Wednesday, September 23, 2026 · Montana

Markets Feeder Cattle $3.28/lb ▲ +0.0% Live Cattle $2.19/lb ▼ -0.0% Wheat (HRW) $7.78/bu ▼ -0.4% Diesel (ULSD) $4.69/gal ▼ -1.5% as of Sep 22, 19:00 MT

Tag: hay quality

Silvery foxtail barley seedheads with long awns growing along the wet edge of a Montana hay meadow in June light

Hay & Feed

Foxtail Barley Takes the Wet Spots in June, and the Awns It Buries in Your Hay Fester in a Cow’s Mouth All Winter

Those silvery seedheads coming on in the low ground and the field edges aren't harmless. Foxtail barley awns work into gums, cheeks…

Harry Ward · August 3, 2026

A green Montana alfalfa field with pale frosted-looking tips on some plants, mountains in the background under a summer sky

Hay & Feed

The Alfalfa Weevil Frosts the Tips of Your First Cutting While You’re Waiting on the Swather

Alfalfa weevil larvae skeletonize the top leaves of a stand right before first cutting, and the damage looks like frost from the…

Harry Ward · July 29, 2026

A short, drought-stressed field of oat greenfeed with weeds along the fence and cattle grazing under a hazy Montana sky

Hay & Feed

Drought-Stressed Oats and Kochia Load Up on Nitrate, and a Hungry Cow Pays for It Fast

When a dry spring stunts your annual forage, nitrate can build to dangerous levels in the stems. Here's how to spot the…

Harry Ward · July 20, 2026