You Could Be the Forage Champion!
You have put up some great forage this year. We have classes for all types of forage; baleage, large square bales, small square bales, chopped hay siilage, corn silage and corn plants as well.
You’ve grown some great crops, throw your hat (or bales) in the ring.
Help us show off the great forages made in Delaware County
ENTRY DEADLINE 12 NOON TUESDAY OF FAIR WEEK.
Check out the Classes
Hay Section – 6 classes – Large or Small Square Bales!
Chopped Silage Section – 2 Hay Crop Classes plus Corn Silage
Baleage Section – 2 classes; Corn Plants – 1 class
Awards for Section Champions and Overall Grand Champion
No Entry Fees!
Pay close attention to the blue bolded instructions for entries.
ENTRY DEADLINE FOR ALL EXHIBITS
12 NOON TUESDAY AUGUST 13, 2024
EXHIBITS MUST BE IN PLACE BY THAT TIME AS WELL
Section 005: Dry Hay
A. Each Entry will consist of a complete small square hay bale or 6” section (“flake”) of a large square bale or enough round bale dry hay to fill a 13 gallon trash bag.
B. Hay bales will be judged on the basis of color, leafiness, fineness of stem, moisture appropriate for storage, freedom from mold, spoilage and weeds, and representativeness and appropriateness of forage species for class.
C. Entrants are encouraged to carefully select the class that best represents the hay they are entering.
D. Hay Champion will be named from among the hay entries.
Section 006: Chopped Haycrop Silage
A. Haycrop will be judged on moisture, color, odor, freedom from mold, spoilage and weeds, representativeness and appropriateness of forage species for class. Samples will also be taken from entries and analyzed for nutritional and fermentation profile before final placings are made.
B. Entrants are encouraged to carefully select the class that best represents the haycrop silage they are entering.
C. Haylage entries should be placed in a 1 gallon zip lock bag, with exhibitor tag placed within the bag.
D. Haycrop silage placings and Champion will be named from the silage entries based on visual assessment, laboratory analysis, and predicted milk yield when analyzed in a typical high producing dairy cattle diet using nutritional software.
Section 007: Chopped Corn Silage
A. Corn Silage will be judged on moisture, color, odor, freedom from mold, spoilage and weeds, relative amount of grain in silage and adequacy of kernel processing. Samples of entries will also be analyzed for nutritional content and fermentation profile before final placings are made.
B. Corn Silage entries should be placed in a 1 gallon zip lock bag, with exhibitor tag placed within the bag.
C. Corn Silage placings and Champion will be named from the corn silage entries based on visual assessment (including degree of kernel processing), laboratory analysis, and predicted milk yield when analyzed in a typical high producing dairy cattle diet using nutritional software.
Section 008: Baleage
A. Haycrop baleage (large square and round bale) will be judged on moisture, color, odor, freedom from mold, spoilage and weeds, representativeness of forage species for class. Samples will also be taken from entries and analyzed for nutritional and fermentation profile before final placings are made.
B. Entrants are encouraged to carefully select the class that best represents the haycrop baleage they are entering.
C. Entries should be brought in sufficient quantity to fill a 13 gallon trash bag, with exhibitor tag securely affixed or contained within. Entries will be transferred into bags for display provided by the Superintendents upon judging.
D. Haycrop baleage placings and Champion will be named from the baleage entries based on visual assessment, laboratory analysis and predicted milk yield when analyzed in a typical high producing dairy cattle diet using nutritional software.
Section 009: Corn Stalks
A. Stalks of corn will be judged on the basis of their potential yield and quality. Factors will include plant size, appropriate ear development for typical field conditions, and freeness from visually evident leaf disease and nutritional stress.
B. Stalks (5) should be bundled tightly by two bands.
C. Entries must contain root balls. Corn stalks that have been cut off will be disqualified and removed from the contest. Soil may be left on roots to prevent drying of stalks. Entrants must specify the RM day on entry tag and are encouraged to include additional corn hybrid information on their exhibitor tag.
D. Placings and Corn Champion will be named.
Forage Contest Grand Champion
A. Once all analyses and placings are completed and a Champion is selected for each Section, a Forage Contest Grand Champion will be selected from among all of the Section Champions.
B. The Forage Contest Grand Champion trophy will be presented at the Dairyman’s Luncheon, as will prizes for each of the Forage Contest Section Champions.
Department GG info from Delaware County Fair Web Site
Forage testing is being provided by the Dairy One Forage Laboratory.