Forage and Feed Sampling & Testing: A Practical Guide

Testing your forage and feed is one of the most valuable steps you can take to make sure your cattle are meeting their nutritional needs. By collecting good samples, choosing the right tests, and understanding the results, you can save money, improve animal performance, and avoid unexpected problems.

Getting a Good Sample

The first step is making sure your sample represents what the cattle will eat. Always sample by “lot,” meaning hay or forage that comes from the same field and cutting. Never mix bales from different cuttings or pastures into one sample. Also consider timing, sampling right before feeding shows the most accurate nutrient value since it includes any storage losses. Use a hay probe or core sampler when possible and collect at least 20 cores from different bales in a lot. For chopped silage or baleage, take grab samples from several locations and mix them. Once collected, combine samples in a clean bucket, mix thoroughly, and seal in a heavy-duty plastic bag. For high moisture feed, freeze the sample until it’s shipped to the lab.

Labeling and Shipping

Clear records are just as important as a good sample. Label each bag with your name, lot ID, harvest date, and forage type (i.e. “2nd cutting orchard grass, Field A”). On the lab paperwork, note any details about maturity, legume content, or suspected issues like mold. Ship samples quickly, preferably early in the week. Use ice packs or freeze high moisture feeds like silage to keep it from spoiling.

Choosing a Lab and Tests

When looking for a place to send samples, look for an accredited lab certified by the National Forage Testing Association (NFTA). Most routine analyses are done with Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS), which is fast and affordable, but the “gold standard” for feed analysis is wet chemistry and can be more accurate for some feed types. At minimum, request tests for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). These values allow the lab to also calculate energy, like TDN. Optional tests like nitrates, minerals, or fiber digestibility are worth considering if you suspect specific issues or are feeding high-risk forages like sorghum or drought-stressed hay.

Understanding the Results

Dry Matter (DM): Indicates how much actual feed remains after water is removed. Essential for balancing rations and preventing spoilage.

Crude Protein (CP): Estimates protein content but can include non-protein nitrogen (like nitrates). Heat-damaged hay may show inflated CP, so some labs also report available CP.

ADF and NDF: Fiber values that affect digestibility and intake. High ADF means lower energy; high NDF limits how much cattle will eat.

Energy (TDN, NE): Energy values calculated from fiber. As ADF increases, energy drops. Meeting cows’ energy needs is often the biggest feeding challenge.

Ash and Minerals: High ash often means dirt contamination, which dilutes feed value. Mineral panels can flag shortages or imbalances that may require supplementation.

Putting Results to Work

The real value of forage testing comes when you compare lab results to your cattle’s requirements. For example, if a cow needs 1.4 pounds of protein daily but your hay only provides 0.9 pounds, you know to add a protein supplement. Conversely, if your hay is richer than expected, you can save money by cutting back on purchased feed. Matching different forages to the right class of cattle is also smart management. Reserve your highest quality hay for lactating or growing animals, while dry mature cows might be able to get by on lower-quality forage.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

The biggest pitfalls are poor sampling (too few cores or mixing lots), mislabeling bags, and misreading results (confusing “as-fed” with “dry matter” values). Don’t rely only on RFV or CP without considering energy, fiber, and minerals. And always ship samples quickly to avoid spoilage.

The Bottom Line

Good sampling and testing take a little time but can help improve operation efficiency. By knowing exactly what nutrients your forage provides, you can fine-tune rations, avoid toxicity risks, and stretch your feed dollars further. Forage analysis is a simple but powerful tool to boost both cattle performance and your bottom line.

I strongly recommend all producers test their forages, especially this year, due to late harvest times with how wet the majority of the Southwind District was during prime harvest time for forages. Forage quality IS down this year, even though hay meadows produced more this year. I can assist you with testing and choosing packages, along with shipping them to the lab.

Thank you to Emma Briggs, NW KS Beef Systems specialist for the content in this article. As always, if you have any questions give me a shout at any of the Southwind District offices or email nickell99@ksu.edu.

Opening Soon: 4-H Enrollment!

As the largest youth development organization in the country, reaching 6 million young people annually, 4-H is uniquely equipped to ensure youth are ready for work and life after high school. 4-H is delivered by Cooperative Extension – a community of more
than 100 public universities across the nation that provides experiences where young people learn by doing. Additionally, our 4-H alumni network reaches every industry and is 35 million strong.

