Seven hay myths dispelled

Kristy Hemmingsen | Country World East Texas

June 21, 2001 -- "The use of hay-only winter feeding programs is expensive and contributes significantly to the overall cost of the cow ownership," stated Dr. Larry Redmon, Extension forage specialist. "Producers should examine the use of alternative winter feeding strategies that reduce the dependence on hay and reduce input costs for the cow-calf production system."

Redmon was the key speaker at a recent hay program in Franklin County. The specialist's main objective was to present to those in attendance on what he believes to be the top seven myths of hay production.

"I am anti-hay and anti-hay equipment," stated Redmon. "And, in my opinion, there are many myths about hay production.

"It's traditional, but the process of baling hay all summer and then feeding it all winter may be the worst cost-effective way to feed a cow."

The first hay myth Redmon presented states, "I must have a hay meadow."

He said many, if not most, cow-calf operations in East Texas are overstocked and the elimination of the hay meadow would help to take some pressure off of the existing forage base.

"Most producers have hay meadows that are way too big," he said. "If they would at least reduce their hay meadow down to no more than 20 to 40 acres, they could afford to double-fertilize and produce less, yet better quality, hay."

The second hay myth? "Hay doesn't cost much to put up."

Redmon said unless a cattleman owns well over 100 head of cattle, they cannot justify the cost involved in owning their own hay equipment and would probably be better off purchasing hay from another individual or should arrange for custom hay producers to harvest the surplus.

As for the third hay myth, "Hay is the only winter feeding program for cows," Redmon said, actually can be the most expensive way.

"If we let animals do the harvesting, it would be a lot more economical versus stockpiled grass," he explained. "Grazed ryegrass, for example, could save as much as $60 per cow. And Bahia grass, like Ryegrass, can provide a good standing without having to put out herbicide in the spring."

Other alternatives to hay, said Redmon, includes: grazing pastures short, allowing forage to accumulate, and applying nitrogen to grass 6 to 8 weeks before a potential frost.

The fourth hay myth, "I have to cut hay to handle the excess forage production in the spring," Redmon said is not true as well. In fact, he said producers have several options.

"For one, if you have fall-calving cows, you could wean and stock your own calves for added value, or you could purchase additional calves (flex grazers) and then realize the added value until the grass is gone," he explained.

Another thing he said could be done was to take calves in on the gain or by the head, or sell standing grass to someone in the custom hay business.

"Sometimes it's cheaper to give it away than to cut it yourself," he said. "But, you could harvest it yourself and sell it, or harvest it and use it for yourself."

The fifth hay myth, said Redmon, is "You can store round bale hay anywhere."

"This has been a popular misconception since the '60s," explained the specialist. "Some of the only ways to insure proper hay storage is to use net wrap to protect course-stemmed hay, or store it in a 'hay barn-only' building, on site."

The sixth hay myth, "I need to feed up all this year's hay to make room for next year's hay harvest," is something Redmon said is one of the more popular misconceptions.

"Many people do not realize old hay can last almost forever and maintain it's nutrients if stored properly," he explained.

The seventh and final hay myth presented by Redmon states, "I need to have a hay show that includes physical hay judging."

"A chemical analysis should be the only criteria for determining winning hay entries," explained Redmon. "But in case of a tie, a physical score could then be used as the tie-breaker."

Although much hay is put up and sold as small square bales, Redmon said most cow-calf producers feed hay in large round bales due to reduced labor requirements associated with storing and feeding the hay. And most hay, he said, is sold on a per round bale basis.

But Redmon said this only relates to the unknown nutritive value of the bale and producers need to know whether the nutritive value of the hay they purchase is high enough to meet the requirements of animals being fed.

Another problem, explained the specialist, relates to the amount of dry matter being sold/purchased. He said bale size can and does vary due to differences in: experience/skill of the equipment operator; baling equipment; forage species; moisture content of the forage when baled; type of wrap used; and the storage conditions.

Redmon said if someone chooses to either produce their own hay or buy some from other individuals, the answer to the problem of marketing round bales of unknown weight and nutritive value is to analyze and weigh the hay.