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“Hay Day” Management Nuts & Bolts of Making Hay and Silage
Bob Schultheis Natural Resource Engineering Specialist
Thanks to Rob Kallenbach, State Forage Specialist,
for some slides used in this presentation
“Just be glad you're not getting all the government you're paying for.” -- Will Rogers
2
Can you afford to spend $2 to get $1 back?
Can you afford to think this way in the hay business?
3
Storage -35%
Harvesting -14%
Feeding -30%
Field curing -26%
30% Left
Typical Forage
Harvesting Losses
4
Storage -5%
Harvesting -8%
Feeding -8%
Field curing -12%
70% Left
Optimum Forage
Harvesting Losses
Important Factors for Quality Hay
Forage species Cutting - stage of maturity at harvest Baling - moisture content at baling Handling Storage conditions Feeding methods
5
Best Forage Cutting Stage
Tall fescue / Native WSG = boot Orchardgrass = blooms emerged Bermudagrass = every 28 days Caucasian bluestem = late boot Red clover = 1/4 to 1/2 bloom Alfalfa = 1/10 bloom, then every 28 days Lespedeza = 30% bloom Cereal crops = boot to milk
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Stage of Growth Affect Intake
7
The leaves contain about 2/3rds of the plant nutrients
Forage Moisture Affects Dry Matter Harvest & Storage Losses
Garbage Zone
8
Hay and Silage Making Losses
Mechanical handling
losses
Leaching losses
Respiration losses
Mechanical Handling Losses
Mowing Raking Tedding Baling or
Chopping Handling
Mowing & Conditioning
Losses
Type of Mower% D.M.
Lost% Leaves
LostSicklebar mower only 1 2Sicklebar mower, fluted rolls 2 3Disc mower, fluted rolls 3 4Disc mower, flail conditioner 4 5
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Sickle vs. Disc
Clean cut Slower Low horsepower
Close cut (too close?) Quicker Higher horsepower Cumbersome to mount
Use Wide Swaths
Maximizes solar drying capacity Can reduce drying time by 50% Gives hay a more even color
Mechanically Condition Hay
Stems and leaves dry at nearly the same rate Breaks cuticle or waxy layer Can reduce drying time 30-50%
Flail (Impeller) Mowers
Faster drying the first day – breaks vascular tissue Works best for thin-stemmed grasses over thick
stem and leafy forages
Photo credit: Dennis Hancock, Univ. of Georgia
Raking & Tedding Losses
Raking Tedding Moisture Content
% D.M. Lost
% Leaves Lost
% D.M. Lost
% Leaves Lost
70% 2 2 1 2 60% 2 3 1 3 50% 3 5 3 5 33% 7 12 6 12 20% 12 21 12 21
16
Use a Tedder EARLY in the Process
Best used on legumes within 4 hours of cutting
Use the morning after cutting
Be sure hay is not too dry before finishing
Can reduce drying time 20 to 30%
Leaching Losses
Can remove 40% of the nutrients in a single event Dramatically reduces the marketability of hay Minimizing drying time is the key
Baling Losses
Pickup + Chamber Forage Moisture Content
% D.M. Lost
% Leaves Lost
25%, with preservative 1 2
20% 2 3
12% 3 4 19
Large Round Bales
1200 lbs. ÷ 142.5 sq.ft. = 8.4 lbs./sq.ft.
Small Square Bales
60 lbs. ÷ 21.3 sq.ft. = 2.8 lbs./sq.ft.
