HomeAg & Natural ResourcesScissor Cut Results 5/31/22
Scissors Cut Results 2022 Banner

Scissor Cut Results 5/31/22

Beef Go, Dairy Finish

Hay quality past the target zone for dairy quality and growing yearling beef for all fields except pure alfalfa at sampling this week, alfalfa quality is at dairy quality stage.  It is also go time for harvesting hay for growing yearling and lactating beef.  Field targeted for forage for mature beef cows can wait another week.

Estimated days from 5/31 to reach target quality for classes of cattle

 

Beef
Dairy Growing Calf Growing Yearling Lactating Cow Mature Dry Cow
Grass PAST PAST NOW NOW 7-10 days
Mixed PAST PAST NOW NOW 7-10 days
Legume NOW NOW NOW NOW 7-10 days

Later maturing grasses rapidly grew taller this week as all most fields are now headed, with some fields gaining over 20 inches, earlier heading fields gained less height. Legumes grew 5-8 inches. Fiber (aNDFom) advanced about 1 point per day, and fiber digestibility (NDFD) decreased by about 10 points. Energy (TDN) decreases as cell walls thicken and become more “woody”, TDN decreased about 1 point per day this last week.
The Table below has each sample location, listed by Town and elevation, and lists the species sampled, average height, Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibility (NDFD), and Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN). We have sampled grass, legume and mixed legume/grass fields across the county and at elevations from 1070 to 2100 feet. Look for locations with similar forage type and elevation to your farm.

Special thanks to Dairy One for providing sample analysis

Delaware County Scissor Cuts Results May 24, 2022 May 31, 2022
Farm Town Elev Species Ht aNDFom NDFD TDN Ht aNDFom NDFD TDN
Eisele Andes 1412 Orchardgrass 25 56.3 68 72 38 60.2 53 71
Gladstone Andes 1960 Mixed grasses 27 56.3 68 72 40 65 57 66
Mattson Colchester 1090 Alf(50%)/Tfesc 24/23 46.6 49 66 27/29 60.9 46 64
Mushkoday Delhi 1340 Alf(90%)/Tim 21/30 40.1 50 69 29/33 39.7 49 67
Rama Delhi 1400 Clov(30%)/Grass 16/30 50.2 60 70 17/42 61.2 55 66
Sullivan Delhi 1425 Clov(35%)/Orch 27 60.3 64 69 40 65.9 53 67
Hutson Hamden 1275 Alfalfa 21 37.4 52 71 26 38.9 41 67
Moody Hamden 2100 Orchardgrass 27 57.8 64 70 30 63.9 55 67
Reed Hamden 1740 Ken. Bluegrass 17 54.6 67 71 21 61.3 58 66
Scobie Hamden 1740 K. Bluegrass 25 53.3 58 71 36 64.2 56 67
Hillriegel Hardenburgh 1670 Orchardgrass 30 58.2 64 69 46 66.7 55 67
Haynes Kortright 1900 Orchardgrass 28 56.5 68 68 40 64.9 55 69
Keator Meredith 1600 Tall Fescue 23 50.3 60 76 45 58.7 55 69
Elliot Middletown 2060 Reed Canarygrass 35 59.5 61 70 42 66 51 65
Coombe Neversink 1420 Tall Fescue 22 52.3 62 67 29 64.8 53 63
Gockel Roxbury 1890 Mixed grasses 30 62.1 58 71 42 61.6 58 66
Kuhn Roxbury 1980 Mixed grasses 36 53.4 62 72 36 64 49 64
Perry Roxbury 1830 Orchardgrass 26 57 67 74 35 64.5 54 68
Johnson Sidney 1070 Orchardgrass 31 55.6 60 68 37 60.3 42 66
Johnson Sidney 1070 Alfalfa 22 38.4 51 71 27 35.7 32 67
Hanselman Stamford 1488 Alfalfa 22 34.6 49 70 26 50.1 47 64
Ryan Stamford 1800 Mixed grasses 15 54.8 58 70 26 64.7 55 65
LaTourette Tompkins 1210 Clov(20%)/grass 14/30 54.3 58 67 12/46 65.1 54 67
Marsiglio Walton 1750 Orchardgrass 22 56.5 64 72 34 65.9 54 67
Wickham,B Walton 1170 Alf(30%)/Orch 24/28 49.6 59 68 26/39 54.4 50 67
Av Grass Ht 26.4 36.6
Av Legume Ht 20.6 23.8

Target Quality for Classes of Cattle

NDF Goals for Dairy Cattle Forage TDN Goals for Beef Cattle Forage
Grass hay and silage 48 – 55% Growing Calf (2lb ADG) 70 – 72
MMG hay & silage 40 – 50% Growing Yearling (2lb ADG) 64 – 66
MML hay & silage 38 – 45% Lactating Beef Cow 60 – 64
Legume hay & silage 36 – 42% Mature Dry Cow 52 – 55