Page 14—Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 11, 1998
Why Test Forages For Quality?
DR. MARVIN HALL
Extension Forage Specialist
Penn State
Greater net profit is the bottom line
for why livestock producers need to
know the quality of the forages they
are feeding!
Not knowing the exact quality of
the forage being fed is a two-edged
sword that can cut into profits either
way it swings.
Table 1 presents a very simplistic
example. However, the costs are real!
A dairy producer who guesses that the
crude protein (CP) content of the hay
lage is 2 percent units lower and com
silage is 1 percent lower will be feed
ing more supplemental protein than is
necessary. This extra CP to the ration
will add $0.09/cow/day in feed costs.
With a herd of 100 cows, this is equi
valent to $9/day. It would take just a
little more than three days of not
knowing the quality of the forages and
feeding extra protein, as in this ex
ample, to pay for the cost of quality
analyses (forage quality testing usual
ly costs less than $l5/sample).
The other edge of this two-edged
sword cuts in to profits when forage
quality is overestimated. Table 1,
shows that estimating crude protein to
be greater than it is results in adding
insufficient supplemental protein to
the ration and saving $0.06/cow/day
in feed costs. Unfortunately, the cows
arc being “short changed” on CP
which could have a negative impact
on milk production, especially in early
lactation.
How Does Your
Ever wonder how your hay com
pares to the best in Pennsylvania?
Well, there is still time to get your
hay samples ready and enter them in
the PFGC Hay Show at Ag Progress
Days on Aug. 18-20.
The Hay Show is in the Crops and
Soils Tent located at the end of East
Fifth Street. By entering your hay in
Hay Show at Ag Progress Days, you
will automatically be entered in the
Hay Show at the Farm Show next Jan
uary. The show is not only fun, but
Emr.es officially close ai 10 00 am, Tuesday, Augusi 18, 1998 However, lo facilitate handling of
samples, exhibitors arc urged 10 deliver their samples lo the ha> show tent on Monday, Augusi 17
No entry fee will be charged
The hay shown must have been grown by the Exhibitor in Pennsylvania in 1998
Exhibitors may enter in as many classes as they wish, but no exhibitor shall make more than one
entry in a class, cither in his own name, the name of the farm, or the name of some other person
Exhibitors must attach an entry blank, giving name, address, county, social security number and
class in which the exhibit is to be entered Exhibitors can secure additional entry blanks at their
County Agricultural Extension Office
LONG HAY FROM RECTANGULAR BALES ONLY THAT HAS BEEN CURED (adequately dry) An exhibit
shall consist of a bale section between 6to 8 inches Undersized or moist samples will be
disqualified PLEASE TIE THE SAMPLES WITH TWINE
Judging will be in two pans On Tuesday beginning at noon, samples will be judged on the basis of
Visual characteristics and tested for chemical analysis On Wednesday at 900 am. the samples will
be judged on ihe basis of visual and chemical characteristics
Unless disapproved by the exhibitor, samples will be stored for exhibit in the Hay Show at the 1999
Pennsylvania Farm Show
PREMIUMS
Premiums will be awarded for the first five places in each class as follows
Ist - S 5 00 plus ribbon and forage analysis
2nd - S 3 00 plus ribbon and forage analysis
3rd - SI 00 plus ribbon and forage analysis
4th Ribbon and forage analysis
sth - Ribbon and forage analysis
A special plaque will be awarded to the Champions of each section
Class 1 Alfalfa - First Culling
Alfalfa with not over 10 percent grasses
Actual forage crude protein
Farmer estimates crude protein
below actual and balances
ration accordingly
Farmer estimates crude protein
above actual and balances
ration accordingly
Table 2 Relative feed value (RFV) crude protein (CP) and sale price of hay sold at hay auctions in Pennsylvania
during 1990 and 1991.
Guessing at fiber and mineral con
tent will also have enormous eco
nomical impact. For example, the neu
tral detergent fiber NDF) content of
forages helps determine how much of
the forage an animal will consume.
