PALESTINE — There are two simple practices that many landowners just never seem to get around to. . . soil testing and hay testing.

These two inexpensive tools can save money and greatly increase production. I'm mainly talking to all the farm and ranch owners in the county, but I'm also talking to myself. Your County Agent has lived in his home for over a year and a half and he has never gotten around to taking a soil sample on his own place. I will do it soon!

Any time of year is a good time to take a soil sample, but now is the critical time to make sure you know the quality of your hay. We spend a lot of money on feed and feed supplement throughout the year. I bet, without thinking hard, you can remember the protein content of range cubes and the last molasses block you just bought. But can you truly tell me about the quality of hay you have?

A speaker at a recent beef cattle seminar, made the statement that 70 percent of the resources [time & money] a landowner puts in on his place, revolves around over wintering his cattle. When you cut hay, buy a new baler, fertilize, lime and load and unload hay; your preparing for winter. When you are cutting hay in August and it's hot, dusty and miserable all your doing is getting ready for the cold, wet miserable days in the winter. With all the time and effort put into your primary feed source… HAY; doesn't it make sense to know exactly what you are feeding?

There has been many instances where “good looking hay” was starving a momma cow. Just this week, two costal hay samples came into the office. One was course, with mainly stems and had been sitting outside over a year. The second, was new hay. It was soft, with good color and good leaf structure. Both samples tested out very similar in crude protein. You cannot tell the true quality of hay by look, feel, smell or whether the sign at the gate said “fertilized hay.”

It's critical to remember, that hay with a forage protein less than 7 percent, will not allow animal's rumen to function properly. The cow's stomach microbial population will suffer from a nitrogen deficiency. As a result, the animal can't ferment the hay thoroughly, which lowers the amount of nutrients available to the cow.

Hay and forage sampling is easy and cheap. It should be a one of the basic management tools you use each year. We have two good labs that can do the testing for you; the Stephen F. Austin State University — Soil, Plant and Water Analysis Laboratory and the Texas A&M; University — Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory. We have both lab's information sheets in our office. Or, you can pull up either lab on line and download the forms.

http://ag.sfasu.edu/UserFiles/File/Soils%20Lab/forageInfoForm.pdf

http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/files/Forageweb2.pdf

• • •

The following is the sampling procedure suggested by SFA.

Procedure for Taking Forage Samples

Forage or leaf tissue tests can be only as accurate as the samples on which they are made. Proper collection of forage or leaf tissue samples is extremely important. Chemical tests on poorly taken samples may actually be misleading.

1. Sample Different Lots of Hay Separately. Kind of hay, time of cutting, fertilizer rates (especially nitrogen), and weather conditions at harvest will influence nutritional values. It is more important to sample each kind of hay and each cutting than it is to sample hay that has or has not been rained on. If your different lots of hay are stored together and will be fed at the same time, then get hay from several bales from each lot and mix together to make one sample for analysis.

2. Get hay from 10 to 12 bales per lot or cutting. If possible use a core sampling tool to get the sub-samples. Take the core from the end of small rectangular bales, and from the side of large round bales or other big packages. If the bale is stored in the open get your sample from far enough in the bale to avoid the spoiled outer layer.

3. Mix the samples well before placing in a plastic bag for mailing to the lab. If samples are wet or have a high moisture content, let air dry for one day before putting in bag to mail. A quart size bag will hold enough hay for the laboratory analysis.

The basic forage samples from SFA & Texas A&M; University will cost you about $10. It's a deal you can't afford to pass up.

• • •

Question of the Week

Q. This week's question is for you.

Several of you have asked about the Private Pesticide Applicators License classes and testing. The Texas Department of Agriculture asks that we have a minimum of 10 participants in the class for them to come to Palestine and administer the test.

Please let me know if you need the license. Once I have six or seven individuals showing an interest, I will schedule the date and publicize the training.

————

Calendar

January 2009

Car Seat Inspections,
Call for an appointment,
Holly Black at 903-723-3735

Jan.12: County Swine Validation
4-6 p.m., Expo Center

Jan. 19: County Extension Office Closed
Martin Luther King Holiday

Jan. 19: ACYLA Board Meeting
6:30 p.m., Expo Center

Jan. 27: 4-H Council Meeting, 6 p.m.
Adult Leader Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
County Extension Office

Jan. 30: Master Wellness Volunteer Training, call for more information 903-723-3735

Mark Price is the agricultural extension agent for Anderson County, 903-723-3735.