John E. Baylor Director of Market Development Beachley-Hardy Seed Company BY DR. JOHN E, BAYLOR Director of Market Development Beachley-Hardy Seed Co. RELATIVE FEED VALUE In my January column, I introduced the term Relative Feed Value (RFV). Briefly, it’s a forage quality term - an index that com bines digestibility and intake of a forage. It’s calculated from forage fiber analyses and it places the above values (digestibility and intake) in one number for a quick, easy, and effective method of eva luating quality of different forages (legumes and grasses, hays and hay crop silages) for maintenance and high performance animals rations. Where did the term originate? It all started back in the early 70’s. At that time, as President of the American Forage and Grassland Council, I appointed a National Hay Marketing Task Force. One of its goals was to find a realistic method of determining the price of hay by some realistic measure of its feed value. Two important findings resulted from that early effort: 1) the development of Near Infrared Reflectance Analysis (NIRS) as a realistic method of measuring feed value, and 2) the development of AFGC Hay Stan dards, and later the National Alfal fa Hay Quality Standards, based on analyses for dry matter, crude protein and acid detergent fiber, with RFV as the numerical index for comparing different forages. MILK. IT'S FITNESS YOU CAN DRINK. BUCKETS & FORKS For Skid Steer Loaders %X Built To Order Also Available: Replacement Bucket Cutting Edge, Any Length fii ATI Corporation 325 WEST MAIN ST., NEW HOLLAND, PA 17557 So much for history. NIRS is now widely used throughout the world as a rapid, accurate method of evaluating quality in forages. And RFV, while relatively new, is currently used in many areas of the United Slates, and, incidental ly, is used as the index of quality in New York’s DHIC. There’s nothing magical about calculating an RFV value for a sample of forage - if you have the necessary analyses of that fofage. However, this value would nor mally be calculated for you by the laboratory doing the analysis or the person doing your feed prog ramming if it’s a part of that program. It may surprise you that crude protein docs not enter into the cal culation for RFV. This in no way lessens the importance of crude protein as a measure of quality - or its importance in feed program ming. But it does emphasize the importance of fiber, both amount and quality, in ration balancing. For the records below arc the RFV’s for the various grades of hay included in our national hay grades; Hay Grade RFV Prime Over 151 #1 125-151 #2 103-124 #3 ' 87-102 #4 75-86 #5 Under 75 How does your forage stack up? (717) 354-8721 'VI R. 7 Lebanon, Pa. 17042 Rt. 419 1 mile West of Schaefferstown, Buffalo Springs Lebanon County 717-949-6501 FULL LINE KUBOTA HEAD QUARTERS • Inventory • Knowledgeable Sales Staff • Price • Service Experience EFFI EXP Kubota B-. tors are small am but they are moi and powerful thw larger tractors. Liquid-cooled Kubota ' ’ diesel engines with reverse air flow have set the world standard for performance in the 10-24 HP class. They’re fuel-efficient, too. Quick-attach implements allow you to scrape, plow, spray, haul, till, mow and more. ;, spring-suspen accessible Con or PTO. HST twer steering. ;d Turn allows :e turns in • 19644 Kubota 87100 HSE Tractor 16 HP. Hydro With 5 Ft. Mid Mower $4,975 • 19657 Kubota 88200 HSD Tractor 4WD. 19 HP., Hydro. With Loader (Coming 1n)... $6,995 • 19354 Kubota M49SODT Tractor, 47 pto hp /4WD/1360 Hrs • 19047 Kubota 860008 • 19635 Kubota L22SODT 2 WD Tractor, 12 HP Tractor, 26 hp. 4 wd. Diesel $2,995 w/Cab $7,950 TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS: sla | 1 «- PARTS ★ SALES * SERVICE 730 South Broad St. Lititz, Pa. 17543 on Route 501 6 miles North Nothing like it on earth" $12,790 STORE HOURS Daily Mon.-Fri. 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM Saturday 8:00 AM-12:00 • 17759 Kubota B6IOOHSB Tractor Hours 634, With MR4BOO Mower, Nice Cond., HST Trans • 19609 - Kubota B6IOOHSD Tractor W/MR6OOO Mower 14 HP/Hydro/4WD /tL Low S of Lancaster 717-626-2121 * ;rol option, too. 'ou want a com- diesel tractor that’s efficiency expert, : Kubota’s B-Series. ibota Assures Top lality By Manufacturing All Key Components. ,$4,950 $5,875
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers