nutrients, and an estimate of digestibility. They will be tested at a reduced rate of $2.50 per sample thanks to the support of the agriculture and natural resources committee. A maximum of five samples may be submitted by each producer or ranch.
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