Considering Reasons to Quit Making Hay

University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Carson Roberts offers 10 economic and resource-based reasons why cattle producers may want to quit making hay and opt for purchasing it or extending the grazing season, instead. Roberts points out the equipment and labor costs that producers may not be weighing adequately, and discusses the long-term land impacts of hay production. When local hay is readily available, not making hay may be a key to profitability in a livestock operation.
Related ATTRA publication: Hay Production and Soil Fertility: Using Livestock and Cover Crops to Regenerate and Sustain Hayfields