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New
Alfalfa Market Opens In South Dakota
A new alfalfa hay processing plant is being opened in
Rapid City, SD, by Southeast Ranch LLC, headquartered in Miami, FL. At
maximum capacity, the plant can process up to 2 million tons annually,
according to Joel Gutierrez, company president. Processed hay will be
shipped by rail to a port in Jacksonville, FL, for ocean shipment to
customers in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere.
Gutierrez says his company expects to buy most of its alfalfa hay within
250 miles of Rapid City, a region that includes much of Colorado,
Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Wyoming. Purchases
are limited to a minimum of one semi-trailer load. The hay must be green
and is preferred to be no more than 15% moisture and a minimum of 16%
protein, 22% crude fiber, 10.5% ash and 2.5% fat.
The company is buying hay now, and small square, large square and round
bales are all accepted, says Gutierrez. He says prices offered are
competitive with other options, and payment is made within 21 days
following inspection, testing and weighing. Half the agreed-upon price
is paid before the hay leaves the farm.
For more information, go to www.seranch.com or contact Southeast
Ranch LLC at 877-350-2690 or info@seranch.com.
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Nebraskans
Should Evaluate Winterkill, Consider Options
All is not lost when alfalfa fields die, and there are
many options to consider for filling hay needs, says Bruce Anderson,
University of Nebraska extension forage specialist. He says reports are
coming in about winterkilled alfalfa in low spots of fields where
waterlogged soils or ice may have killed plants. He says it’s
important to assess the damage in fields where winterkill is suspected.
Some responses need to be early to be successful, such as interseeding
oats or another crop into thin stands to boost spring hay production.
Others, like tearing up the alfalfa and planting corn, might be decided
a little later. However, waiting too long may limit your seed corn
choices or cause you to miss the best time to plant a new field to
alfalfa, Anderson says.
In alfalfa fields planted last year, new alfalfa can be seeded directly
into thinned areas without worrying about autotoxicity. But other
options should be considered in older fields. Drilling a bushel or two
of oats per acre as soon as possible is a good short-term remedy for a
cutting or two. Another option is to drill 15-20 lbs of Italian
ryegrass. “It will begin to contribute around second cutting and
usually continue until first cut next year,” he says. “For an
all-legume hay option, interseed red clover.”
Anderson says the best long-term solution probably is to add a perennial
grass. Orchardgrass, festulolium and endophyte-free tall fescue may be
the best choices. “You need to interseed as early as possible and take
a super-early first cutting to reduce competition from the alfalfa,”
he states.
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Management
Helps Offset High Fertilizer Prices
Good management can be a tremendous asset if growers
can’t afford to apply fertilizer, says John Jennings, University of
Arkansas extension forage specialist. Start by inventorying your soil
fertility and pasture conditions, then manage for those conditions, he
advises. “Soil testing will help producers target fields where
fertilizer will have the most impact and fields where not as much
fertilizer is needed,” says Jennings. “Soil testing will also tell
which fields may potentially be able to grow clovers and other
legumes.”
He offers a five-step management plan for optimizing forage production
in times of high fertilizer prices:
- “Manage better with what you’ve got,” he says. “Take
advantage of rotational grazing, practice better weed control, manage in
favor of strategies that can boost pastures.”
- Time grazing and haying to stockpile forages.
- Target fertilizer applications. “Don’t put all the fertilizer on
at one time in the year, but spread it out and target specific acres for
each season,” Jennings suggests. Produce just enough forage for that
season and don’t create excess waste.
- “Use complimentary forages, such as ryegrass or wheat planted on
bermudagrass, for example, or lespedeza on fescue so you get more forage
out of that same acre during the year.” The goal is to have one forage
growing when the other one is dormant.
- Add legumes anywhere that is suitable. “Legumes are a source of
nitrogen fixation, so producers can get some good forage production
without as much nitrogen fertilizer cost,” he says.
Contact Jennings at 501-671-2350.
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Whether you’re looking for
proven performance in a package that offers exceptional value or a
tractor that gives you the latest electronic conveniences and push
button simplicity, the new T6000 Series tractors from New Holland are
built for you. T6000 tractors are a natural choice for haying operations
and heavy loader work. To learn more, see your local New Holland dealer
or call 1-888-290-7377. www.newholland.com/na
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Equine
Expert Tells What Horses Should Eat
Hay growers should know the quality of forages that
horses need to stay healthy and happy. That’s in part because, while
horse owners are being encouraged to get hay analyzed using an equine
analysis, “most need help interpreting the results of their
analysis,” says Krishona Martinson, University of Minnesota regional
extension educator.
Horse hay should be 10-17% moisture and about 10% crude protein.
“Crude protein is not likely to be a limiting part of the diet except
in lactating mares, foals or performance horses, which would require
higher levels,” Martinson says.
