In October of this year, I wrote a Daily Record column reporting the results from our statewide forage testing program.  If you recall that discussion, we found that weather conditions prevent most producers from making hay at the optimum time and the resulting quality left producers with a main forage supply that would struggle to meet the nutritional needs of their livestock.  This would result in many producers needing to consider a targeted supplementation program for their animals until we get to turn them back out to pasture next spring.  Now that we are in the hay feeding season, I thought I should discuss that supplementation.

Before making decisions on how to supplement you should test your hay. Knowing its crude protein (CP) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) will help you choose the right supplements. Poor quality hay often falls below 8% CP and 50% TDN.  A forage analysis is inexpensive and provides the foundation for a sound feeding plan.  Once you get those results you can determine if your animals will be short on energy, protein, or both.  You will also need to remember that lower quality hay takes longer for ruminants to digest and therefore they will not eat as much of it as they would better quality hay.

Energy is often the first limiting factor in low-quality hay. As your animals move from late gestation to peak lactation, their energy requirements will increase significantly.  Some supplementation options you can consider are:

• Corn: Whole or cracked corn is a common energy source. It’s high in starch and cost-effective but introduce it gradually to avoid digestive upsets.
• Barley or Oats: These grains provide energy and some fiber. Oats are safer for cattle and horses because of their higher fiber content.
• Byproducts: Soy hulls, corn gluten feed, and wheat middlings are excellent energy sources with added fiber, making them safer than straight grain.

Protein is critical for rumen microbes to digest fiber. If hay is very low in protein, supplementation is essential:

• Soybean Meal: A high-quality protein source for all livestock.
• Distillers Grains: Provide both protein and energy. Available in wet or dry forms, they’re widely used in Ohio.
• Cottonseed Meal or Canola Meal: Good alternatives if soybean meal prices are high.

For beef cattle, aim for at least 8–10% CP in the total diet. Sheep will need 9% to 14% depending on stage of production.

If you need to stretch hay supplies, you may need to select feed options that have highly digestible fiber, such as:

• Beet Pulp: Highly digestible fiber, often used for horses and cattle.
• Soy Hulls: Provide energy and fiber without excess starch.
• Pelleted Forage or Cubes: Alfalfa pellets or cubes can boost protein and fiber intake.

The final decision may come down to economics.  Feed costs can vary widely, so it’s important to compare supplements on a cost per unit-of-nutrient basis rather than price per ton. For example:

• Corn may cost $250/ton and provide about 90% TDN, making it one of the cheapest energy sources.
• Soybean Meal at $450/ton delivers about 48% CP, often the most economical protein source.
• Distillers Grains typically cost less per pound of protein than soybean meal and also supply energy, making them a dual-purpose supplement.
• Byproducts like soy hulls or corn gluten feed often offer good value, but availability and storage can affect practicality.

Calculate the cost per pound of TDN or CP to make informed decisions. For instance, if corn costs $250/ton, that’s about $0.14 per pound of TDN. Compare that to beet pulp at $300/ton with lower energy density, and you’ll see why corn often wins for energy supplementation.

Regardless of your supplementation choice, you need to remember to always offer a separate mineral supplementation.  You can also target this supplement for their stage of production.  With minerals you need to be looking ahead.  It takes a while for the minerals to build up to adequate levels in their system so as you approach spring grazing and rebreeding, you will want to switch to an appropriate mineral at least a month ahead of time.

January will be kicking off our winter programming season.  Frank and I have a great list of opportunities lined up for the County’s producers.  There will be programs offered each week.  These will include: Private Pesticide/Fertilizer recertifications, 2026 Ag Outlook, the Basics of Commodity Marketing, Beef Quality Assurance certification, 2026 Agronomy School, the Small Farm Financial College.  There are also a series of on-line webinars from the OSU Beef, Sheep, and Forage Teams.  Program flyers will be sent out with our Quarterly Ag Newsletter the first week of January.  You can also keep an eye on our OSU Extension Wayne County Events calendar at https://wayne.osu.edu.  If you would like to sign up for our newsletter, or would like more information on our programs, give me a call at 330-264-8722.

This article was previously published in The Daily Record.