Guessing too high or too low can have
tremendous implications on intake,
animal performance, and health.
Knowing the quality of the forage not
only saves or makes more money, it
also allows managers to provide better
animal nutrition. Better animal nutri
tion will result in greater animal pro
duction and improved animal efficien
cy (lb milk or weight gain per pound
of feed consumed).
Knowing the quality of forages
when selling or buying them has also
proven to be economically smart. This
RULES
SECTION 1
Field Cured or Partially Field Cured
Plus Mow Finish (No Heat)
(no hay preservatives)
% crude protein in
(dry matter basts)
19 3
17 3 7 8
213 9 8
Auctions where
quality was
$/ton
144
160
Hay Compare?
you also will receive quality analysis
for each saihple entered.
Hay samples delivered to Ag Prog
ress Days on Tuesday, Aug. 18 should
be dropped off at the special Hay
Sample Drop-Off Point located at the
east entrance to Ag Progress Days.
This drop-off point has been initiated
to avoid difficulties of getting samples
to the Hay Show Tent at its new loca
tion. Deadline for sample delivery is
10 a.m. Aug. 18.
(Turn to Pago 16)
16 0 2 72
169 2 81
15 0 2 66
was confirmed at Pennsylvania hay
auctions, where the quality of the hay
is analyzed and the results posted on
each load of hay prior to the auction.
At these auctions, each percentage
unit increase in crude protein resulted
in $8 more per ton (Table 2). Selling
10 tons of 20 percent CP hay as 18
percent CP hay because the quality
was not tested will cost the seller
about $160! On the other hand, buying
10-ton 18 percent CP hay as 20 per
cent CP hay cost the buyer $160!
A similar relationship between
quality and price did not occur at hay
auctions when the quality of the hay
was unknown. Establishing a “fair”
price for hay, if you are buying or sell
ing, means that both parties know the
quality of the hay.
SEE YOUR NEAREST
&
I\EW HOLLAND
DEALER FOR DEPENDABLE
EQUIPMENT & SERVICE
PENNSYLVANIA
Abbottstown. PA
Messick
Equipment
RD 1, Box 255 A
717-259-6617
ille. PA
BHM Farm
Equipment,
Inc.
RD 1, Rte. 934
717-867-2211
R&W
Equipment Co.
35 East Willow Street
717-243-2686
Elizabethtown. PA
Messick Farm
Equipment, Inc
Rt. 283 - Rheem’s
Exit
717-367-1319
Halifi
Sweigard Bros
R.O. 3, Box 13
717-896-3414
West Grove. PA
S.G.Lewis & Son, Inc.
352 N. Jennersville Rd.
010-869-2214 1-800-869-9029
MARYLAND
Frederick. MD
Ceresville Ford New Holland, Inc
Rt. 26 East 301-662-4197
Outside MD, 800-331-9122
Hagerstown. MD
Antietam Ford Tractor, Inc
2027 Leitersburg Pike
800-553-6731
301-791-1200
Rising Sun. MD
Ag Industrial Equipment
Route 1,50 N. Greenmont Rd.
401-658-5568
NEW JERSEY
Bridgeton. NJ Washington. NJ
Leslie G. Fogg, Smith Tractor &
Inc. Equip., Inc.
Canton & Stow Creek 15 Hillcrest Ave.
Landing Rd. 908-689-7900
609-451-2727
609-935-5145
KWHOUAN)
£SsI\EWHOLLAN}
Ctvnpany
Norman D. Clark
& Son, Inc.
Honey Grove, PA
717-734-3682
Loysville, PA
717-789-3117
New Hollai
A.B.C. Groff, Inc.
110 South Railroad
717-354-4191
Olev. PA
C.J. Wonsidler
Bros.
R.D. 2
610-987-6257
Schreffler
Equipment
Pitman, PA
717-648-1120
Tamaaua. PA
Charles S.
Sfnydef, Inc
R.D. 3
717-386-5945
Wooi
Owen Supply Co
Broad Street &
East Avenue
609-769-0308