Hay testing is always valuable, but it is especially helpful when using crop residues and developing diets to stretch limited hay supplies. Before sending a sample in for analysis, it is always good to visit with a nutritionist to see what labs they recommend and what tests would be most appropriate for the sample being analyzed.

Ensuring forage quality and nutritional value over the long winter months is a yearlong process. The minute forage is cut, it begins to lose nutritional value. There is no way to increase quality from this moment on.