Missouri hay producers showcased their work at the hay contest during the Ozark Empire Fair, July 24-Aug. 3 in Springfield.
University of Missouri Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg and dairy specialist Reagan Bluel were co-superintendents of the fair’s annual contest, which drew 49 entries from 30 participants. MU Extension agronomy field specialists Josh Dunn and Haley Schwantz assisted.
The contest gives producers an opportunity to have their hay evaluated and placed in competition, Schnakenberg said. Each entry provides at least 10 representative bales from a field sampled by MU Extension personnel. Custom Laboratory in Monett analyzed the samples to provide relative forage quality (RFQ) based on total digestible nutrient (TDN) and neutral detergent fiber to estimate dry matter intake…