Les Vough Hay Marketing Consultant Maryland Department of Agriculture and Forage Crops Extension Specialist Emeritus University of Maryland What To Look For In Evaluating Hay

Forage Quality  Generally means same thing as feeding value.  Depends on the availability of the nutrients consumed and the quantity of forages voluntarily consumed.

Estimating Forage Quality Visually Visual estimates of forage quality are based on factors known to influence feeding value and animal performance.

Factors Known To Influence Hay Quality And Animal Performance 1. Stage of Maturity 2. Leafiness 3. Color 4. Odor and Condition 5. Foreign Material

Factors Known To Influence Hay Quality And Animal Performance 1. Stage of Maturity

Stage of Maturity  Where greatest progress can be made on many farms.  Most important single factor affecting forage quality.

Factors Known To Influence Hay Quality And Animal Performance 1. Stage of Maturity 2. Leafiness

Leaves  Most valuable part of hay  Contain 90% of protein

Leafiness Can vary from 65-70% for very leafy alfalfa hay to only 10-15% for very stemmy hay.

Factors Known To Influence Hay Quality And Animal Performance 1. Stage of Maturity 2. Leafiness 3. Color

Color  Can be deceiving.  Humans emphasize it – animals colorblind.  If hay is off-color, what type of damage and how extensive?

Color Indication of Bright green Rapid & proper curing Golden/yellow Sun-bleaching or over-mature grass Brown/black Rain damage Brown/black Heat damage w/ musty odor

Factors Known To Influence Hay Quality And Animal Performance 1. Stage of Maturity 2. Leafiness 3. Color 4. Odor and Condition

Factors Known To Influence Hay Quality And Animal Performance 1. Stage of Maturity 2. Leafiness 3. Color 4. Odor and Condition 5. Foreign Material

Foreign Material  Non-injurious (weeds, straw, cornstalks, sticks, etc.)  Injurious (poisonous plants, wire, glass, etc.)

Score Sheet for Visually Evaluating Hay Factor Possible Score Stage of Maturity 30 Leafiness 20 Color 20 Odor and Condition 20 Foreign Material 10 Total 100

Forage Quality Plays a key role in the productivity and profitability of nearly every livestock enterprise and thus forage testing is an essential management practice.

Combining visual inspection and chemical analysis greatly improve the accuracy of the predicted nutritive value of hay.

Comparison of Chemical Analysis and Visual Inspection Factor Chemical Visual Maturity Good Fair Leafiness Fair Good Color Poor Good Odor & Condition Poor Good Foreign Material Poor Good

Forage Testing Separate samples should be taken for each cutting and each field as quality will depend upon harvesting dates, weather conditions, fertilization practices and insect damage.

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