4-H is also the only organization with a scientifically proven approach to developing young people, backed by more than 20 years of longitudinal research in partnership with Tufts University. The data are clear: youth who participate in 4-H programs are more likely to succeed academically, engage civically, and contribute to their communities. They’re also more prepared to enter the workforce and navigate the complexities of life with confidence.

Across a nation 4-H will is working to continue to provide more high-quality positive youth development programs to assist in preparing youth with the skills to be ready for work and life. To go beyond the expected. To be Beyond Ready.

4-H Beyond Ready is a national movement to prepare young people for the challenges and opportunities of the future. 4-H has been around since 1902. The world has changed significantly and yet, the impact of 4-H on youth has stood the test of time. 4-H has a tried-and-true, research-backed approach to helping kids reach their potential. Research shows that kids who participate in 4-H programs are more likely to make healthy choices, serve their communities, and live with purpose. They are also more likely than their non-4-H peers to feel competent, positive, and confident in what the
future holds.

Now is the time to join 4-H to help youth be Beyond Ready. Starting on October 1, enrollment opens for the new 4-H program year. All youth ages 5-18 are encouraged to enroll in the Kansas 4-H program through K-State Extension – Southwind District. Enrollment will close for those youth eligible to participate in competitive events within the 4-H program on December 1. And all adults who want to volunteer should plan to enroll at this time too!

Have questions about 4-H, don’t hesitate to reach out to K-State Extension – Southwind District, 4-H Youth Development Agent, Jennifer Terrell at jkterrell@ksu.edu or 620-223-3720. All are welcome to visit the following websites as well, southwind.ksu.edu or kansas4h.org.

Back to the Land: Plot Perfect — Garden Planning for an Abundant Harvest

Whether you’re a first-time or a seasoned gardener, the homesteading series from K-State Research and Extension – Southwind District is designed to help you grow smarter — not harder.

Join us for the first session of Back to the Land with Plot Perfect: Garden Planning for an Abundant Harvest on Wednesday, October 1st, at 6 p.m. in the Agriculture Building at Fort Scott Community College.

This free, interactive workshop is designed to help gardeners plan and grow a more productive food garden from the ground up. Topics will include:

• Starting strong with healthy transplants
• Do-It-Yourself indoor grow light system
• Choosing the best soil amendments
• Selecting crop varieties that support your homesteading goals
• Designing efficient garden layouts to reduce waste and boost yields

Whether you’re building a backyard homestead or want to put more fresh food on your family’s table, this session will provide practical, hands-on skills to help you make the most of the growing season.

Call 620-223-3720 to reserve your spot today.

Homestead: A Buzzword with Roots—and a Future
By Lonnie Mengarelli- Extension Agent

I have been the Crops and Natural Resources agent now for going on 16 months, and I have been to 15 plus farms where families are leaving the “city life” behind to try to live the self-sustainable farm life. As most of you have probably heard the term “homestead” or “homesteading” in American vocabulary—not as a dusty relic of pioneer days, but as a modern buzzword symbolizing a movement toward self-sufficiency, sustainability, and reconnection with the land.

What was once a necessity for survival on the frontier is now a lifestyle choice for many who crave something simpler, something real. From urban backyard chicken coops to rural mini-farms, people are planting, preserving, and planning in ways that echo their ancestors—albeit with a little more Wi-Fi.

The idea of homesteading is no longer just about acreage and off-grid living. It’s about intentional living, understanding where your food comes from, and having the skills to provide for yourself, even in small ways. And that’s where programs like Back to the Land: Traditions & Innovations in Small-Scale Farming step in to help.

Offered by the Southwind Extension District in partnership with Kansas State University, this free educational series is more than a class—it’s a call to cultivate resilience, knowledge, and community. Starting October 1^st through December 10th at the Fort Scott Community College Ag Building, the 7 stand-alone programs all about farming basics covers a wide range of hands-on, practical topics designed to help anyone—regardless of experience—get back to the basics.

Want to plan a more productive garden? There’s a session for that. Thinking about raising chickens or goats? We’ve got you covered. Curious about preserving your harvest, or even processing your own deer? They’re diving into it all—with experienced agents and specialists leading the way.

