Now is a great time to take inventory of your hay supply for the fall! Knowing the amount of hay you have available is important to note along with how much hay was used last year. Based on this, you can make estimates on what is needed to be purchased, if any. To get more accurate information, a hay sample can be done. Feel free to reach out to our office for help on estimating your hay needs and for hay testing. Because the quality of the hay can change based on many factors like the forage type, stage of maturity at harvest, soil type, and fertilizer rate, it is important to test every year. Knowing the nutrient content of your hay can help in management decisions to utilize your hay supply more efficiently. For example, by matching animals with higher nutrient requirements (ex: lactating or growing cattle) to your best hay, the gap needed in supplements is not as steep. Depending on your hay analysis, you may not need any supplements at all. It is always best to test, rather than guess!
This year, we will be hosting a hay contest for producers in Surry County. Entries will be due October 31st. To participate, or to get your hay tested, please contact Bailey Wood at (336) 401-8025 or at bailey_wood@ncsu.edu.
We also will be continuing to put together a list of producers with hay for sale. If you would like to be included in the list, please call our office. We will be collecting information about the type of hay and kind of bale for sale. This list will be shared with those who call looking to purchase hay, and they can reach out to those listed depending on their need.
