Baleage

Most of us are aware that forage losses can accumulate in a hurry, particularly for hay. Adding up potential losses incurred during harvest, storage, and feeding, as much as 60% of forage dry matter can be lost between the field and the cow’s mouth. Title: Proper Storage Saves Forage; Author: Amanda Grev, Ph.D., Extension Specialist, Pasture & Forages.

When it comes to production of harvested forages like hay or baleage, stand decline is a common issue many producers face. Unfortunately, like most things there is no simple answer to eliminate issues with stand decline. Poor soil fertility, disease, temperature, moisture, and weed pressure are all things that can play a role in the longevity of a stand. While some of these things may be out of our control, one thing that producers do have full control over is cutting height. If you want to harvest higher quality forages, have better regrowth, and improve stand longevity, pay attention to your cutting height. Title: How Low Can You Go? The Cutting Height Debate; Author: Amanda Grev, Ph.D.

It’s the time of year when our alfalfa fields are just waking from winter slumber, or at least we hope they are. We are hopeful that a combination of favorable moisture and thoughtful management will have fields greening up with a strong stand. Unwelcome are brownfields or something close to it. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen often. Yet, when it does, the decision of what’s to follow is painful but an easy one to make — time to put this field out of its misery and plant something else.

Cattle Tales Livestock is a quarterly newsletter published by the University of Maryland Extension that focuses on bringing timely, relevant information to Maryland's livestock producers. Topics in this issue (May 2021, Edition 1) are: Body Condition Score is a Critical Management, Tool for Cow-Calf Producers, Determining your Pasture Stocking Rate, Getting your Herd Ready for the Breeding Season, Considerations for Improving Hay Quality, Culling considerations for beef cow-calf herd, Controlling Flies and Ticks in Your Livestock, Implanting Pre-weaned Calves, and When should I deworm my sheep/goats?

With a new growing season comes new opportunities, one of which is the opportunity to do a better job with making hay. With spring being a busy time of year, hay-making is often one of the lower priorities on the long list of things to do, but this means that all too often much of the hay that is made is moderate to lower in quality. In many cases, making better quality hay can significantly reduce the need for supplemental feed purchases and help keep adequate condition on animals. Below are some practical considerations for improving the quality of your hay this year.