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All beef cattle and hay producers are encouraged to turn in a sample of their hay for analysis at this year’s Austin County Hay Show scheduled for Oct. 3. Hay sample collection boxes and forms will be available at the following drop-off locations: Bellville Farm & Ranch, Linseisen’s Feed & Supply Inc, and Austin County Extension Office, all in Bellville; Steinhauser’s in Sealy; Bernardo Farm & Ranch in Cat Spring; 4M Feed & Ranch in New Ulm; Lindemann Store in Industry.
Samples will be accepted Aug. 1-31. Analysis of hay samples will be done by the Texas A&M Forage testing lab. Results will be available after the Annual Fall Forage Seminar at the Austin County Fairgrounds on Oct. 3 or mailed directly to the producer following the program. Each location will have entry forms and directions for collecting samples. In addition, the analysis is offered free of charge to anyone growing or feeding hay to livestock. Forage testing is sponsored by the Beef & Forage Committee of Austin County.
The analysis will give producers very useful information about the quality of the hay they are feeding to their livestock, and the test will help them determine what additional level of supplement may be needed during the winter. The test will show the crude protein level, total digestibility, and acid detergent fiber (ratio of leaf to stem). The testing campaign and Hay Show are open to any hay producer from Austin or surrounding counties.
Producers may submit as many samples as they wish for analysis in each of the following categories: 1) Improved (Hybrid) Bermudagrass (Except T-85) (e.g., Coastal, Jiggs, Alicia), 2) Other Bermudagrasses (e.g., Common Bermudagrass, Tifton 85), 3) Warm Season Annual Grasses (e.g., Rice Straw, Hay Grazer, Sudan Crosses, Sorghum Alum), 4) Other Warm Season Perennial Grasses (e.g., Eastern Gamagrass, Bluestem, Johnsongrass, Kleingrass, Bahiagrass), 5) Cool Season Grasses (e.g., Wheat, Oats, Cereal Rye, Ryegrass), 6) Legumes (e.g., Clover, Peanut, Cowpea), 7) Legume/Grass Mixtures (e.g., Rye/Clover, Oats/Vetch), and NEW this year 8) All other Mixed Grasses (e.g., Bermudagrass/Bahia, Bermudagrass/ Johnsongrass). Please refer to the Austin County Hay Show Guidelines available online at https:// austin. agrilife. org/ hay- show/.
For more information on submitting a forage sample for analysis, or on supplementation of beef cattle, contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service of Austin County at (979) 865-2072 and speak with the Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent Stacie Villarreal.
