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whereas for cows with calves at side, early cut, immature plants that are higher in protein are ideal. Relative maturity can be easily determined. If it’s , look for buds or flowers. If it’s grass hay, look for boot stage or seed heads to indicate more maturity. “One problem with mixed hay is that one species is generally ahead of the other in maturity, so the timing of cutting must be a compromise,” Shewmaker says. Kevin Sedivec, North Dakota State University professor of range science, says strategy will be different for grass hay than for a stand of straight alfalfa or a mixed stand of grass and alfalfa. “Here in the Northern Plains, a Making Hay lot of producers don’t cut their grass hay until after July 4. I am sure it’s tradition because they’ve done it Timing and type are everything when it comes to this way for many decades. producing quality hay. “Hay readiness and weather generally make it better to cut it earlier than that, or at least have by Heather Smith Thomas some flexibility in when you cut it. Weather is probably a reason people wait until early July, because on the ach year cattlemen rely on a good hay crop to a poor one — northern plains it is usually warmer hay to get them through with less nutrient quality and more by then, and a little more breeze, the winter months or dry dust or mold. E and lower risk for rain on the cut seasons. Harvesting a successful Glenn Shewmaker, University hay,” Sedivec says. crop in the summertime ensures of Idaho specialist, says supply when needed. Timing of the stage of harvest is important, Grass hay harvest makes all the difference especially in terms of plans for The best time to cut hay, however, in hay quality. Poor harvesting selling or feeding hay. For dry particularly grass hay on the conditions and methods can reduce cows, mature hay may be used, Northern Plains, is just after

68 / May/June 2016 Hereford.org Summer Management

boot stage, right before heading, NDF (neutral detergent fiber) and Sedivec says. relative forage quality, as opposed “This is when you can optimize to older tests for relative feed value both quantity and quality. We did are better measures, and more studies on cutting grasses for hay, accurately compare grass and mixed looking at timing. We cut a different hay with alfalfa.” piece of the field every two weeks. The time of day grass hay is When you get to the heading stage cut can also make a difference in (just after the boot stage) versus the quality, especially in terms of sugar seed-set stage, you have about 90 content. Research in Kansas and to 95% of the potential growth of Nebraska showed that if grass is cut that plant. The quality is still fairly in the evening, the sugar content high. The protein level at that stage will be higher than if it’s cut in the is about 9 to 10% depending on the morning. Shewmaker explains that type of grass, and this is about the the plants accumulate sugars and quality you’d need for a lactating starches during the day through beef cow,” Sedivec explains. photosynthesis and then use up these This stage of growth occurs nutrients at night as they grow. earlier in southern regions and later Time of day may also be a factor in northern regions, which have a in terms of humidity. “If you are shorter growing season. cutting it in the morning, it will be “If you wait until July 4, you’ll wetter if there is dew on it, and it be in the seed set stage,” Sedivec might be too wet to cut. The third Shewmaker says there are says. “You might gain 5% more to fourth week in June, however, hay prediction sticks but most production total mass and quantity it will be a little drier, with less cattlemen and hay producers look but the quality drops from the 9 or humidity, and you can usually get at relative maturity. 10% protein level down to about 6 it cut and put up in pretty good “The rule of thumb when cutting or 7%, which now puts it at a quality shape,” says Sedivec. alfalfa for beef is to cut it that’s only good for a dry cow. So when it’s about 10% bloomed,” I always tell producers that if they Alfalfa hay Sedivec says. “I’m not a big fan of can cut their grass hay before July 1, “The biggest thing with alfalfa is that rule, because by the time you they’ll have a much better quality and what you plan for it in terms of see blooms you don’t have much won’t give up very much production.” feeding — such as dairy cattle, time to be in that window. If you Sedivec adds that if versus ,” Sedivec says. If see a field 10% bloomed, it can be have adequate moisture, grasses will producers want dairy quality alfalfa, at 20% by the very next day. Once regrow faster if cut at that stage. they need to cut it in the bud stage it starts blooming it goes fast. When Once the plant starts to produce a and well ahead of any blooms. I see one bloom, it’s time to cut seed, it puts all its energy into seed Biomass is given up for that first that field. You do give up a little production and not much energy cutting when alfalfa is cut early, but quality, for beef cattle, once it starts toward grass/leaf production. if it’s cut in the bud stage, there is to bloom, but the relative feed value “By contrast, if you cut it before almost always a gain of an extra will still be in the upper 140 to 150 the heading stage, it will still try to cutting later in the season. continued on page 70... regrow leaf tissue, because it still wants to grow and produce seed. The best time to cut grass is the boot stage, for quality, but you give up about 30% of your growth,” Sedivec says. This benefit is why producers should compromise a little bit of quality to get more tonnage, waiting until just before it heads. “Our use of the detergent fiber test has often led us to discount grass hay too much,” says Shewmaker. “There are higher fiber levels in grass hay, but it is a more digestible fiber. Some of the newer tests, like the digestible

