Livestock owners are responsible for meeting the nutritional needs of livestock throughout the year. Without knowing the nutritional makeup of the hay provided herdsman cannot make an informed decision on  what ration will meet the needs of their animals. Forage producers do not know the true value of their product without knowing the nutritional makeup of the hay or haylage produced. The Boyd County Cooperative Extension Service participated with other Kentucky Agriculture Agents in The East Kentucky Hay Contest to offer herdsman and forage producers an opportunity to have their hay analyzed for nutritional content. 

The Boyd County Cooperative Agricultural and Natural Resources Agent contacted local Boyd County farmers who have: attended agricultural Cooperative Extension Service educational programs, utilized the Boyd County Cooperative Extension Soil Testing Service, or are a member of the Boyd County Saddle Club and encouraged them to participate in the hay testing contest. The Boyd County Cooperative Extension Service also advertised the East Kentucky Hay Contest as being free and open to all Boyd County farmers on their website and on their social media pages. All participants were invited to the contest results banquet which included educational components, how to interpret the forage analysis reports and a presentation on feeding steers through the winter,  and the opportunity to speak with Cooperative Extension Agricultural and Natural Resources Agents and Specialists. . Along with their results participants were given a fact sheet on forage analysis interpretation. Instructed on where to find the online forage calculator. 

There were a total of 14 Boyd County forage producers and livestock owners who participated in the East Kentucky Hay Contest this year. There were eight more participants this year than 2023 and three producers who participated for the first time. Boyd County participation in the East  Kentucky Hay Contest has been growing since 2022.

Of the 623 total submissions in the East Kentucky Hay Contest three Boyd County producers  placed in the top three spots in their contest classes. Farmers often use the time that the Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent is at their farm to collect hay samples to ask questions about other farm related concerns. All farmers that participated in this year's contest indicated that they would be likely to participate in 2025. Many producers saw the value in the hay analysis when it came to making knowledgeable decisions on when to cut their hay fields and the importance of soil health and weed control. Livestock owners indicated that with the forage reports they could make informed decisions on animal rations and feed hay strategically.