1. Virtual Winter School – 2011 | January 10 th

2. Over the next few minutes… The increasing value of forage quality Interpreting forage quality reports Busting a few myths A little miscellany Plus, a few diversions…

4. The least used and least understood element of a good forage management plan.

5. Forage Quality has High Value Now CropMaturityCPTDNSupplement † Cost ‡ -- % -- lbs/hd/day$/hd/day Bermudagrass4 weeks10-1258-620$0 6 weeks8-1051-554.8$0.45 8 weeks6-845-507.5$0.72 Tall FescueLate boot14-1666-700$0 Early head11-1360-630$0 Dough8-1050-545.3$0.50 † Assuming soyhulls supplementation for forage quality on low end of the range. ‡ Approximate prices for December 2010. Supplementing a Lactating Beef Cow

6. Forage Quality has High Value Now CropMaturityCPTDNSupplement † Cost ‡ -- % -- lbs/hd/day$/hd/day Bermudagrass4 weeks10-1258-620$0 6 weeks8-1051-554.8$0.45 8 weeks6-845-507.5$0.72 Tall FescueLate boot14-1666-700$0 Early head11-1360-630$0 Dough8-1050-545.3$0.50 † Assuming soyhulls supplementation for forage quality on low end of the range. ‡ Approximate prices for December 2010. Supplementing a Lactating Beef Cow

7. Forage Quality has High Value Now CropMaturityCPTDNSupplement † Cost ‡ -- % -- lbs/hd/day$/hd/day Bermudagrass4 weeks10-1258-620$0 6 weeks8-1051-554.8$0.45 8 weeks6-845-507.5$0.72 Tall FescueLate boot14-1666-700$0 Early head11-1360-630$0 Dough8-1050-545.3$0.50 † Assuming soyhulls supplementation for forage quality on low end of the range. ‡ Approximate prices for December 2010. Supplementing a Lactating Beef Cow

8. What is the difference? 1)Digestible energy 2)How much can be eaten 1)Digestible energy 2)How much can be eaten

9. The Relationship between Fiber (NDF) and Dry Matter Intake (DMI) Fiber (NDF) Level Intake Intake to Meet Needs Intake is Physically Limited Dry Matter Intake (DMI) Dig. Energy Intake Low DigestibilityHigh Digestibility

10. What is “high quality forage?” Forage that is highly digestible (i.e., high TDN) Large amounts of the forage can be consumed (i.e., high DMI). Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) = TDN * DMI/1.23 Forage that is highly digestible (i.e., high TDN) Large amounts of the forage can be consumed (i.e., high DMI). Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) = TDN * DMI/1.23

11. Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) 75100125150175200225 Heifer, 18-24 mo. Dry cow Mature horse, lt. work Heifer, 12-18 mo. Lactating beef cow Lactating mare Mature horse, mod. work Dairy, last 200 days Heifer, 3-12 mo. Stocker cattle Weanling horse Mature horse, int. work Dairy, 1 st 120 days Dairy calf Quality Required

12. Typical Range in Quality of Common Forages Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) Summer Annual Grass Bermudagrass Cool Season Peren. Grasses Other Legumes Alfalfa 75100125150175200225 Cool Season Annual Grasses Quality Provided

13. There’s No Way to Know Without a Forage Test

14. Common Questions about Interpreting and Using Forage Quality Data

15. Reading Forage Quality Data

16. 1 2 3 Price 4

17. Let’s Do Some Comparisons A B C

18. Nutrient Requirements: 1200 lb cow* Req. TDN58.1% CP 9.6% * First 3-4 mo postpartum, prep to rebreed

19. Comparing One Lot of Hay To Another Lot IDABC Kind of HayTift 85TF/OGCoast RFQ96.2109.7118.5 CP, %10.714.614.3 NDF, %65.858.556.1 ADF, %40.636.232.7 Lignin, %7.06.64.8 TDN, %52.856.961.2 Which lot is best for our lactating beef cow? Req. TDN58.1% CP 9.6% * First 3-4 mo postpartum, prep to rebreed

20. Comparing One Lot of Hay To Another Lot IDABC Kind of HayTift 85TF/OGCoast RFQ96.2109.7118.5 CP, %10.714.614.3 NDF, %65.858.556.1 ADF, %40.636.232.7 Lignin, %7.06.64.8 TDN, %52.856.961.2 Price, $/ton95110125 Which lot is best for our lactating beef cow? Req. TDN58.1% CP 9.6% * First 3-4 mo postpartum, prep to rebreed

21. Tools For Taking a Forage Sample “Penn State Probe”

22. Tools For Taking a Forage Sample “Colorado Hay Probe”

23. How To Take a Forage Sample Sample from each field AND cutting (“Lot” of hay). Use bale corer to get a representative sample from 20 bales per lot. Insert the sampler fully and cross- ways to the stems. Sample from each field AND cutting (“Lot” of hay). Use bale corer to get a representative sample from 20 bales per lot. Insert the sampler fully and cross- ways to the stems.

