Despite already being one month into the new year, some farmers are still staring down a long road of winter hay feeding. This may not be as daunting where opportunities exist to graze winter pastures
Torrential rains, drought, flooding, and even hurricanes were all felt in pastures and hayfields across the country last year. Although no amount of money can atone for the long-lasting effects of the
One of the great advantages of a pasture-based feeding system is that tillage is rarely or never required. That said, even the best of pastures occasionally need freshened up with an influx of legumes
Controlling feed costs is often the shortest and most meaningful road to beef cow profitability. This often entails an extension of the grazing season to limit supplemental feeds and their associated
Proper care and nutrition for the human infant or bovine calf is often pontificated upon as a critical step toward the optimum development of the young adult or cow. In other words, the future is only
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
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
On most grazing operations, woodlots are separated from pastures and cows in the same way that bird dogs typically aren’t housed with the chickens. The latter will probably never change, but the
American dairy consumption is having somewhat of a renaissance with the latest data boasting the highest levels since 1959 at 661 pounds per capita. While consumer trends and grocery shopping habits a
Reflecting on another drought year may put a fire under some farmers’ seats to be more proactive about forage availability next season. Adding warm-season grasses into hay and grazing systems might
In regions where wheat fields dominate the agricultural landscape, farmers often use fall and spring growth as a source of forage — weather permitting. What seemed like a questionable year to use
Who can forget those old Miller Lite beer commercials when a variety of celebrities were enlisted to tout the product as either tasting great or being less filling? Of course, in the eyes of the Mille