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range, versus 175 to 190 if it’s still in hay for a long time have an intuitive just a ‘toughness’ in the evening the bud stage,” he says. sense for the moisture levels in the so leaves will hang on better. It Sedivec explains that waiting hay just by feeling the stems. still won’t be as good as it would to cut until alfalfa just starts to “We recommend using a be with small bales, where you can bloom causes only a 10% loss in moisture meter, and most of these get up around 15 to 18% moisture the potential biomass. “I don’t are designed for bales. They don’t without it spoiling. It’s challenging, recommend waiting any longer work as well in a windrow. One with 13% average moisture for because once it starts to bloom it of my colleagues, Ron Thaemert, alfalfa with large bales and a gets a lot more stem and there is developed a tool made from PVC smaller window to target.” also more leaf shatter when baling pipe, which compresses a forage Producers might start out with it. When it is this mature, any class sample from a windrow. You can the hay too wet and end up with it of will do more sorting use this probe to measure moisture too dry before they finish baling. when you feed it; they’ll try to eat before you even pull the just the leaves and sort out the into the field. You can also go Grass/alfalfa mix stems,” Sedivec says. Leaves will be by feel, scratching the cuticle on Sedivec recommends cutting mixed lost if they shatter or if the wind is the stems, or various twisting and hay based on the maturity stage of blowing while hay is being fed, or snap tests to check stem dryness. the alfalfa, not the grass. “When they will fall off the stems and be We advise using both new and old you start to see alfalfa bloom, it trampled into the mud. technology,” says Shewmaker. should be cut, even though the “When the hay is at that stage “When everyone was doing loose grass won’t be quite ready. The of maturity you have to watch the hay or small bales, moisture content alfalfa usually matures more timing of baling, to make sure it’s was easier to target. You could have quickly, starting to bloom before not too dry or leaves will fall off,” moisture as high as 16 to 18% and the grass is in the boot stage. So you Sedivec says. “You need enough ensure good leaf attachment with give up some biomass on the grass. humidity to keep the leaves on, but alfalfa hay.” Moisture could be If you wait until you see that first not so much moisture that the hay higher in small bales, due to more bloom in the alfalfa you are giving will mold.” handling and low volume of hay up about 20% of the potential Cattlemen may have to bale in compared with the large bales. biomass for the grass, but still the late evening just as the dew “There’s a bigger window for have a nice high quality feed that comes on and quit when the dew harvest with small bales, allowing works well for almost any class of gets heavy. you to still put it up dry. With the livestock,” Sedivec says. “Good hay producers have a feel lower capacity, however, you had to There are certain grasses that for this when baling. They can tell, spend more time baling to do the do better with alfalfa than others just by the equipment, if the hay same acreage,” he says. because they match the alfalfa starts to get a little ‘tough’ which The large bales are denser and, growth cycle better and this means it has too much moisture,” therefore, a lower moisture level similarity in growth pattern makes Sedivec says. is crucial. “To meet the target it easier to cut at the best time for Shewmaker says some hay moisture of 13% and no more both the grass and the alfalfa. producers use moisture meters to than 15% without preservative, is “There are also some grasses check the hay and to help them a fine line. Most people try to get that regrow better, so you can get determine when to bale a field, the hay dried down to about 12% a second crop—either for hay or though some who’ve been putting up and then get a slight dew or even — so you still have a mix of grass and alfalfa versus all alfalfa in the regrowth,” Sedivec explains. Grasses that regrow best that match alfalfa include brome and orchard grass. “One thing I like about meadow brome is that it is a bunchgrass and not a sod-forming grass, so it doesn’t choke out the alfalfa. The alfalfa will last a lot longer. I have seen some meadow brome/alfalfa stands that are 30 years old and look the same today as when they were planted in the 1980’s,” he says. This meadow brome/alfalfa combination eliminates the cost of reseeding. HW

