THE HAY BARN GLOSSARY

Fair hay quality - A physical description of hay quality. Late maturity, i.e., mid to late-bloom in legumes, head-in grass hays, moderate or below leaf content, and generally coarse stemmed. Hay may show light damage.

Fallow - A farming system in which land is left without a crop for a given period to accumulate soil moisture and release nitrogen from organic matter.

Fermentation - Anaerobic chemical transformation induced by activity of enzyme systems of microorganisms such as yeast that produce carbon dioxide and alcohol from sugar.

Fescue – A cool-season, perennial forage which stockpiles well and offers high quality grazing all winter long. Protein supplements are generally not necessary, as fescue is a highly nutritious stock feed. Fescue is sometimes used as feed for horses. However, fescue poisoning, which results from a fungus, is a risk for pregnant mares.

Fescue foot - Syndrome characterized by red and swollen skin at junction of the hoof in the cattle grazing tall fescue, along with loss of appetite and emaciation. Sloughing off of hoofs, tail tips, and ear tips may occur on advanced stages.

Fescue toxicity - (1) Syndrome caused by ingestion of endophyte-infected tall fescue plants, eliciting a toxic response in the animal. (2) The state of being toxic to the animal.

Fescue toxicosis - The collective animal syndromes associated with exposure to tall fescue. These include fescue foot, fat necroses, what is called summer syndrome, and other related disorders.

FOB - Free on board, price at place of origin not including transportation charges.

Fodder - Coarse grasses such as corn and sorghum harvested with the seed and leaves green or live, cured and fed in their entirety as forage.

Foggage - Decaying grass left after the cutting or grazing season. Also defined as the grass that grows after the hay is cut.

Foliage - The green or live leaves of growing plants; plant leaves collectively. Often used in reference to above ground development of forage plants.

Forage - (1) n. Edible parts of plants, other than separated grain, that can provide feed for grazing animals or that can be harvested for feeding, including browse, herbage, and mast. Usage: Generally, the term refers to more-digestible material (e.g., what is called pasturage, hay, silage, dehy, and green chop) in contrast to less-digestible plant material, known as roughage. (2) v. To search for or to consume forage (of animals); compare browse; graze.

Forage allowance - The relationship between the weight of forage dry matter per unit area and the number of animal units or forage intake units at any one point in time; a forage-to-animal relationship. The inverse of grazing pressure.

Forage crop - A crop of cultivated plants or plat parts, other than separated grain, produced to be grazed or harvested for use as feed for animals.

Forage intake unit - An animal whith a rate of forage consumption equal to 8 kg dry matter/day. Assuming that one animal unit has a dry matter intake rate of 8 kg/day, any animal may be represented as a certain fraction or multiple of the animal-unit, based solely on its rate of forage intake per day. An animal which has a forage intake rate larger or smaller than 8 kg dry matter/day will have an animal-unit-equivalent which is a proportionate fraction or multiple of one animal unit.

Forage mass - The total dry weight of forage per unit area of land, usually above ground level and at a defined reference level.

Forage quality - Characteristics that make forage valuable to animals as a source of nutrients; the combination of chemical and biocharacteristics of forage that determines its potential to produce meat, milk, wool, or work. Considered by some as synonymous with feed?ng value and nutritive value.

Forb - Any herbaceous broadleaf plant that is not a grass and is not grasslike. More specifically, they are broad-leaved, nonwoody, herbaceous plants. Many forbs have significant food value for livestock as well as wildlife, and some livestock even prefer them to grasses.

Foreign matter (in hay) - This typically includes materials that are wasted in the feeding process. Weeds are the biggest problem, but sometimes, injurious materials such as sandburs and poisonous plants can be found. Always inspect hay for foreign matter.

Forward Contracting - A transaction common in many industries, including commodity merchandising, in which the buyer and seller agree upon delivery of a specified quality and quantity of goods at a specified future date and price or formula for establishing the price. Also known as deferred delivery.

Forward Price - Price of a commodity bought or sold for a specified delivery period usually 30 days or more away. frost tolerance relative ability to withstand the damaging effect of frost.

The Hay Barn Glossary