Even though Kentucky livestock is still in their grazing season, officials said farmers should start planning ahead for hay needs this winter.
Though weather conditions improved in July with more rain showers, many grass fields struggled to grow in dry and cool conditions the region experienced in late spring and early summer. Many eastern and central Kentucky farmers usually see as many as three harvests of their grass fields, but may only receive two this year.
Adam Hinton is the Vice President of Hinton Mills. He said every type of crop is going to have a different turn out each year.
“So essentially what’s happened is, we just didn’t have at the time of year that you need to be cutting hay, we just didn’t have very much grass. Certain things did better than others,” Hinton said. “So if people had clover for example or alfalfa, this weather was more conducive to growing those specific grasses. But for just regular grass hay, which is the most typically around here, the weather was not conducive.”
For most livestock in the area, summer hay is their only food source during the colder months and also a way for them to keep warm if the temperatures drop. Officials said farmers can add wheat straw to hay to help extend their supply when feeding it to livestock.
Hinton said this could be a great opportunity for farmers to fertilize their fields and help them grow.
“Fertilizer prices are back down to a much more palatable price, as a whole. I guess depending on if they have had their first cutting of hay, it’s still a great opportunity to be able to put fertilizer on their hayfield and have some impact for this year. For late cuttings of hay,” said Hinton. “I think because of the late rain that we’ve had, that coupled with the more moderate prices on fertilizer.”
Hinton added when fertilizing fields, people must make sure they have a way to add water to the field so the fertilizer can go into the soil. Not watering a field after fertilizing can cause the fertilizer to scald the grass and burn it, according to University of Minnesota Extension Office.