Hay with an acid detergent fiber (ADF) value of 30-35% is good for
horses. “The lower the ADF value, the more digestible the nutrients in
the hay are,” she says. Hay at 45% or more ADF is of little
nutritional value. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) levels should be
40-50%, and most horses won’t eat anything above 65%. Good-quality hay
at around 65% NDF can sometimes be given to horses -- if they quickly
eat higher-quality hay -- to keep forage in their digestive systems and
keep them busy.
Equine analyses also provide non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) estimates to
help select feed for horses that show sensitivity to starches and sugars
and measure digestible energy (DE) in the hay. “For a light working
horse, DE should be about 20 Mcal/day, and most hays range from 0.76 to
0.94 Mcal/lb of DE,” she explains. Calcium and phosphorus ratios can
vary among different types of hay. Martinson says an adult horse in a
maintenance phase should have a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 3:1 to
1:1.
Rained-on hay may be fine for horses in spite of the color, Martinson
told horse owners at last weekend’s Minnesota Horse Expo. “Rained-on
hay may be faded in color, but I still urge horse owners to have it
tested,” she said. “If it isn’t moldy and it tests okay, it should
be fine to feed because horse owners should be supplementing for the
vitamins that tend to be lost in rained-on or older hay anyway.”
Visit the U of M’s Horse Information Web site at www.extension.umn.edu/horse/index.html.
Contact Martinson at bjork026@umn.edu.
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Ohio
State University Offers Forages Blog
Ohio State University’s extension forage team has put
together an Ohio Forages blog to offer timely information on pastures
and hay production. “Our forage team is taking this new approach
because it will be a good way to give more details and illustrations,”
says Mark Sulc, Ohio State University extension forage specialist. Visit
the new site at ohioforages.blogspot.com/.
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Illinois
Reports Adult Armyworm Moths
Grass pastures in Illinois may show signs of armyworm
larvae damage in the next couple of weeks, so growers should watch for
them, say University of Illinois entomologists. Adult armyworm moths
have been captured in pheromone traps in the state.
Source: University of Illinois IPM Bulletin.
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Minnesota
Andrew (Butch) Cardinal of Cardinal Brothers Hay Sales,
Hugo, braved a very cold wind to market his horse hay at the Minnesota
Horse Expo this past weekend. It was his first year exhibiting at the
three-day show. “The turnout and customer interest have been
fantastic,” he says. “The people coming into my tent at this show
have been very serious about buying hay.” Many asked about obtaining
certified weed-free hay to meet requirements some parks have for trail
riding. Because of that interest, he’s considering whether or not to
move toward raising weed-free hay.
Delivery and freight concerns were also top-of-mind among horse owners,
Cardinal says. He delivers and stacks hay for customers in dry storage
vans in lengths from 28’ to 53’ that hold 250-575 bales.
Cardinal raises 650 acres of alfalfa-grass and timothy-orchardgrass hay,
in addition to straw. Small square and large round bales go to the
horse, beef cattle and alpaca markets. This year he plans to add 150 hay
acres, is building a 20,000-bale hay storage shed and bought another
in-line square baler, a tractor and stack retriever.
For more on how the Cardinal brothers started selling to the alpaca
industry, see the February 2008 issue of Hay & Forage Grower
(“Beating The Horse Market”), or visit hayandforage.com/hay/grasses/cardinals-alpaca-profits/index.html.
Contact Cardinal at 612-325-2749, or email cardinalbros@msn.com.
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Ohio
Hay supplies are expected to remain tight in the coming
months as Ohio hay growers deal with the after-effects of a rough
winter, reports Mark Sulc, Ohio State University forage agronomist.
“With the winterkill problems we have experienced, I know some people
will be taking stands out and switching to other crops,” he says. “I
have heard of people who had to look for additional hay early this
spring because winter really hung on. We were slow starting out, but now
we finally have good growth on pastures.”
Sulc says the winter brought heaving in alfalfa stands from north to
south in the state, and in older and newly seeded fields. Damage ranges
from mild to severe within and between fields. Heaving is worse in
poorly drained fields. In the most recent Ohio State Crop Observation
and Recommendation Network newsletter, Sulc indicates that plants with
crowns heaved 2” or more above the soil surface are already dead or
will soon die. Plants that heaved 1-1.5” or less may first appear
normal and healthy with decent spring growth. However, they will
desiccate more quickly, be injured by wheel traffic and crowns may break
or be cut off at the first harvest. Some may survive through the first
harvest, but their yield potential is compromised and they will likely
disappear from the stand at some point during the growing season.
He says alfalfa stands were in a weakened state going into winter.