24. How To Take a Forage Sample Fill a clean quart-size plastic bag with about ½ lb of forage. Label each bag with details. Send to an accredited lab (National Forage Testing Association), such as the UGA Feed and Environmental Water Lab. For details, see the FAQ page on www.georgiaforages.com www.georgiaforages.com Fill a clean quart-size plastic bag with about ½ lb of forage. Label each bag with details. Send to an accredited lab (National Forage Testing Association), such as the UGA Feed and Environmental Water Lab. For details, see the FAQ page on www.georgiaforages.com www.georgiaforages.com

25. A Brief Interlude

26. Some Famous Horses of the Civil War

29. Daily Ration During the Civil War: 1.14 lbs (6.4 kg) hay 2.12 lbs (5.4 kg) of grain (usually oats, corn, or barley) 3.Any available pasturage (rare)

30. Simple Online Dietary Assessment for Horses http://nrc88.nas.edu/nrh/

32. A.True B.False C.Mythbuste The best stocking rate (as a rule of thumb) for horse pastures in Georgia would typically be: 1 medium-sized horse (1100-lbs) per acre.

35. Graphical Description of Diet Choice Grass Legume Browse Flat Steep Slope Preference Selectivity

36. Approximate Diet Selection of Grazing Animals when Given Choice Type of Diet Animal SpeciesGrassesLegumesBrowse Cattle 65-7520-305-10 Horses70-8015-250-5 Sheep 45-5530-4010-20 Goats 20-3010-3030-50 White-tailed deer 30-6040-5010-30

37. What is the best bermudagrass variety for horse hay? A.Alicia B.Coastal C.Tifton 44 D.Tifton 85 E.None of the above.

38. Varieties differ in quality Vigor Coarseness & drying rate Bermudagrass

39. Selecting the appropriate variety.

40. Palatability of Bermudagrasses Highly acceptable: Coastal = Tifton 44 = Tifton 78 (= Russell) Acceptable if given no other choice:  Tifton 85  Coastcross

41. A.True B.False C.Mythbusted True or False: Horses cannot eat bermudagrass … they’ll get impacted and die!

42. Impaction on Bermudagrass High NDF Content  Somewhat related to bermudagrass variety  As a rule of thumb for bermudagrass hay, keep NDF < 65%. Insufficient Water Availability Insufficient Mastication (chewing)  Fed only 1-3 times per day  Horses in stall Inactivity/lack of exercise Myth or Truth?

44. True or False: Horses cannot eat bermudagrass … they’ll get impacted and die!

45. A.True B.False C.Mythbusted Any grass hay can cause founder or laminitis in my horses.

47. Group Carbohydrate StoredLocation Warm Season Perennial Grasses StarchStolons, stem base, rhizomes Warm Season Annual Grasses SucroseLower stem Cool Season grasses (A & P) FructanStem base LegumesStarchTaproot, stolons, rhizomes Carbohydrate Storage in Forage Species Laminitis and High Quality Hay Myth or Truth?

48. Tall Fescue Most widely used forage grass in the U.S.  High yields and persistent. Endophytic fungus produces toxic alkaloids  Fescue toxicosis  Alkaloids aid drought tolerance and persistence

49. ADGGain (lbs/hd/d)(lb/acre) E+1.10126 NE1.83186 E+ & WC 1.60150 NE & WC 2.61252 Effect of Tall Fescue, Endophyte, and White Clover on Stocker Production in the Spring Jesup Tall Fescue and Durana White Clover. 3-yr trial. Eatonton, GA. Hill, Andrae, and Bouton (unpublished data)

50. Tall Fescue Most widely used forage grass in the U.S.  High yields and persistent. Endophytic fungus produces toxic alkaloids  Fescue toxicosis  Alkaloids aid drought tolerance and persistence Novel Endophyte TF gives persistence benefit w/o toxicosis problems.

