Subirrigated meadow hay

Harvest

By Jerry Volesky, UNL

July traditionally means the beginning of the haying season for Sandhills subirrigated meadows. A key point related to the quality of meadow hay is harvest date. Crude protein and energy concentration decline as plants become stemmy and mature. As this happens, the types of livestock that can be fed that hay with little or no supplements become more limited.

A good practice can be to record harvest dates for different meadow fields. Quality of hay cut in early July could vary significantly compared to hay cut in late-July or August. Including notes if hay was impacted by rain before baling can also be useful. This information, along with hay tests can be useful when making hay feeding decisions this winter and next spring. Also remember that earlier meadow harvest will provide a longer regrowth period and extra growth for fall grazing.

Within some meadows, there can be variation in hay quality depending on plant species that are present. Sedges and rushes are most common in the wettest and lower parts of meadows and these species are lower in quality compared to grasses.

The extra rain received in central and western Nebraska this year has been mostly welcome. But excess rain can make some meadows impossible to even get in to cut the hay.

With the high demand for hay this year, most ranchers will wait until the ground dries and firms up enough to drive haying equipment over it. But the quality of this late cut hay will be lower.