Page 33 - MWC 2-2-2023s

PURCHASED HAY The Midwest Cattleman · February 2, 2023 · P33
continued from page 31

if a problem does develop, as some species are patchy in residues are no longer ac- out to take advantage of the
you can keep it isolated and, growth and may not show up cessible? Do we have enough situation. If a deal seems
hopefully, controllable. uniformly across a field. hay on hand if we start feed- too good to be true, it often
3) Is The Hay Toxic? Finally, hay that was put ing early? What about if we is. Hay posted for sale is
Outside of prussic acid, up in a rush may not have have a cold dry spring and a not always guaranteed and
been dried and cured prop- late green up?
scams are unfortunately all
most toxic compounds be- erly. Wet hay often leads to Scenarios don’t have to di- too common. Purchase hay
come locked in when forage
is harvested for hay. Drought mold growth. Besides lower- rectly address forage quan- through a verified or trusted
ing the quality of feed, mold tity either. Does the hay source and paying only after
stress can lead to high levels
of nitrates. Small grains and can cause respiratory issues on hand have high enough viewing the hay personally
with cattle breathing in the quality to cover animal de- can help prevent a bad trans-
annual forage grasses along
with some weedy species “dust” created by spores and mands through calving and action.
Feeding animals through
in some cases mycotoxin de- into peak lactation? What if
like pigweed are of especial-
ly high concern. If you have velopment. While not every an extended cold snap occurs the winter is not going to be
mycotoxin is the same, con- and animal energy demands cheap or easy this year. If
concerns, a forage nitrate
test can quickly tell if you sumption can lead to lowered increase dramatically? Do you do need to purchase hay
gain and in extreme cases we need to investigate some to fill a forage gap, there are
have a problem or not. aborted calves and death.
Weedy hay may contain supplemental feed options? some risks that need to be
plants that are toxic to live- 4) Plan Ahead We can’t prepare for every considered. Get a hay test,
stock. Because hay is a dried Most producers have a “what-if” that may come our watch out for invasive hitch-
way, but even by taking some hikers, mitigate the risk of
form of the plant and often good handle on how much hay
limit fed or ground up, ani- they need to make it through time to think through pos- toxins, take your planning
mals can end up consuming the winter months and have sible situations we can be above and beyond and be
more of these plants than hopefully secured what is better prepared to act when careful if a deal seems too
normal as their ability to be needed already. Maybe this needed. good to be true. By being pre-
selective is decreased. Keep planning already takes into No more hay is going to pared, purchased hay doesn’t
an eye out for anything un- consideration a worst-case be produced this growing have to come with an addi-
usual in the bale and try to winter scenario, but if not, season, so what is available tional cost.
identify unknown plants if it’s worth considering. What is all we have to work with.
With high demand and pric-
possible. This may need to be if the snow starts to fly and
done on a bale-by-bale basis, stockpiled pasture or crop es, there are always people

WINTER IS TIME ed in February or later.
continued from page 30 Sunn hemp is a vigorous
grower that tolerates drought
Nitrates remain in cured hay, and low-fertility soils ex-
while prussic acid does not. tremely well and increases
Tests at MU’s Southwest carrying capacity, Naumann
Research Center in Mount says. It offers 20%-25% crude
Vernon from 1996 to 1998 protein and is 90% digest-
showed advantages of other ible. It increased cattle gain
native warm-season grass- per acre by 17%, according to
es, Naumann says. Bermuda Naumann’s research.
grass varieties Ozark, Mid- Naumann’s six-year re-
land 99 and Tifton 44 tolerat- search at the MU Forage Sys-
ed drought well and produced tems Research Center at Lin-
exceptional tonnage. Annuals neus shows that sunn hemp
such as Sudan grass, pearl provides a boost during sum-
millet and crabgrass also per- mer slump. It grows as much
form well and provide a long as an inch per day to heights
grazing period. of 9 feet.
Naumann noted that crab- Even if drought does not
grass, commonly consid- occur this year, producers
ered a weed, works well as will still enjoy the benefits of
a warm-season annual and warm-season annuals such
allows grazing as early as 40 as high nutritive value, a lon-
days post-emergence. It offers ger grazing period and cost
1.6 pounds average daily gain savings, Naumann says.
(ADG) compared to tall fes- Naumann recommends
cue’s 0.9 pounds ADG. converting 30% or less of pas-
Annual lespedeza, a le- tures to perennial warm-sea-
gume, tolerates poor soils and son grasses. The process puts
low-phosphorus soils and fixes that portion of pastureland
nitrogen. It mixes well with out of production for one sea-
cool-season grasses but re- son, but there are many ad-
quires careful management to vantages, he says.
encourage persistence. Annu-
al lespedeza can be frost seed-