70 / May/June 2016 Hereford.org New forage index for ranking hay quality Hay is often tested for nutrient levels. into account other nutrients in the hay, as crude protein and readily available Tools used for hay analyses include such as crude protein. It also does not take carbohydrates.” analytical tests for crude protein levels into account the digestibility of the fiber. Muller says the DOMI evaluates (CP) and fiber components, stated as ADF “One of the problems here in the protein, which RFV does not do, and (acid detergent fiber) and NDF (neutral West is that there is often a lot of soil discounts for high ash levels, which RFV detergent fiber). contamination in hay, which will elevate doesn’t do very well, and takes into Some tests use an index system such the ash content and can skew the RFV account fiber digestibility, which RFV as RFQ (relative feed quality), which is value downward. A large portion of the doesn’t do. a good equation but costly; it requires ash will show up as fiber, in this test,” “Those are the main big differences additional nutrient analysis. Relative feed she explains. that make DOMI a more valuable tool,” value (RFV) is the most common index Hay can be contaminated when wind she says. “CVAS has been reporting the used when people compare different blows dust over a field and it settles onto DOMI is as pounds of organic matter per batches of hay. the growing crop. Traffic along a nearby ton of feed. If you have a value of 1,300 According to Fred Muller, DVM and gravel road on a windy day can spread lb. of digestible organic matter in a ton of owner at Ag Health Laboratories in clouds of dust over large areas of a field. hay, that would be better than hay with Sunnyside, Wa., and Lynn Van Wieringen, “Dirt can also get into the hay 1,100 lb. value. This index makes it simple nutritionist and lab manager, when harvested,” Muller says. “Some and easy to understand.” there is a newer index that works better. of the newer rakes pick up more dirt To get a DOMI, the hay is sampled the Their lab has been doing feed analyses as windrows are raked together. Rain same, but it is important to provide a core for many years and began using the can splatter dirt onto the plants.” Those sample of multiple bales from a stack. digestible organic matter index (DOMI), would test higher in ash. Producers can order a hay probe, or a formula created by Cumberland Valley “These are some of the limitations of borrow one from a local Extension office. Analytical Services (CVAS), a feed analytic the RFV index,” Van Wieringen says. “There “We’re now using smaller diameter hay lab in Maryland. was a need for a different ranking system. cores. This allows us to sample more bales, The typical ranking system for many It’s nice to have an index value because it because we need a random sampling years is RFV. “This index was created by is just one number — rather than having from the stack and not just one or two nutritionists, to have one number that to compare multiple numbers. If you are bales,” he says. would show the quality of a hay sample,” looking at different alfalfa hay samples “We want a one-quart baggie of Muller explains. you may look at some of the nutrient sample, and there should be at least eight “If you are comparing different fields, analyses but it is nice to have one number to 10 bales represented, and 15 or more is or buying or selling hay, you could use it to help with the ranking.” even better. It depends on the size of your to see differences in quality, which can Ag Health Laboratories is an affiliate of hay probe, however, regarding how many help determine the value of that hay. RFV CVAS, which developed the DOMI. “We’ve will fit in the sample bag.” has been a standard in the industry for had a lot of interest in this index because A random sampling is ideal to get more than 20 years, but there have been it removes ash from the calculation and a true picture of the hay quality. For problems and limitations with it,” he says. removes the indigestible fiber,” Van instance, in a field of grass/alfalfa, some Van Wieringen says one of the Wieringen says. “It evaluates quality bales will be predominantly alfalfa and limitations is that RFV merely looks at two more than RFV does because it looks at some may be mostly grass. HW fiber values — ADF and NDF — to come digestible organic matter in the sample, up with one number and does not take which will contain all other nutrients such

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