For uniform lots where a chemical analysis is not available, the purchaser can judge hay quality visually. After purchase, workers at the feeding site should be trained to do a rapid visual inspection of each bale fed. Workers should pay partic-ular attention to indicators of possible problems, such as burnt coloration, dustiness, moldiness, the presence of objectionable foreign material, and the presence of toxic or poisonous plants and insects. By establishing general hay quality, the purchaser frees trained feeding-site workers to intercept potential problem bales that may slip through the initial inspection. Hay should be judged based on those charac-teristics that affect its value as feed.
Hay quality translates directly into feed value.
Factors known to affect hay quality and animal performance include stage of maturity, leafiness, color, odor and condition, and the presence of foreign material in the hay. In the field before harvest, stage of maturity is easily determined in grasses and legumes, but after hay is cut and cured, this determination is more difficult. Also, if hay is weathered or sun-bleached or if certain weather conditions delay normal development of legume flower parts, determination of the stage of maturity becomes more complicated. For alfalfa hay, stage of maturity can be determined by observing the state of repro-ductive parts and the texture and woodiness of the stems. Alfalfa cut in the bud stage can be recognized by the size of buds at the tips of the stems and by the absence of purple flower petals.