Aug. 20, 2018
Fall forage situation
Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist
A very cool and wet August is just the latest turn in a rather unusual year for forage production in Oklahoma. Waves of wet and dry and warm and cool weather have made it difficult to assess forage conditions across the state. According to the Oklahoma Mesonet, every climate region of the state has received above average rainfall the past 30 days, ranging from 139 percent of normal in the Panhandle to 268 percent of normal in the Southeast. However, the latest Drought monitor shows 70 percent of Oklahoma with abnormally dry conditions or worse, including 26 percent in severe drought or worse (D2-D4).
To be fair, the Mesonet totals include rain this past week which will not be reflected in the Drought Monitor until the new report is issued later this week, when drought improvement is anticipated. Nor does this in any way suggest that the Drought Monitor is anything less than a valuable tool. However, it does highlight the fact that the Drought Monitor captures longer term average conditions and is limited in the ability to adjust quickly to highly variable short term weather changes. It is clear that no single or simple weather measure is adequate to assess forage conditions this year, not only in Oklahoma, but across much of the country as well.
The latest crop progress report shows U.S. average pasture and range conditions at 30 percent poor to very poor, up from 22 percent one year ago. In Oklahoma, 23 percent of pastures are currently rated poor to very poor, compared to seven percent this time last year. Regional pasture conditions have higher percentages of poor to very poor conditions in the West, Southern Plains, Corn Belt, Northeast and Southeast. Only the Great Plains region (CO, KS, MT, NE, ND, SD and WY) has a smaller percentage of poor and very poor pasture conditions this year. The Drought Monitor shows that 20.02 percent of the U.S. is currently in severe drought or worse (D2-D4). This compares to 5.33 percent at this time last year.
The hay situation is perhaps even more difficult to assess this year. The 2018 hay crop year started with U.S. total May 1 hay stocks down 36 percent year over year, and at the lowest level since 2013. Variable summer weather conditions have impacted both quantity and quality of hay production. The latest Livestock Marketing Information Center projections suggest a slight overall increase in hay production of 0.5 percent year over year; with increased alfalfa hay production more than offsetting decreased other hay production. However, the lower beginning stocks mean that overall hay supplies will be tighter and higher prices are expected for all types of hay.
Anecdotal indications are that forage and hay production is variable but probably lower for much of Oklahoma. The start and stop nature of forage growth this season has contributed to Prussic acid and nitrate toxicity in sorghum forages and Johnson grass, with several cattle deaths reported Producers must continue to monitor and manage grazing and hay production to minimize quality and toxicity problems. August moisture may provide an opportunity to boost forage supplies for fall and winter. Current conditions may facilitate some late season hay production or, better yet for some producers, an opportunity to stockpile pasture for fall and winter. Conditions are looking more favorable for wheat and other cool-season cereal forage production this fall.
Forage testing — A key decision aide in 2018
by Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist
Hay fields in some areas of Oklahoma have produced an average to above average number of big round bales this summer. The quality of the hay will be quite variable. Some will supply a great deal of the nutrients needed to maintain body condition on beef cows this winter. Other hay will be lacking in protein and energy and will require a substantial amount of supplement to be fed or the cattle will lose weight and body condition during the winter months.
Forage analysis can be a useful tool to remove some of the mystery concerning the hay that producers will feed this winter. The out-of-pocket costs of protein and energy supplements are further fuel to this advice. Testing the grass hays this year for protein and energy content will help the producer design winter supplementation programs most appropriate for the forage supply that is available. It is hard to think of any year when forage testing was more important. To learn more about matching supplements with available forages, download and read Oklahoma State University Fact Sheet ANSI-3010 “Supplementing Beef Cows.”
There are several good methods of sampling hay for forage analysis. Most nutritionists would prefer to use a mechanical coring probe made specifically for this purpose. The coring probe is usually a stainless steel tube with a serrated, cutting edge. It is 1 inch in diameter and is designed to fit on a 1/2 inch drill or brace. Cordless drills make these tools quite mobile so that the hay bales to be tested do not have to be hauled to be near an electrical outlet. The hay samples are place in paper or plastic bags for transfer to a forage testing laboratory. Cores are taken from several bales at random to obtain a representative sample to be analyzed. More selections for forage sampling tools can be found on the National Forage Testing Association Website.
Grab samples can also be obtained and tested. To receive the best information, grab several samples by hand from about 6 inches into the open side of the bale or the middle third of a round bale. Place all of the sample in the bag. Do not discard weeds or stems, just because they look undesirable. They are still part of the hay that you are offering to the livestock. Be certain to label the forage samples accurately and immediately, in order for the laboratory analysis to be correctly assigned to the proper hay piles or bales. Obviously the more samples that are sent to the laboratory for analysis, the more information can be gained. Just as obvious is the fact that as the number of samples increase, the cost of forage testing increases. Any of the potential nitrate accumulating hays should be tested for nitrate concentration.
Samples can be taken to the OSU County Extension office near you and then sent to the OSU Soil, Water, and Forage Testing laboratory in Agricultural Hall on the campus at Stillwater. The price list below gives some of the options from which producers may choose to best fit their situation. There are other commercial laboratories available that also do an excellent job of forage analysis.
Forage Analysis Price list from OSU Soil, Water, and Forage Testing Laboratory
| Protein only | Protein and Moisture Only | $8.00 |
| Basic Analysis | Protein and Moisture, ADF, TDN, Net Energy for: Gain, Lactation, Maintenance | $14.00 |
| Basic Plus Energy Plus Relative Feed Value (RFV) | Protein, Moisture, ADF, TDN, Energy, NDF –(Neutral Detergent Fiber), RFV – Relative Feed Value (Alfalfa Only) | $20.00 |
| Nitrate Toxicity | Nitrate and Moisture | $6.00 |
Cow-Calf Corner is a newsletter by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Agency.