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Cut Brome Hay Early for Highest Nutrients
Bromegrass hay produces the most dry matter per acre when cut at the milk dough stage of maturity, but the highest yield of nutrients is obtained by cutting before the milk dough stage.
Nutritional quality of brome hay decreases with advancing maturity. Even though the tonnage is greatest at the milk dough stage, the digestible dry matter, protein and phosphorus is lower than at the flowering stage. Fiber components in the hay increase as maturity advances, resulting in a decrease in digestible dry matter. Digestible dry matter drops from 67 percent at jointing to 57 percent at the milk dough stage. Protein follows the same pattern, dropping from about 16 percent at jointing to only about 10 percent at the milk dough stage. Phosphorus levels dropped from .24 percent to .16 percent
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