From high-quality dairy hay to horse hay or the grass hay that feeds the country’s expanding cow herd, a timely harvest is good for your livestock, your hay-buying customers and your bottom line. Now is the time to spend some time with your hay equipment and in your hayfields.
Ready or not, hay-feeding season is fast approaching. The time to prepare is now, before temperatures plummet and the snow flies. A few basic steps can help you ease feeding and make the most of this important feedstuff.
How you store your hay equipment is as important as how you store your hay. Be it the hay or the equipment that helped make it, proper storage protects its value and helps it last longer. Winterize your equipment now, and it will be ready to make hay next spring.
Timing your hay cuttings is a balance between forage quantity and quality. As we approach this season’s final cuttings, a third factor weighs heavily: next year’s productivity. Consider when — or if — you take off another cutting and how that could affect the long-term productivity of your hay fields.
When your hay crop comes off as planned, it sure is satisfying. Cut at the ideal growth stage. Cured in perfect drying conditions. Baled before it rains. But do you have the right handling equipment to finish the job?
Think about what it takes for your hay crop to become a high-value feed source for your livestock or hay-buying customers: good timing, attention to detail and a little bit of luck. If you prepare, plan ahead and balance your goals against weather realities, your skills and know-how will leave less to chance.
Forages are valuable, whether you put up high-quality dairy hay, horse hay or grass hay to keep those high-value beef cows in condition. A timely harvest is good for your livestock, your hay-buying customers and your bottom line.
Whether buying or selling, you know how valuable forages are these days. And it’s expected to stay that way. But no matter what the markets do, putting up the highest-quality hay remains the goal. New products and technology in the Case IH hay and forage lineup can help.
Two of agriculture’s most prestigious events — World Ag Expo and the National Farm Machinery Show — are so big, it’s amazing one week can contain them. But that’s exactly what will happen in Tulare, California, and Louisville, Kentucky, respectively. Case IH will be at both, and we would enjoy the opportunity to meet you…
When it comes to events, the annual Cattle Industry Convention has “work hard, play hard” down pat. It’s also earned its reputation as a place to learn, make and renew acquaintances, and set the course for success. You can accomplish all that and more simply by connecting with Case IH at Booth 7045 next week…