“Where a late fall harvest was made, no plant cover was left to
insulate the crowns and the soil from freeze-thaw cycles. Research in
Wayne County demonstrated that early November harvests dramatically
increased heaving in alfalfa stands compared with where a late harvest
was not made. Furthermore, very wet soils throughout the winter probably
contributed to lack of oxygen for alfalfa roots, and wet soils are also
known to decrease cold tolerance of alfalfa.”
A careful inspection of all alfalfa stands is very important, according
to Sulc. “A windshield inspection is inadequate to accurately assess
the health of alfalfa stands this year,” he says. He encourages
growers to walk their fields to determine whether spring growth appears
uniform and plants are healthy. If growth is spotty or non-existent, it
is very likely plants have suffered severe winter injury or heaving.
Contact Sulc at 614-292-9084.
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Florida
Forage Field Day Will Be May 29
The University of Florida and University of Georgia are
sponsoring the 2008 Corn Silage and Forage Field Day on May 29 at the
Plant Science and Research Unit, Citra, FL.
The morning program will include two sessions. “Fertility Efficiencies
and Crop Alternatives for Reduced Fertilizer Needs” will feature
alternative summer-annual forage crops and improving animal performance
with warm-season legumes, among other topics. The second session,
“Managing for Droughty Growing Conditions,” will explore the feeding
value of sorghum and annual forages, feed options when grass doesn’t
grow and other topics. After lunch, forage equipment field
demonstrations will be held.
For more information, contact Jerry Wasdin at jwas@ufl.edu, call 352-392-1120 or visit
www.animal.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/CSFD/index.shtml.
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Calendar
May 1 -- Beef Cattle And Forage Crops Field Day,
Kansas State University’s Southeast Ag Research Center, Mound Valley
Unit. Learn more at www.oznet.ksu.edu/SEARC/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=16.
May 12-14 -- Southern Pasture And Forage Crop Improvement Conference,
Crown Plaza Hotel, Knoxville, TN. Contact John Jennings for more
information at 501-671-2350.
May 16 -- North Carolina State University Horse Forage Management
Short Course, Ramada Inn Blue Ridge, Raleigh. Special emphasis on
maximizing use of forages and hay or pasture to economically meet
horses' nutrient requirements. Learn more at www.cals.ncsu.edu/an_sci/extension/horse/SC_Clinic/SCmain.htm.
June 6-8 -- Western States Horse Expo, Cal Expo Fairgrounds,
Sacramento, CA. Call 800-352-2411 or visit www.horsexpo.com.
June 11-12 -- Four-State Dairy Nutrition And Management Conference,
Grand Harbor Conference Center, Dubuque, IA. Covering dairy
industry topics for Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota. Contact
Evonne Hausman at ehausman@uiuc.edu.
July 11-13 -- North Carolina Equine Extravaganza, North Carolina
State Fairgrounds, Raleigh. Learn more at www.equineextravaganza.com.
Sept. 17-20 -- National Hay Association Convention, Oak Brook
Hills Marriott, Oak Brook, IL. Contact Don Kieffer at 800-707-0014, or
visit www.nationalhay.org.
Sept. 30-Oct. 4 -- World Dairy Expo, Alliant Energy Center,
Madison, WI. Visit www.worlddairyexpo.com.
Oct. 31-Nov. 2 -- Virginia Equine Extravaganza, Richmond
Raceway, Richmond. Learn more at www.equineextravaganza.com.
Nov. 6-7 -- 2008 Beef Quality Summit, sponsored by BEEF
magazine, Antlers Hilton Hotel, Colorado Springs, CO. Visit beefconference.com/.
Nov. 13-16 -- Massachusetts Equine Affaire, Eastern States
Exposition Center, West Springfield. Visit www.equineaffaire.com.
Dec. 5-6 -- 2008 Missouri Livestock Symposium, Kirksville, MO.
Programs for horse, beef cattle, sheep, meat goat, and forage producers,
and trade show. Details at missourilivestock.com, or call
Bruce Lane at 660-665-9866 or Garry Mathes at 660-341-6625.
Feb. 15-16, 2009 -- Southwest Hay And Forage Conference,
Ruidoso, NM. Contact Gina Sterrett at 575-626-5677 or Justin Boswell at
575-840-9908.
June 21-23, 2009 -- American Forage & Grassland Council Annual
Conference, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, MI. Call
800-944-2342 or email info@afgc.org.Calendar.
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Send Questions & Comments
To...
Lora Berg, Editor,
eHay Weekly,
hfg@hayandforage.com
For information on Hay & Forage Grower, contact:
Neil Tietz, Editor, ntietz@hayandforage.com
or
Fae Holin, Managing Editor, fholin@hayandforage.com
For specific information from past issues of eHay Weekly and
Hay & Forage Grower, click on hayandforage.com, and use the search
function in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage.
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