| Show I Over the County I I Agents Agent's Desk DeskI I I i I I I l I Why does I the thc university reel rec rec- recommend cutting hay so young I County Agent Agen Reed Moore notes that many people ask this ques tion He cites the following matlon I matlon from research conducted by Dr Melvin J. J Anderson at Utah I State University pointing up the value of harvesting nay in the I j I late bud stage j I I I I Though total tonnage of at bay hay may Increase up to late bloom I you lose two ways as maturity ad I vances from I bud stage to bloom I II I stage The crude protein in your I hay decreases s markedly Dr Anderson Anderson An An- derson Berson noted rioted that In his tests crude prot proteins ln decreases from per cent t to per cent and digestible di dl prot protein in decreased from r I per cent centt I to 98 per centI cent I You lose looe p va value per ton equal to 50 O p pounds of 40 per cent protein concentrate for each 1 p per r cent decrease ase In crude pro teIn If It yo yap you s value protein concentrate concentrate concen concen- at cwt cwi you can readily I see L see that hat hay v value lue may well vary 10 to tJ 15 per ton As maturity the digestibility In the tests also decreased from 64 per percent cent cent centt at t bud stage to per cent at bloom stage The res research arch also indicated another an other loss The animals ate 12 per cent less of the more mature hay This decrease In nutrients your cows' cows production accordingly To supplement poor hay bay and keep production levels up you must feet more concentrate concentrate concen concen- and concentrates containing more protein Utah State University gives four recommendations for harvest I Ing top quality hay 1 Cut early Late bud stage gives optimum I quality and yield yUld 2 Condition the hay Conditioning speeds stem drying and saves leaves 3 Save I Ithe I the leaves Leaves have three times umes as much digestible protein I Iru I a ru as do stems and 40 pr par cent more I I total digestible nutrients 4 Store I I properly Hay quality lost in stor age is money moncy wasted |
