• Tweet
• Printer Friendly

Hay Quality 2025 . . . Been there, done that!

Stan Smith, PA, Fairfield County OSU Extension

Once again when discussing hay harvest, we find ourselves in the midst of a conversation about timeliness and resulting quality concerns. It’s beginning to sound like a broken record or at very least an annual event. About all I can say is what most any Midwest farmer might say . . . been there, done that . . .

Yet again, in what’s seemingly become this annual occurrence of delayed hay harvest, quality forage, especially dry hay is in short supply throughout Ohio. This time it results largely from drought last summer, followed by wet, poor hay making spring weather of 2025. Combine that with spring pastures that matured quickly and became trampled due to wet grazing conditions and now, in mid-2025, we find the inventory of quality hay in much of Ohio remains critically low.

Unfortunately, it seems this may have become the norm for Ohio. With the National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) estimating Ohio hay making progress was less than half of normal at the end of May, after a similar lack of favorable hay harvest conditions continued throughout June, it’s apparent that Ohio cattlemen will again be faced with finding ways to make “feed” from hay that was harvested way past it’s prime.

As an example of the hay quality we’re seeing, a summary of six recent forage analysis’ from mixed grass hay made in June from throughout Ohio shows TDN of only 52% and an average Relative Feed Value of less than 90 on a dry matter basis.

I could tell you that’s not good, but perhaps a better way is to compare it to wheat straw. When you look up the “book values” for the feed nutrient content of straw you find that for the most part, this late made hay is little better than typical wheat straw. With so much first cutting Ohio hay being made in late June and beyond again this year, it leads me back to the same thought . . . been there, done that.

Feed of the quality referenced in the example above and being fed as long stem hay, even when offered in unlimited amounts, simply won’t satisfy the daily nutritional requirements of a cow most any time during the year. This include during her time of least nutritional need which is when she’s dry during mid-gestation. Without amendment, feeding this quality of forage for very long eventually results in cows with lesser body condition, delayed return to estrus, lower conception rates, lighter calf weaning weights, lower quality colostrum, and perhaps even weak calves at birth.

Considering that a forage supply and quality problem remains across Ohio, it’s not realistic to expect we can replace all the poor-quality hay being made this year with purchased hay or a properly made second or third cutting. While growing additional forages on Prevented Planting corn and soybean acres for harvest this fall may relieve some of the pressure, it’s apparent it’ll be necessary to find ways to most effectively utilize the lesser quality first cutting hay we presently have. Fortunately, there are options available to accomplish just that, and time to create and implement strategies that allow it without cow health suffering.

OSU Extension recently initiated a forage testing program that runs until at least the end of July. Find details at https://go.osu.edu/testyourhay. Take advantage of this opportunity, or at a minimum have your forages tested somewhere. A hay probe might be the most valuable tool you use this summer!

Once the quality of existing forages has been assessed, as the alternatives are considered for making feed from late made, poorly digestible forages, and stretching the supply of any high-quality forages that might be in inventory, consider this brief checklist:

• We can’t say it enough, sample, test and inventory each lot of hay that’s made. Similar qualities of hay should be stored together in order that they can be found and fed at the most opportune times during the hay feeding season.
• Can bunk feeding cows during the winter months be made an option? This allows for limited supplementation of extra energy and/or protein in the correct amounts at the correct times.
• Could processing poor quality long stem hay into smaller particle size be made an option? Reducing the large particle size of mature long stem grass hay to two to 6 inches in length can increase the rate of forage digestion enough that it allows cows to consume 25-30% more forage daily.
• Optimize the quantity and quality of subsequent hay cuttings this year by fertilizing now. At a minimum, applying 35 to 50 units of additional nitrogen will benefit future cuttings this year.

As the summer progresses continue to monitor forage quality and explore options for properly supplementing the hay we have in inventory. In the meantime, give serious consideration to how best you can grow additional feed yet this year, and get your forages tested for quality and plan to strategically supplement or process them into feed that’s more digestible.

The reality is the inventory of quality forages across Ohio is very short. Today we still have options and as we all know, we’ve been here and done this before. Even if you don’t believe it may now be the norm, do believe that we’ll be here again in the future. Perhaps it’s about time we just plan over the long haul for it!

Source: Ohio State University