December 2023 Hay Pellets

December 26, 2023

• David Hula of Charles City, Va., set the new corn yield world record at 623 bushels per acre, besting the previous world record he set in 2019 by about 8 bushels per acre.

• The Environmental Protection Agency is going to allow farmers to continue using chlorpyrifos insecticide on alfalfa.

• Remember to remove as much net wrap and baler twine from hay bales as possible to prevent health problems in cattle.

• There are several options to mitigate the effects of toxic tall fescue.

• Dairy footbath solutions could influence copper concentrations in forage.

December 19, 2023

• Milk production in the United States was down 0.6% in November, totaling 18.1 billion pounds, according to the USDA’s Milk Production report. This was the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year production declines.

• The number of milk cows on farms in the United States dropped to a three-year low of 9.36 million head in November. This put the national dairy herd 10,000 head behind October and 44,000 head fewer than November 2022.

• Follow these best practices to store farm equipment for the winter.

• Do you know the six principles of regenerative agriculture?

• Here are some considerations for lime applications.

December 12, 2023

• World exports of U.S. alfalfa hay totaled 181,581 metric tons (MT) during October, according to the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. This was down almost 41,000 MT from a year ago and was roughly 37,000 MT below the previous month. Year-to-date through October, alfalfa exports were running about 18% behind 2022.

• China imported 85,828 MT of U.S. alfalfa hay in October, accounting for almost half of the total U.S. alfalfa hay exports. This was up 1% from the previous month but down 42% year-over-year.

• Exports of U.S. alfalfa hay to Saudi Arabia plummeted to 14,761 MT in October, representing a 61% drop from the previous month. This pushed Saudi Arabia from second to fifth place among top export markets, putting it behind South Korea (15,407 MT) and Canada (14,811 MT).

• Red and white clover seed supplies are low in the U.S. and worldwide.

• Kansas University State Research and Extension released a new publication on growing crabgrass for forage.

December 5, 2023

• Michigan State University researchers aim to find answers about alfalfa autotoxicity with a grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

• University of Missouri Extension released Feedstuff Finder, which is a tool to help producers buy and sell hay and other feedstuffs like corn silage, soyhulls, and distillers grains.

• Utilize high-quality forage and supplements to maintain cows’ body condition this winter.

• Remember these tips to mitigate dry matter loss in stored forage.

• Think twice before feeding road ditch hay.