Cow-Calf Corner: Questions To Ask BEFORE Buying Hay

Dec 28, 2022

By Mark Z. Johnson

Winter is coming and hay inventories are low. Given the current situation it can come as a relief to just find hay to purchase. In 2022 many of us in Oklahoma find ourselves making hay purchases from out of state that are not the typical harvested forages we use in Oklahoma. Regardless of the hay source you are considering, ask the following questions and consider the following before making purchases:

Ask for a FEED ANALYSIS REPORT of the hay before you agree to buy and consider the moisture, protein, energy and relative feed value of what you are purchasing. Also consider the nitrate levels if you are purchasing sorghum hay.
Purchase by the ton, not by the bale. In a drought year like 2022, there will be hay on the market from roadsides and abandoned fields. Some bales of low density depending on baler settings. In order to get what you are paying for base purchases on tonnage. All hay bales are not of equal weight or quality.
Ask how the hay has been stored. In a barn = less spoilage, stacked in rows on pallets is better than stacked on the ground.
Ask what type of wrap is on bales. Net wrap results in less spoilage than twine wrap.

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Video: Same Grit, New Name: A Conversation with Ryan Calistro of Bower Ag

Swine Leaders Live, we sit down with Ryan Calistro, President of Bower Ag, to discuss a major brand transition in the ag construction and solutions space—and what it means for swine producers. Bower Ag represents a new, unified identity, bringing together Ag Property Solutions, Dairy Specialists, and The Dairy Solutions Group under one name. But as Ryan explains, this isn’t about change for the sake of change—it’s about strengthening what already works and delivering more value to producers.

We dive into:

• What Bower Ag is and why the transition was made

• What stays the same for longtime customers

• How combining multiple businesses creates new opportunities for producers

• What today’s producers are asking for—and how Bower Ag is responding

• Key insights heading into World Pork Expo

If you’ve worked with APS before—or are evaluating partners for your next project—this conversation provides a clear look at where Bower Ag is headed and how they’re positioning themselves for the future.