Last year’s hay can be utilized this year

By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition

Sept. 15, 2005 - Should last year’s hay be considered an option for this year’s livestock?

�Sure,� said Hopkins County Extension Agent Larry Spradlin, �especially if it�s been stored well, such as in a barn or covered.�

Last year’s hay supply was good in Northeast Texas, and carry-over hay is an option for those needing hay now.

�But what stage of maturity was it cut?� offered Van Zandt County Extension Agent Brian Cummins as a question to be asked.

Livestock owners are urged to check the hay’s quality by having it tested. County Extension and Farm Service Agency offices have the necessary forms, and mailing addresses, for mailing hay samples to credited testing laboratories in Texas.

Because the testing labs are busy with many county’s hay show samples, “it can take a week to 10 days to get the test results back, but if producers wait, the hay (they are considering to buy) may be gone,” he added.

For a producer who’s needing hay, letting a load go by isn’t easy to do; so .... “buy what you can get, get it tested, and when you find out what it tests (protein quality), then supplement with feed to what you need,” Cummins said.

For adequate protein levels and livestock feeding plans, contact the Extension agent in your county.