The Central Texas Hay Show is open to all hay producers in Burnet, Llano and Lampasas counties. The educational program and show is Oct. 15 at the Burnet County Fair Barn.

Private applicators can receive up to five CEUs by attending the educational portion of the program.

The program begins at 1 p.m. and ends with a barbecue and awards program at 6:30 p.m.

Registration fee is $10.

Entries can be delivered to county Extension agents in each of the participating counties.

An entry consists of a single square or round bale. The bale will be sampled for protein level and will then be auctioned off at the end of the show to offset the expenses of testing and the hay show program.

To make arrangements to enter hay, phone Burnet County Extension Agent Wade Hibler at (512) 756-5463, Lampasas County Extension Agent Jason Byrd at 556- 8271 or Llano County Extension Agent Jamie Osbourn at (325) 247- 5159. Please phone by Oct. 9 to reserve a meal.

Hay is a major portion of the roughage diet of many ruminant animals, so an evaluation of food value and protein content can help growers determine hay quality more easily. Livestock can then be fed according to hay value.

The Central Texas Hay Show provides an opportunity to compare different samples of hay and help producers evaluate what makes high-quality hay which can help with livestock supplement decisions and hay field fertilizer decisions.

The CEU portion of the program will provide private, commercial and non-commercial pesticide applicators with one CEU in laws and regulations, one in integrated pest management, one in drift minimization and two general.