A large majority of haymakers still utilize a forage conditioner on their mowers. These units are mostly out of sight, but they shouldn’t be out of mind.Back in my university extension days, we star

Let’s be clear: Alfalfa doesn’t match perennial pasture when it comes to soil carbon storage, but it’s a whole lot better than annual row crops such as corn and soybeans.As the dairy

Forages that were subject to drought conditions last year are like athletes returning from the injured list. Even though these plants are starting to grow and turn green, they require careful ma

In areas where temperatures are hovering around the freezing point, alfalfa heaving may become a prominent issue. This uprooting of plants as a result of repeated freezing and thawing cycles may be an

Although the days of growing oats for horses have morphed into grandfather tales on most farms, the cereal grain remains a valuable and often-used species in the forage toolbox. Whenever fast forage t

Concerns and documented cases of wheat pasture bloat are starting to swell as fields of wheat and small grains green up in the Southern Plains. This disease, also known as frothy bloat, causes excessi

After some tough months of feeding hay on a regular basis, the thought of moving cattle to lush, green pastures seems enticing; however, realize that this a drastic change in an animal’s diet

It’s that time of year when the greening of the Fescue Belt may soon give way to the yellowing of the same region, at least in many pastures and hayfields. Buttercup species only offer eye appe

Energy level and crude protein content tend to be the primary forage quality characteristics producers refer to when feeding livestock; however, forage fragility is another key factor to consider when

As temperatures warm and forage grasses break dormancy, an adjustment to supplemental mineral intake by grazing cattle is often required to prevent a magnesium deficiency in the blood. Low blood magne

Whether it’s frozen water tanks, slick driveways, or frosted windshields, ice can instigate a number of problems on farms in the winter. While some of these problems are simply solved wh

Hay barns come in all shapes and sizes. Built correctly, they can offer a quick return on investment, especially if the alternative is to store hay outdoors and the value of hay is high, as is current

Hay inventories are dwindling across the country, but they are especially low in Texas. In fact, farmers in the Lone Star State are currently facing a historic hay shortage. According to th

Even if the skies are clear and the radar doesn’t show any storm cells, it can still be challenging to ensure cut forage is dry enough to chop or bale. To make the drying processes more complex,

Plant diversity has become somewhat of a buzz phrase in the world of agriculture. It sometimes refers to growing diverse crops from year to year but most often is associated with having different spec

Planting small cereal grains in the spring can jumpstart the grazing season or bolster hay and silage supplies. No matter what the end goal of these cool-season species may be, now is the time t

Greening spring pastures are generally a welcomed site, especially to those who have been feeding hay all winter. In some cases, those same spring pastures hold the potential for causing frothy bloat

Spring calving season can be stressful enough without calf scours making animals sick and compounding medical costs. That is why the Sandhills Calving System was designed to limit the spread of calf s

Cows were made to eat forage. We give them other stuff, but none of it comes under the entrée heading. Everything else is strictly a side dish.Built into this need for forage is the ruminant’s

The cold front that swept across the country in late December caused frost damage in winter annuals, turning forage fields from green to yellow. That isolated weather event was just one of many freeze