What time of year will the highest quality hay be produced?

• A. Summer
• B. Spring and Fall
• C. Winter
• D. All year

Answer: (B)

Hay quality tracks with how mature the forage is at harvest. Younger, leafy plants have more digestible energy and protein and less fiber, so they make higher-quality hay. In spring, regrowth after winter is still young and leafy, which tends to produce high-quality hay. In fall, you can often cut before frost while the plants are still relatively young, giving another good-quality harvest. Summer hay comes from plants that have grown more and become tougher and more fibrous under heat and stress, lowering digestibility. Winter hay is often more mature or stored under harsher conditions, also reducing quality. So the best time for high-quality hay is spring and fall, when the plants are at that ideal, leafy stage.