By Trey Gafnea
There is no secret that we are currently experiencing at least the worst drought since 2007. With this lots of things are being baled and passed off as hay which normally shouldn’t be, both locally and afar.
My word of caution is to ask your hay broker/producer about the hay:
What kind of grass is it? All kinds of grass and legumes can be bailed
How long did it grow between cuttings? The maturity of the grass, or from cutting date to cutting date, greatly affects a hay’s quality.
Was it sprayed with an herbicide and/or pesticide, what was it, and when? Certain herbicides/pesticides can have restrictions on when the hay can be harvested and what it can be fed to.
Was it fertilized, with what (N-P-K?), and when? The amount of N put out and the lack of precipitation can affect whether the hay has accumulated nitrates.
*Has a lab analysis been performed on the lot of hay, including nitrates? The quality of hay (CP, TDN, ADF, NDF, RFQ, DM, nitrates, etc.) can only be truly determined through an analysis, visual indicators can not tell the entire story that a lab analysis can. If you can receive this before purchase of the hay is best. I would even offer to pay for the analysis (~$20 + shipping) to help you know what you are getting before investing in the unknown. Performing a second analysis on hay is never a bad idea either.
If you are still in search of quality hay, please contact us. Every few days, I have a new hay contact come across my desk from either south Georgia or Florida.
Source:uga.edu