Iowa Beef Center offers forage testing at ISU

A forage testing project sponsored by the Iowa Beef Center (IBC) at Iowa State University (ISU) offers cow-calf producers the chance to test their forage rations.
For less than $7 per sample tested, the project offers producers a 50% cost share per sample for up to three forage samples. "This may be the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy," said ISU Extension beef program specialist Beth Doran. "This project focuses on hays and silages that have been hampered by wet weather this summer."
The project was developed to assist producers in managing rain-affected forages when developing cow rations. "Energy in the cow diet is important because calves born to thin cows are at higher risk of weak calf syndrome," said ISU Extension beef veterinarian Grant Dewell.
The testing will provide both protein and energy analyses. "The goal is a live, healthy calf," said Doran.