October 2024 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN 23 Quality vs. Quantity TRESSA LAWRENCE | CONTRIBUTING WRITER “We get more sample volume when we are in a drought,” says Kern-Lunbery. “In 2021 and 2022 we had an influx of sample volume, and we were mostly testing for nitrates because those nitrates creep in when we’re in a drought. In those years, the hay supply was down, but we also had a lot of really poor quality forages with low proteins coming in. A lot of producers were scrambling to meet those protein and energy requirements for their animals, so there was actually more testing needed. “I think years like this year, my understanding is we have a higher hay inventory, and so people are going to feed it, and they’re going to assume they have higher quality than they maybe do.” Tell Me About the Tests When you submit a hay or forage sample to Ward Laboratories there is a multitude of tests to choose from. The most popular test is the NIRS package. “With those calibrations, the results come with a lot of constituents, like crude protein, and then that also breaks that crude protein into soluble protein, heat damage protein, neutral detergent fiber and insoluble proteins, so they get a lot there,” explains Kern-Lunbery. “They also get the fiber, acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber. With that you also get your NDF digestibility at 48 and 30 hours. Our reports also show ash, starch, ethanol, soluble carbs and water-soluble carbs. “Beyond that, there are a lot of calculated values that we provide like your non-fiber carbohydrates and nonstructural carbohydrates for our equine producers. We offer beef cattle energies, the TDN, the net energies of gain, lactation and maintenance and also, upon request, equine digestible energy.” The information gleaned from these test results can be beneficial to producers looking to improve their crops, as well as to cattlemen looking to feed the hay. Test results typically take two to three business days. Producers or buyers concerned about nitrates in their hay don’t have to wait long for results. “I get a lot of questions on nitrates, and I would just say with nitrates, if you have any inkling that you could potentially have a problem with nitrates, then you just need to test it,” Kern-Lunbery says. “There is no anecdotal reason I can give you that can guarantee you’re not going to have issues. When you are testing nitrates, understand that they are variable throughout the field, which means they’re going to be variable throughout the bales. So when we’re testing nitrates, we’re reducing risk, but we can never fully eliminate it.” Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has improved significantly since it was introduced in the 1970s. NIRS is now widely accepted as an accurate hay testing method. If you are going to sample your hay, the National Forage Testing Association recommends you sample 20 percent of the bales or 20 bales, whichever is fewer. This allows for a good representation of hay quality. Some corners of the state have not been blessed with the rain that other parts of the state have seen, increasing the drying time before hay can be baled. Photo courtesy of Jemi Nielsen. CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
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