Optimizing Animal Nutrition A Guide to Different Hay Samples

YouTube by University of Maine that illustrates how to take a forage sample from small and large hay bales for testing nutrient composition. There is considerable variation in a hay lot. Take a separate sample from each field and cutting. Sample bales at random at various heights. Welcome , I pull hay samples for the lab after each cutting on hay. Which are in a bale , I get about a half gallon sample in a zip lock bag. Recommendations to collect a representative sample from baled forages · Baleage: Sample after fermentation is complete, typically 4 weeks after ... Moisture – the percent water in a sample. Dry matter – equals (100% - Moisture) and represents everything in the sample other than water ... Loose or compressed hay stacks. Use a hay probe at least 24 inches long to collect 15 or more samples from each “lot”. Sample loose hay stacks from the top and ... Hay samples should be taken using a hay probe or a core sampler. The hay probe should penetrate at least 12-18 inches into the bale and have an ... to two different labs—the samples are likely to be genuinely different! To test two labs, either grind and carefully split the sample, or better yet, ask for ... Proper sampling technique is critical. Hay is pre- served in different packages, ranging from the small square bale weighing 40 to 50 pounds to the large square ... Obviously, the place to start grouping is to separate different types of hay, like alfalfa or CRP or corn stalk or meadow hay. But each cutting ...