By Ted Wiseman
Depending on what part of the state or country you live in, this year has been another challenge with pastures and forages. Hay yields are all over the board as far as quantity and to date I am surprised of the few results that I have seen the quality. Many in my area were able to get first cutting of in great time this spring, but the quality has been surprisingly lower than expected. So as many finish up hay making, now is a good time to take inventory of what you have and take forage samples to determine what nutrient values are in the crop.
If you find yourself with low forages going into fall, some options may include utilizing land coming out of CRP contracts, corn stalks, cover crops or a hay field being converted into row crops. Fall is a great time to construct a new, repair existing or implement temporary fencing. First evaluate what forage and water resources you have available.
Source : osu.edu