What makes this series special is its accessibility. It’s not just for the already-committed homesteader with a five-acre spread and a root cellar, the 1,000-acre farmer, or the backyard garden enthusiast.  It’s for the curious, the cautious, the DIY dreamers who want to dip their toe into self-reliant living. It’s for the family who wants to teach their kids where eggs come from, the retiree eyeing a new backyard project, or the young couple trying to stretch their grocery budget with a fall garden.

There’s a reason homesteading has made its way back into the headlines and hashtags. In uncertain times, people are rediscovering the value of real skills, real food, and real community. The Back to the Land series embraces both the tradition and the innovation that make modern homesteading possible—and rewarding.

• October 1 – Plot Perfect: Garden Planning for Abundant Harvests
• October 8 – Pest, Predators, and Protection
• October 15- Backyard to Barnyard: Small Farm Poultry Essentials
• October 29 – Deep Roots: Soil and Forage Strategies for Resilient Farms
• November 5 – Homestead Herds: Practical Livestock for Everyday Farmers
• November 12 – Pantry Power: Food Preservation for Self-Reliant Living
• December 10 – Harvest and Butcher: A Whitetail Processing Program

Sessions start at 6:00 p.m. each Wednesday, and the final program on December 10th will be held at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds. You can attend one or all—no cost, just a willingness to learn.

To register (or RSVP for the meal count), call 620-223-3720.

The modern homestead may look different than it did a hundred years ago—but the heart of it hasn’t changed. It’s still about making something meaningful from the land, however big or small your patch may be.

Lonnie Mengarelli is a K-State Research and Extension Agriculture agent assigned to Southwind District. He may be reached at mengo57@ksu.edu or 620-223-3720

Healthy and Easy Family Meal Preparation

In today’s fast-paced world, finding time to prepare and enjoy home-cooked meals can be challenging. Hectic schedules and after-school activities can lead to families scrambling to find something to eat. However, having some meals prepared ahead of time or cooking at home offers numerous benefits. It promotes better nutrition, saves money, reduces stress, and strengthens family bonds. With a little planning, practice, and strategy, preparing healthy meals at home can become a manageable and enjoyable experience.

Research shows that eating at home results in increased intake of fruits and vegetables and a decreased rate of depression and violence in adolescents. Overall, there is an increase in well-
being for adolescents.

Planning healthy meals doesn’t have to be overwhelming; taking small steps can lead to manageable changes that improve the health and well-being of family members. Creating a meal plan for the week can assist in this process. Slow cooker meals, healthy grab-and-go options (such as homemade freezer burritos), or planning a night for leftovers can significantly reduce cooking time each night.

Keeping a well-stocked pantry increases the likelihood of cooking as the items will already be on hand. Consider keeping these foods stocked: fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, or canned), protein like canned salmon, chicken, fresh or frozen meat, and grains such as brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

Grocery shopping with a plan can save time and money. Creating a meal plan based on the store sales that week and writing a shopping list in order of the store layout can prove helpful.

Meal prepping: Consider cooking a large batch of protein such as chicken, beef or fish or other staples like rice or beans. Preparing the main meal ingredients ahead of time to utilize throughout the week will save time each night. Also, chopping vegetables and fruit ahead of time to store in the refrigerator and freezer to utilize throughout the week can reduce time prepping evening meals.

One pot and sheet pan meals are an excellent way to reduce time and the number of dishes to wash. Many families use slow cookers, rice cookers or electric pressure cookers to save time in the kitchen.

Being able to share a warm, healthy meal with family members and sit down at the table together can help strengthen relationships. Parents might want to ask open-ended questions such as “What
made you happy at school today?” or “Did you notice anyone helping someone today?” instead of “How was school”?

For those interested in more tips, K-State Extension has a new program entitled “Healthy Connections: Family Meals in a Snap” that can be presented to groups in the Southwind Extension District (Allen, Bourbon, Neosho, Woodson Counties) by Sandy Haggard, Nutrition, Food Safety, and Health Agent. Contact her at SJHaggard@ksu.edu or 620.365.2242.

Feeling Stretched as a Caregiver?

It’s a fact, caregivers have higher levels of stress than non-caregivers. If you are serving as a caregiver to a loved one, I want you to know you are fulfilling a valuable role! I also want you to know that it is ok to take care of yourself, too. We can help with that!

In partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, K-State Extension is providing an Empowered Caregivers two-part series. This program is designed to help reduce stress, build a caregiver foundation, support independence, communicate effectively, balance life, increase the ability to make tough decisions, and locate helpful resources.

Free meal and classes will be held on Tuesdays, October 7^th and 14^th, from 6:00-8:00 pm Register by calling 620-244-3826.

While we can’t stop stress from occurring, we can help manage it. Too much stress, especially over a long time, can harm your health. You may not get enough sleep or physical activity, or eat a balanced diet, which increases your risk of medical problems.

The following are some ideas to help you manage your caregiver stress:

• Take a break from caregiving. Take a walk or meet up with a friend. Do something not related to caregiving.
• Get support. Attend a support group, have a friend you can call just to let off steam, or look for community resources.
• Relax. Read a book, meditate, pray, garden, knit, take a long bath.
• Take care of your health. Go to the doctor, get routine exams and flu shots, get enough sleep, and eat your fruits and vegetables. 
• Change “guilt” to “regret.” Guilt means you did something wrong, regret means that you are in a difficult situation, and sometimes you have to make difficult decisions, but they are not wrong.
• Forgive yourself—often. You cannot be a perfect caregiver all day, every day.
• Ask for and accept help when offered. No one can do this alone. We often don’t know what to say when someone offers help. Prepare for this and create a task list to have ready. When someone asks you if they can help, refer to your list and say “YES.” Let them choose which task on the list they would like to do!
• And finally….Laugh. Find ways to keep your sense of humor on a daily basis.

For more information, please contact Tara Solomon-Smith, tsolomon@ksu.edu, 620-244-3826.

Amanda Clasen- Community Vitality Agent    

September 2025

When life’s challenges hit, whether it’s a sudden storm, an economic downturn, or a personal crisis, it is often our neighbors who step in first. Communities that thrive are not the ones without challenges, but the ones where people know how to come together, share resources, and lean on one another.

One of my favorite resources in the community vitality field is 13 Ways to Kill Your Community by Doug Griffiths. The book ties in perfectly here, as many of the “don’ts” he outlines demonstrate how quickly resilience can erode when people stop investing in one another. Griffiths reminds us that communities often weaken not because of external pressures, but because of internal choices: apathy, disconnection, or a lack of support. The opposite is also true: communities thrive when people choose to engage, invest, and care. True resilience is built when neighbors prioritize connection over isolation and cooperation over competition.

Resilience isn’t just about bouncing back after hard times; it’s about bouncing forward. Each challenge provides an opportunity for communities to adapt, learn, and grow stronger.

We’ve seen examples of this in action right here at home. When severe weather leaves families without power, neighbors check in on one another, offering meals, generators, or even a warm place to stay. During tough economic times, communities rally behind local businesses, hosting shop-local campaigns and finding creative ways to keep doors open. And when personal hardships strike, it’s often the casserole delivered to the doorstep, the shared ride to work, or the donation jar at the local café that makes all the difference.

Building resilient communities doesn’t happen by accident. It starts with simple, everyday actions:

• Know your neighbors. A quick introduction today can become a lifeline tomorrow. Make sure to take time to introduce yourself and get to know the people who live around you!
• Share skills and resources. From tools to talents, what we lend each other builds a safety net. This might just be as simple as organizing a “Skill-Swap Night” to learn who is best at gardening, cooking, or fixing that broken backdoor!
• Support local organizations and businesses. This is as simple as it sounds! Make sure to shop at local neighborhood stores or farmers’ Markets! Schools, churches, nonprofits, and civic groups are often the backbone of coordinated response.
• Plan ahead together. Community preparedness events or neighborhood emergency plans ensure everyone is ready when the unexpected happens. Create a neighborhood contact list or emergency plan!

Resilience grows when individuals shift from “me” to “we.” Each act of kindness and cooperation creates stronger ties, making it easier to withstand whatever challenges come our way. In the end, resilient communities remind us that while we may not be able to control the storms of life, we can control how we weather them together. A strong community is not built in a day; they are built every day!

For more information, contact Community Vitality Agent Amanda Clasen at any Southwind District office or amclasen@ksu.edu.