ORONO— Many livestock and equine owners in Maine purchase all of their hay and forage needs for winter. While this year’s growing season started out well, forage growth was reduced due to low rainfall in most of the state, especially for second and third hay cuttings.
According to University of Maine Cooperative Extension professor Rick Kersbergen, now is the time for livestock owners to assess what they have for feed, the number of animals they will be feeding, and what they will need for the next six to seven months. Kersbergen advises against waiting until winter to source forage in the midst of a shortage.
UMaine Extension maintains a regularly updated interactive hay directory to help locate forage sources. Additional resources include how to determine the amount of forage needed and how to test the quality of forage. For more information, contact Rick Kersbergen, 207.342.5971; richard.kersbergen@maine.edu.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension:
As a trusted resource for over 100 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension helps support, sustain and grow the food-based economy. It is the only entity in our state that touches every aspect of the Maine Food System, where policy, research, production, processing, commerce, nutrition, and food security and safety are integral and interrelated. UMaine Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H.
