This year has been a challenging year to make hay. According to UGA Extension Forage Crop Specialist, Dr. Dennis Hancock and UGA Feed and Environmental Water Lab statistics, there is tremendous variability in the 2018 hay crop. It is almost always economical to test your hay, and It is important to sample your hay and baleage to assess the nutrient value.
Regarding the variation of sample results, Dr. Jacob Segers, and members of the Department of Animal and Dairy Science have put together a publication to provide some guidelines on how to manage cattle through the winter given the large differences in forage quality.
Take a look at the following link: Strategies for Poor-Quality Forage Management