The USDA makes its assessment of dry-hay stocks in May and December of each year. Last May, spring hay stocks rocketed 47% above the previous year, or about 6.7 million tons.The rising stocks trend co...

The National Alfalfa & Forage Alliance (NAFA) announced last week that alfalfa will now be included as a short-term perennial option in the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 3...

Driving through Midwestern countryside over the holidays, I observed no shortage of sacrifice paddocks with bale feeders surrounded by cattle. More often than not, the feeders were also surrounded by...

Few things in life are certain, but one of those things is that stored hay quality never improves and most often declines, depending on the initial baling moisture and storage conditions.Althoug...

It’s been another year of ups and downs on farms and ranches. If you weren’t locked in on eHay Weekly every Tuesday morning, here’s a list of the 10 most popular articles that filtered through y...

With a new year comes opportunities for new alfalfa seedings. For those whose list of resolutions includes establishing alfalfa, it is encouraged to secure seed supplies early, and selecting varieties...

In regions where tall fescue dominates the pasture base, stockpiling can be an economical way to preserve forage quality and feed cattle through the winter. With that said, the way in which stoc...

Hopefully, no haymaker puts up a crop that they know will mold; however, many haymakers have pushed the moisture limit and hoped the mold fairy wouldn’t pay a visit. Sometimes, she just comes uninvi...

The relative maturity rating of a corn hybrid is often one of the first characteristics considered when selecting what will be planted. This maturity metric has been around a long time, but its utilit...

“They don’t need water access; there’s enough in the grass.”I’ve heard this line more than once from livestock graziers. Typically, the “no water” strategy is used for high-moistur...