HomeAg & Natural ResourcesScissors Cut Results 5/25/2021
Scissor Cut Results 2021

Scissors Cut Results 5/25/2021

Well Begun is Half Done

The good weather this last week allowed most farms to make great progress on first cutting.

Grasses grew an average of 7.1 inches this week and some fields grew as much as a foot as heads emerged.  Legumes grew an average of 7.6 inches.   Grass and mixed fields increased by an average of 1.5 points of NDF per day, legumes at 1.0 NDF points per day.  NDF digestibility decreased by almost 7.5 points for grasses and mixed stands, most are now below 60% NDFD, legumes decreased about 1 point for the week averaging 50% NDFD.

The fields still standing this week continued to grow and mature rapidly. Un-harvested grass and legume/grass mixed fields are now past dairy quality.    Legume fields are at target NDF for dairy quality.  All sampled fields remain at target TDN content for growing yearling and lactating beef cows.

Remember, to achieve dairy quality, we recommend taking second cutting of grass fields at 30 days of regrowth.   The second cut of most grasses will not produce another head, but the fiber content does increase quickly and digestibility will be lower with longer harvest intervals.  Consider an application of 50 – 70 lbs of N to encourage higher yields.

Inventory and Allocation

As you are storing your harvest, give a though to how you will access forage of differing quality for different times and groups of animals.  Matching forages to the right group of animals at the right time is one of the keys to efficient and profitable production.

Sample Results

The Table below has each sample location, listed by Town and elevation, and lists the species sampled, average height, Neutral Detergent Fiber (aNDFom), Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibility (NDFD), and Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN). Look for fields with similar species and elevation to your farm, and consider your target NDF/TDN for the animals you will be feeding.  Growing beef animals can benefit from high TDN/lower fiber forage, and mature dry beef cows will do best on high fiber/lower TDN hay.

Delaware County Scissor Cuts Results 18-May 25-May
Farm Town Elev Species Ht aNDFom NDFD TDN Ht aNDFom NDFD TDN
Eisele Andes 1412 RClov(35%)/orch 8/22 43 68 75 13/31 55.4 65 74
Evans Andes 2240 Orchardgrass 24 48.2 74 75 33 61 61.4 71
Gladstone Andes 1960 R Clov(35%)Orch 10/22 44.4 68 75 13/32 59.3 59 72
Frisbee Delhi 1380 mixed grass 12 55.9 57 71 23 55.6 58 70
Mushkoday Delhi 1340 Alf(70%)/RClov 21/23 36.4 54 68 28/33 38.8 57 67
Rama Delhi 1400 RClov(50%)/grass 12/22 41.3 67 78 18/30 48.9 62 70
Sullivan Delhi 1425 mixed grass 10/20 35.3 53 70 24 57.3 62 71
Taggart Franklin 1720 mixed grass 18 47.9 67 73 26 58.6 61 71
Hutson Hamden 1275 Alfalfa 20 26.4 52 80 27 32 45 72
Reed Hamden 1740 Orchardgrass 14 44.6 72 71 20 54.4 63 68
Scobie Hamden 1480 mixed grass 12 48.4 68 72 18 56.8 59 71
Hilriegel Hrdnbrgh 1670 Orchardgrass 22 46 69 72 32 59.2 61 72
Sebastian Kortright 1640 Orchard/RCanary 18 47.3 68 67 28 57.9 67 69
Cieri Meredith 2302 Orchardgrass 16 45.2 72 74 25 59.8 62 72
Elliot Mddletwn 2060 RCanary/Orchard 26 49.2 69 70 33 58.8 62 69
Gockel Roxbury 1890 mixed grass 22 52.4 65 69 33 56.3 53 69
Kuhn Roxbury 1980 mixed grass 30 52.8 72 67 36 60.2 56 69
Johnson Sidney 1070 Alfalfa 15 26.9 52 76 22 43.3 56 68
Johnson Sidney 1070 Orchardgrass 28 51.4 68 70 34 61.9 60 69
Deysenroth Stamford 1495 mixed grass 16 43.4 69 70 21 52.8 65 68
Hanselman Stamford 1488 Alfalfa 15 31.2 48 73 23 29.9 42 72
Hanselman Stamford 1488 Alfalfa 16 30.1 52 72 25 36.9 52 72
Trovato Stamford 2080 mixed grass 14 43.4 68 69 17 45.4 56 71
LaTourette Tompkins 1210 Alf(20%)/grass 15/19 40.5 68 71 24/33 51.3 58 67
Marsiglio Walton 1750 Orchardgrass 16 43.1 68 72 18 55.9 57 72
Wickham,B Walton 1170 Alf(60%)/Orch 17/26 34 68 73 23/30 45.3 56 65
Average Grasses   19 47 68 71 28 57 60 70
Average Mixed – 40 68 73 – 52 60 70
Average Legumes 14 29 51 75 22 36 50 70

Thnaks to Dairy One for providing sample analysis

For 2021 we are reporting several measures of forage quality.  Different types and groups of cattle have different demands and each measure tells a slightly different story.  If harvesting for dairy forage, we suggest harvesting based on NDF, for beef choose and appropriate TDN target or the animals you will be feeding.

aNDFom – Neutral Detergent Fiber (organic matter or “ash free” basis) is a measure of the structural fiber in a feed sample. NDF correlates well with how much forage a cow can eat (gut fill). Earlier cut hay = lower NDF = higher dry matter intake = higher performance.

NDF goals for Dairy Cattle Forage:  Grass hay and silage  – 48 – 55%, MMG hay & silage – 45 – 50%, MML hay & silage – 38 – 45%, Legume hay & silage – 36 – 42%

NDFD – NDF Digestibility As forage plants mature, the fiber percentage increases, and at the same time the digestibility of the fiber decreases.  NDFD measures the digestibility of fiber by rumen fluid.  We report 24hr NDFD as an indicator of forage digestibility.  Higher digestibility = more energy available from a forage.

TDN – Total Digestible Nutrients The sum of the digestible fiber, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate components. TDN is a measure of energy available from forage and is related to digestible energy.  TDN is useful for beef cow rations that are primarily forage.  Higher TDN values indicate higher energy available, cattle groups with higher energy demands require higher TDN intakes.

TDN goals for Beef Cattle Forage: Growing Calf (2lb ADG) 70 – 72, Growing Yearling (2lb ADG) 64 – 66, Lactating Beef Cow 60 – 64, Mature Dry Cow 52 – 55