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An Extension agent stopped a farmer who was raking up hay on a very poor field filled with briars and broom sedge. The Extension agent politely shared his u n ive r sit y knowledge of livestock nutritional needs and how this hay would fall far short of that. The farmer politely listened as the Extension agent expounded on the science of plant and animal and when he stopped the farmer said, “It’s better than snowballs,” put the tractor in gear, and carried on with raking.
Actually, snowballs might be better than some of the hay being offered to livestock in our region because this hay demands more energy to digest than the animal actually garners in nutritional benefit. Farmers and Extension agents alike has touted the “fertilizer benefit” of this poor-quality hay mined from another location being spread onto a pasture during the winter even if it’s not eaten. But when we account for equipment cost and time, this “fertilizer” is extremely expensive. The farmer is better off purchasing pelleted feed and/or better quality hay.
I suggest the costs of owning and operating a complete line of hay-making equipment dictates farmers need to both make a sufficient quantity to justify the ownership costs and be intentional with their hayfields to make sure that the baler is picking up and baling the highest quality grass possible. Controlling weeds, ensuring the soil pH is within the correct range, and correctly fertilizing the hay crop all work together to ensure the time, wear, and operating expense of equipment is wisely invested.
For years, many farmers have made hay on vacant, unfenced land in proximity to farms where they keep cattle. The landowner often expects nothing in return and is pleased to have the field harvested in order to qualify for agricultural use value assessment for tax purposes. Of course, this hay is not free, and farmers need to carefully consider if the effort and expense of harvesting these outlying parcels i s j ustified. G iven the increases in input costs, it is probably time for some to absorb the fixed cost of leaving the equipment in the shed and foregoing the harvest of some of these outlying lowquality hay meadows.
Now is the time to revisit plans for hay harvesting and setting priorities for investments in fertility and weed control. Now is the time to plan stocking rates and field management for the last half of 2023 that will allow livestock to graze until Jan. 1, 2024, or later in order to reduce dependence on hay.
For a more information on implementing cost control strategies for your livestock, contact the Rockbridge Extension Office at (540) 463-4734 or via email at [email protected].