51. NE Tall Fescue Novel Endophyte  Endophyte from different TF population UGA and AgResearch (NZ) researchers developed and tested Jesup MaxQ. NE TF gives persistence benefit w/o toxicosis problems.

52. ADGGain (lbs/hd/d)(lb/acre) E+1.10126 NE1.83186 E+ & WC 1.60150 NE & WC 2.61252 Effect of Tall Fescue, Endophyte, and White Clover on Stocker Production in the Spring Jesup Tall Fescue and Durana White Clover. 3-yr trial. Eatonton, GA. Hill, Andrae, and Bouton (unpublished data)

53. ADGGain (lbs/hd/d)(lb/acre) E+1.10126 NE1.83186 E+ & WC 1.60150 NE & WC 2.61252 Effect of Tall Fescue, Endophyte, and White Clover on Stocker Production in the Spring Jesup Tall Fescue and Durana White Clover. 3-yr trial. Eatonton, GA. Hill, Andrae, and Bouton (unpublished data)

54. A.True B.False C.Mythbuste Tall fescue should be avoided as a component in horse pastures.

56. Effect of Toxic Endophyte-Contaminated Fescue on Gestation Length in Gravid Mares + 27 days From: D.L. Cross and T. Gimenez “Fescue Toxicosis in Horses” (ppt online)

57. Effect of Toxic Endophyte-Contaminated Fescue on Foals and Mares

58. Remove from TF pasture or hay 60-90 days before anticipated foaling Alkaloid toxins are very stable Very low levels of fescue (%?, Probably less than 20%) can cause severe problems Keep accurate records of breeding and anticipated foaling dates Mare Mgmt. BMPs

59. NE Tall Fescue

61. Spring

62. Late Summer

63. Autumn

64. Following Spring

65. Summer Dormancy Trait in Tall Fescue Summer Winter

66. NE Tall Fescue A good option, but… Expensive Requires renovation of entire pasture or hayfield Down time in pastures Risky (weather) Other curative options?

71. “Safe” Tall Fescue Marketed as an alternative to MaxQ Has performed well in other, more northern locations. Has performed poorly in UGA yield trial  Lowest stand rating after 2 years.  Has not been evaluated under grazing in GA. Marketed as an alternative to MaxQ Has performed well in other, more northern locations. Has performed poorly in UGA yield trial  Lowest stand rating after 2 years.  Has not been evaluated under grazing in GA.

73. Warm Season Perennial Grass Variety Trial – Tifton (avg. over 2006-2008)

74. UF-Riata Pensacola-type Less sensitive to daylength High yields, slightly improved digestibility Seed available through Ragan and Massey (www.raganandmassey.com)www.raganandmassey.com Pensacola-type Less sensitive to daylength High yields, slightly improved digestibility Seed available through Ragan and Massey (www.raganandmassey.com)www.raganandmassey.com

75. TifQuik Bahiagrass Faster establishment in early spring  Aids competition with weeds  Fits with crop rotation Improved grazing in est. year  Vigorous seedlings Seed available:  Shiloh Farms (shilohfarmsinc.com)shilohfarmsinc.com Faster establishment in early spring  Aids competition with weeds  Fits with crop rotation Improved grazing in est. year  Vigorous seedlings Seed available:  Shiloh Farms (shilohfarmsinc.com)shilohfarmsinc.com

80. New Summer Annuals that Sound Too Good to Be True Teff – warm season annual grass

81. New Summer Annuals that Sound Too Good to Be True Teff – warm season annual grass

82. New Summer Annuals that Sound Too Good to Be True Teff – warm season annual grass

85. Peanut Hay Quality

86. Peanut Hay Mineral Content

87. Parting Thoughts High energy prices and a weak U.S. dollar will cause supplement (and fertilizer prices) to continue to be a major limit to profitability.  We need to focus on producing high quality forage. There are a large number  Pay now, or pay a lot more later. High energy prices and a weak U.S. dollar will cause supplement (and fertilizer prices) to continue to be a major limit to profitability.  We need to focus on producing high quality forage. There are a large number  Pay now, or pay a lot more later.

88. Hay Production School 2011 March 29-30th Georgia Farm Bureau Home Office Macon, GA www.georgiaforages.com

89. QUESTIONS? www.georgiaforages.com 1-800-ASK-UGA1