While most farmers certainly won’t turn down a year with ample rain, the frequency of rainfall can pose a challenge to putting up high-quality hay for the winter months.
As we move forward to a late spring, temperatures are warming up and alfalfa producers are having questions on how to access their alfalfa fields for winter injury.
If the pasture of stockpile is heavy, then it can often be grazed even under fairly wet conditions without too much long-term damage but, you will need to have a watchful eye.
In some cases, plants can become more toxic during drought and heat stress. In addition, there is the increased potential for cattle to ingest toxic plants due to lack of other feedstuffs.
Grass tetany might be easily defined as a deficiency of magnesium, but for Dick Kurtz of Oregon, Mo., it just means trouble. He lost three cows in March to the disorder and is carefully watching a few more.
With the excessively wet planting conditions much of the Midwest is now experiencing, many producers are looking for “Plan B” to meet forage needs for their livestock.
The Feed Emergency Enhancement During Disasters Act (FEEDD Act) would allow producers who are utilizing prevent plant to at least graze, hay or chop a cover crop to feed livestock.
A device about the size of an electronic key fob, paired with a smart phone, will allow livestock producers and consultants to conduct real-time on-farm feed analysis
