Hay in stacks
Producers should be mindful of their hay feeding practices to reduce financial loss — with no restrictions, cattle can waste nearly 45% of fed hay.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Reducing Hay Losses, Understanding Relative Feed Value of Hay

November 21, 2023
Extension educators share insights on how to reduce fed hay losses and the differences between relative feed value and relative forage quality when testing grass hay.

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Stacked hay bales
Quality hay probes and good sampling techniques are important factors for accurate hay test results and will help producers save money on supplemental feed during the winter.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Winter Grazing Pastures and Hay Testing

November 2, 2023
Extension educators review considerations for managing livestock nutrition during the winter, from grazing pastures to feeding quality hay.

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Field of sorghum
Historical crop production reports for Nebraska are available at USDA.

Nebraska Crop Production Report for October 2023

October 12, 2023
Although estimates have decreased since September, sorghum continues to lead Nebraska's crop production forecasts at a 153% increase from last year.

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Cattle grazing field
Cattle grazing cereal rye cover crop near Tecumseh. (CropWatch file photo)

Pasture and Forage Minute: Planning Cover Crops, Testing Hay Quality and Nitrate Management

September 12, 2023
Tips on selecting and planting cover crops, managing nitrate risks while grazing annuals, and preparing hay samples for testing.

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Loading corn silage
Silage harvesters can put out impressive volumes of chop, often overwhelming the packer with too many loads before they can get a proper pack. Remember, the speed of chopping should be determined by the packing speed, not the silage chopper.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Considerations for Corn Silage, Last Cutting Alfalfa and Forage Inventories

August 29, 2023
Best practices for packing and covering corn silage, timing the last fall alfalfa cutting, and taking inventory of fall and winter feed supplies.

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Grasshopper in field
With continued drought, producers may see grasshoppers moving from field edges into crops. Frequent scouting of fields will be critical in the coming weeks, particularly in alfalfa and late summer-seeded grasses, which are more susceptible to feeding damage..

Pasture and Forage Minute: Managing Grasshoppers, Pasture Weeds and Wet Hay

August 23, 2023
Insights on late summer grasshopper and pasture weed control, and options for producers putting up hay in wet conditions.

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Hay stack
Uncertain forecasts make harvest decisions difficult for hay producers, but it's important to keep in mind that the more hay is worked, the more leaf shatter occurs and the lower quality we end up with — especially for alfalfa.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Kernel Processing for Silage, Hay Harvest and Storage Considerations

August 9, 2023
Nebraska Extension Educator Ben Beckman reviews methods of kernel processing for quality corn silage, reducing hay loss during storage and adjusting for adverse weather during hay harvest.  

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Corn silage harvesting
Target silage storage moisture content should be 65%-70% moisture, as drier silage can overheat and spoil, and higher moisture content may cause loss of nutrients.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Corn Silage Harvest and Storage, Rejuvenating Thin Alfalfa

August 3, 2023
Extension educators share recommendations on strategies for silage harvest and storage, and ways to improve thinning alfalfa fields to delay the need for a complete reseeding.

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