Success StoryBeef Bash



Beef Bash

Author: Benjamin Conner

Planning Unit: College of Agriculture

Major Program: Forages

Plan of Work: Youth and Adults Agriculture and Natural Resources Education, Adaptation, & Sustainability

Outcome: Initial Outcome

Scott County Kentucky currently has a beef cattle herd of 28,509 head according to the 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture. These cattle utilize forage as a large part of their diets. Baleage is taking baled forage, that has been wilted over a short period of time, wrapping it in plastic, and allowing it to ensile like silage. Baleage has become another way for farmers to harvest and store forage to be used in cattle diets. Baleage is still being understood and researched. I worked with Scott County farmers to look at how long it took forages to dry down to 60% moisture which is the top end of the recommended baleage baling moisture. It was determined that alfalfa dried down the quickest, followed by forage soybeans and sorghum-sudangrass. I then presented this information to a group of producers at Beef Bash at the UK Beef Unit. It was an opportunity for producers to learn more about making good baleage and hopefully add to their knowledge so they can apply it to their own operation.