Winter Hay Does More Than Feed Cattle.
When hay is brought onto a farm and fed to cattle, it does more than provide winter nutrition. It also imports nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and other nutrients into the pasture system. Most of these nutrients eventually return to the soil through manure, urine and uneaten hay.
However, these nutrient additions are often overlooked when fertilizer recommendations are developed. Failing to account for them can lead to unnecessary fertilizer applications, increased production costs and nutrient accumulation in concentrated feeding areas.
A 2025 study in northwest Arkansas, published in Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management, compared hay unrolled across a pasture, hay supplied through ring feeders and areas where no hay was fed. After two winters, soil-test potassium increased by 126% with unrolled hay and 83% with ring feeding. Magnesium increased by 51% and 33%, respectively.
Key Takeaway
Nutrients imported through hay should be considered when developing fertilizer plans. Producers can improve nutrient distribution by moving feeders, rotating winter feeding areas and avoiding repeated feeding near waterways.
When hay enters a pasture, nutrients enter with it.
Feeding areas should also be sampled separately from the rest of the pasture because concentrated manure and hay residues can create nutrient hotspots.
Source: Berry, L., Brye, K. R., Sharpley, A., Morrow, R., Phillipp, D., Glover, T. A., Burke, J. M., & Daniels, M. B. (2025). Winter hay-feeding effects on soil properties in a rotationally grazed pasture system in the Ozark Highlands. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management, 11, e70025. https://doi.org/10.1002/cft2.70025
