Average feeding rates of dry alfalfa hay declined in California during 2014 as the average cost of hay pushed over $300 per ton. This trend was documented in the California Cost of Production Annual 2014,
Mike Rankin here . . . and for the past nearly 27 years, I was the crops and soils agent with the University of Wisconsin-Extension in Fond du Lac County. Previous to attending graduate school at Iowa
Forages & Field Crops Educator, Michigan State University-Extension Michigan survived the winter with little reported damage due to winterkill or heaving. First cutting began the third week o
Typically, a relatively small publishing company doesn't also own and operate a commercial dairy farm, or any other kind of farm for that matter. But such is the case here at the W.D.
More growers are taking advantage of Encirca℠ services from DuPont Pioneer to help them better manage inputs and mitigate risks as they plant their 2015 crops
CLAAS, the internationally leading manufacturer of self-propelled forage harvesters, has entered into an agreement with the U.S. company Shredlage, L.L.C. regarding its Shredlage technology. Shredlage,
Leslie Beck is the newest extension weed specialist and assistant professor in departments of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science and Extension Plant Sciences at New Mexico State University
“First cut alfalfa by a certain day in May or June” (location dependent); “Cut alfalfa stands 28 to 32 days after the prior cut.” These have been the standard rules of thumb
Alfalfa hay buyers and sellers now have a way to know the relative feed value (RFV) of every bale. A new on-baler system calculates and records RFV as each bale is made, and can assign that value by attaching
Summer annual forages (such as pearl millet, sorghum x sudangrass hybrids, etc.) are known for their remarkable ability to grow fast and produce several tons of forage in a short time period, ev
Proper maintenance of equipment and vehicles can also lead to energy savings, reminds Randall Reeder, an Ohio State University Extension agricultural engineer. Here are some tips:• Maintain the righ
Selecting grasses for pure stands is much different than species selection for pastures. With pastures it’s “the more the merrier”: A diversity of species, both grasses and legumes, on
When output doesn’t match between machines, hay harvest efficiency goes down the tubes. The author is an associate editor for Hoard’s Dairyman and an animal science graduate of Corn
Your hay storage needs to balance storage cost and forage loss.Given the value of hay today, the economic loss from large round bales stored outside, without cover, on the ground can be excessive. Thi
At on time, we cut hay and laid it in a wide swath for drying behind the cutter bar. When conditioners became commonplace, many growers came to think that a wide swath was no longer important when mak
Selecting grasses for pure stands is much different than species selection for pastures. With pastures it’s “the more the merrier”: A diversity of species, both grasses and legumes, on
The use of a foliar fungicide on alfalfa has been a popular topic at winter forage meetings and internet chat rooms as producers attempt to reconcile university research with the experience of many al
Many bales of expensive hay in big stacks is a recipe for financial disaster that is present to some degree on every dairy in the West. But it is a risk that doesn’t have to exist, says University
A cousin to alfalfa, red clover can produce yields equal to or exceeding alfalfa for two to three years. Wide swath plus tedding greatly enhances dry down
Wide windrows are routinely recommended for hay silage, but a drive through farm country during forage harvest season still finds many narrow windrows. Narrow windrows represent “Goldilocks management”
