Success StoryInaugural Alfalfa Harvest Yields Top-Quality Forage



Inaugural Alfalfa Harvest Yields Top-Quality Forage

Author: Brian Jeffiers

Planning Unit: Johnson County CES

Major Program: Forages

Plan of Work: Livestock and Crops

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

Every farm struggles to provide quality feed to its livestock, but in the steep terrain and poor soils of eastern Kentucky, that challenge is even greater. Working with the ANR agent and UK forage specialist, one Johnson County horse owner recently converted about 11 acres of hay ground to Roundup-Ready alfalfa to combat johnsongrass, but this successful effort also yielded a major benefit to his animals. Hay testing through the East Kentucky Hay Contest found that the resulting alfalfa hay had 20.6% crude protein, making it the second-highest of the 454 samples tested for the event. Growing horses typically need about 18% crude protein in their daily ration, so this high-quality hay saves the producer roughly 25 cents per horse, per day for the entire hay feeding season.






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