With parts of the Midwest still dealing with extremely dry weather, it may be more important than ever to test forage samples.
“As resources become more limited and more expensive, testing is pretty important,” says Beth Reynolds, Extension beef specialist with Iowa State University.
She says testing can occur at any time, with hay still in the ground or in a bale.
“With baled hay, you want to do it close to when it’s going to be fed,” Reynolds says. “If it’s silage hay, you want to let it sit for two weeks to get past that sweat period.”
Some producers will test each cutting of hay. Reynolds says that is a good approach, although testing hay in the first and third cuttings is more common.
Hay prices are high, and she says farmers who sell hay generally have some test information. Higher overall feed costs make it important to know exactly what you are feeding.
“I would definitely ask if they’ve tested the hay,” Reynolds says. “If it’s someone selling some of their extra hay, they probably won’t test in that case. But if they sell it as part of their business, most will have that information.”
Several sampling procedures are effective, according to research out of the University of Minnesota. Sampling procedures vary depending on the type of forage and if sampling is done pre-harvest or after the forage has been stored.
When sampling bales, use a properly sharpened core sampler to reduce error. Sampling without a bale core probe will result in erroneous representation of stems versus leaf material. When taking a sample from a large round bale, the probe should be inserted from the rounded side into the center of the bale. Square bales should be probed from the middle of the butt end.
Researchers suggest a minimum of 12 cores per lot be collected. A lot is a group of bales that are expected to have similar nutrient composition, such as bales harvested on the same day from the same field.
After collecting the forage sample, mix the entire sample in a clean plastic pail. Then place the sample in a clean plastic bag and label with your name, the lot, forage type and the date. Remove as much air from the bag as possible and seal tightly.
When collecting samples from windrows, it’s important to take multiple samples throughout the field to ensure you are getting a representative sample. Use a sharp shear to cut 6-inch sections from the windrows and then cut the sections into 1-inch long pieces to mix in a clean container.
To sample bagged silage, collect about 2 gallons of silage by taking handfuls at random from roughly 10 locations and mix them in a clean bucket. Place the evenly mixed sample in a plastic bag and label it correctly.
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