Livestock farmers who need hay can find it in Kentucky. Listings of farms with hay for sale can be found on the Hay and Forage Program page of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Web site, www.kyagr.com.

“This summer’s drought has affected pastures and hay crops through much of the Commonwealth, but farmers in some parts of the state have been able to make a hay crop,” Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said. “The Hay and Forage Program page enables buyers and sellers to find each other.”

Listings on the Hay Sales Directory page can be sorted by any combination of county, relative feed value (RFV), bale size, and type of hay. Each listing describes a lot’s type, cutting date, cutting number, bale size and weight, color, odor, and other characteristics. Some listings contain digital images of the forage.

KDA also offers a hay testing service. KDA staff will take samples of hay and haylage at the farm and analyze them in the KDA Forage Laboratory. If the hay is to be sold, staff also will make a visual evaluation and often will take a digital picture of the forage to use in the listing on the Hay Sales Directory page. The producer receives an analysis of the forage’s nutritional value. The Department charges a $10 fee per sample for the service