Quality Tested Hay Auctions Begin Dec 2nd 

        Quality tested hay auction season is here and area producers will again have the opportunity to buy or sell forage based on known nutrient value.  This winter, quality tested hay auctions will be offered on the first Friday of each month running December through April at Equity Livestock in Lomira.   The Fond du Lac and Dodge County Forage Councils will sponsor the auctions along with Equity Livestock.  For these tested sales to continue in the future, both buyers and sellers will need to support them to every extent possible.  As always, auctions will begin at 12 noon but loads must be checked-in no later than 10:45 a.m. to insure adequate time for testing.   

Hay price results from the Lomira auctions can be obtained by calling the FORAGEline.   

Call 1-800-441-4636

Then dial "1"

Enter the 4-digit message code 1-2-6-6 

Results are also available on the Fond du Lac County Extension Agronomy World Wide Web page at:  

www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/hayauc06.html

Roundup Ready Alfalfa Varieties Now Available 

        A limited number of Roundup Ready alfalfa varieties were made available this fall and we can anticipate more hitting the market over the next few years.  The performance information on these new varieties is limited (as is the case with most new alfalfa varieties) and there is an additional $125 per bag technology fee to consider. We’ll take a close look at the advantages and concerns with Roundup Ready alfalfa at the upcoming Dairy Forage Day on December 7^th. 

 
Soybean Silage Test Results 

        In 2004, there were some producers who harvested their soybean crop for silage because 1) they needed the feed, or 2) realized the soybeans were not going to reach a harvest maturity for grain.  Soybean silage from five different counties was sampled and analyzed for yield and nutritional value.  The survey, conducted by Kevin Jarek in Outagamie County, evaluated seven unique samples.   In some cases, the soybean silage was mixed with corn silage, alfalfa haylage, triticale, or sorghum-sudan.  Results of the “soybean only” samples were as follows: 

         The data shows a wide range of variation.  This was primarily due to differences in planting and harvesting dates.  Additional information obtained from this survey was as follows:

·         The dry down time from cutting to harvest ranged from 1.5 to 4.0 days.

·         Most of the producers involved in the study indicated that dry matter intake and animal performance did not decrease from feeding the soybean silage or mixed silage.

·         The majority of the soybean silage fields were planted in mid-June.  This no doubt resulted in lower than normal dry matter yields.

·         Judging the proper harvest moisture is difficult. Testing is worth the time and effort.

Alfalfa Fall Dormancy Ratings 

        Fall dormancy is a measure of an alfalfa plant’s response to lower temperatures and shorter days in the fall.  A low number indicates a variety will become “dormant” earlier in the fall.  Most varieties grown in this region have fall dormancy ratings of 2 to 4, although a few 5’s are starting to be marketed.  There was once a strong relationship between fall dormancy and winterhardiness.  That relationship has become much softer in the past ten years.  That is, some FD 4 varieties are every bit as winterhardy as some FD 2 varieties.  This offers the potential for harvesting higher yields from fall cut alfalfa without sacrificing winterhardiness.