Hay buyers and sellers have long wondered why hay can test high at one forage testing lab and much different at another. So at the request of the National Hay Association, blind hay samples were sent to 17 forage testing labs across the country, including two in New York.

The results showed a significant variation in relative feed value in very similar alfalfa core samples, reports Bruce Anderson, University of Nebraska forage specialist. Significant variations also were found in reported crude protein values.

RFV, says Anderson, is the primary pricing determinant for the dairy hay business. Average RFF test values for the test samples ranged from 131 to 255.

"NHA members have been very concerned about the variability of forage lab test results," adds Dan Undersander, Extension forage agronomist at Wisconsin. The labs are tested and certified by the National Forage Testing Association.

"NFTA's purpose was to send out check samples and follow up and let the labs know if they scored an "A," "B," "C" or failing grade on their accuracy for testing NDF, ADF (used to calculate RFV), and crude protein content in the samples," he explains.

How they scored

One or more labs were tested in California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. In New York, Dairy One and the Miner Institute were tested, and received superior scores. Another 13 labs received fair to excellent scores.

Labs that received failing grades were: Midwest Labs in Omaha, Neb.; Northwest Labs in Jerome, Idaho; and Soil Test Farm Consultants in Moses Lake, Wash. Undersander blames a lack of desire to change testing procedures for the inaccurate testing results at those labs.