Shape Dictates Moisture Content at Baling
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5.5’ x 5.5’
Effect of Moisture Content on Hay Quality
Forage Moisture Testing
22
Photo Credit: www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/forages/publications/ID-172.htm
Microwave $50 - $100
Prices as of January 2014
Electrical conductance
moisture meter $450
Photo Credit: www.enasco.com/product/C16283N
Reference: Determining Forage Moisture Concentration http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/442/442-106/442-106.html
Heater/fan dryer (Koster® unit)
$365
Photo Credit: www.enasco.com/product/C08633N
Maximum Hay Moisture Content (%) at Baling
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Perc
ent M
oist
ure
Con
tent
Reference: MU Guide G3151 Using a Microwave Oven to Determine Moisture in Forages http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G3151
22%
18% 16%
Final Moisture Content of Baled Hay, %
Relative Humidity, %Temperature, °F 30 50 70 80
70 10 13 21 3980 8 12 20 3885 7 10 18 37
95 5 8 16 36
24 At a given temperature and relative humidity, there is a corresponding moisture content below which the hay will no longer release moisture.
Minimize Ash Content When Harvesting Forages
Internal and External Ash External – Dirt and Dust Normal Internal
• 8% for legumes • 6% for grasses
Typical amounts found = 9-18% 18% ash means 1 lb. of “dirt” is fed out
of each 5 lbs. of hay or silage fed!
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Tips to Minimize Ash Content
1. Use flat knives on disc mowers 2. Raise the cutter bar of a disc mower 3. Avoid harvesting lodged forage 4. Keep the windrow off the ground 5. Keep rake tines from ground contact 6. Windrow mergers keep hay from
being moved laterally 7. Store hay off the ground 8. Store silage piles on concrete
26
Practical Ways Producers Can Speed Haymaking
Use weather forecasting to minimize exposure to rain
Dry hay in wide swaths as opposed to narrow windrows
Mechanically condition hay Ted hay in the morning ~ 65% moisture Use a preservative Make silage or baleage instead of hay
Silage
Low harvest losses Totally mechanized handling Less dependent on weather
but….
High capital investment Less marketable than hay
Big Baleage
Lower initial cost than a conventional silage system
Lower harvest losses than hay
Easier to market than conventional silage
Flexible harvest options
Key Factors
Quality at time of harvest Baleage only preserves -- does not
really enhance forage quality Suitability of forage for ensiling Harvest and preservation
techniques Storage methods
Making Good Silage
KEEP THE OXYGEN OUT!
Wilt forage to 50 to 60% moisture
Pack material tightly • Chop 3/8” to 1/2” length
Ensile as quickly as possible • Fast fermentation leads
to a more stable feed and more nutrient retention
Making Good Baleage
KEEP THE OXYGEN OUT!
Wilt forage to 50 to 60% moisture • upper end for grasses • lower end for legumes
Make bales as dense as possible • Longer fiber slows
fermentation Wrap as quickly as possible
• Within 5 hours of baling
Crude Protein - Alfalfa Baleage
15
17
19
21
23
25
54 49 43 22 Moisture Content at Baling (%)
Cru
de P
rote
in (%
)
Pre-Storage Post-Storage
It’s all about moisture content at harvest and how fast it is put in an anaerobic
environment for fermentation to begin
Digestibility of Alfalfa Baleage IV
DM
D (%
)
Moisture Content at Baling (%)
-----------Baleage -----------
Hay
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
54% 49% 43% 22%
Red Clover Baleage
__________________________ Treatment CP NDF __________________________ --------%------- RC baleage 21.1 35.7 RC hay 16.3 49.8 __________________________
(60% moisture at baling)
Ryegrass Baleage Comparison to Hay
Replacement Heifers Gain – No additional supplementation Ryegrass hay received a light rain shower on it Unpublished data, Calhoun, GA, 2009, Dennis Hancock P<0.10
Treatment CP %
TDN %
RFQ ADG lbs/hd/d
Ryegrass Hay 14.7 b 62.4 c 133 b 1.26 b Ryegrass Baleage 16.3 a 65.9 a 174 a 1.94 a Bermuda Hay 16.1 a 62.9 b 116 c 1.56 b
Several Types of Wrappers are Available
Platform Wrappers
Features • Trailer or 3-point hitch • Round or square bales • Tractor hydraulics or
gas engine • Plastic $3.50 - $4.50 per
bale for 4 layers • Some have a loader arm;
most can be loaded with a front-end loader
Platform Wrappers
Concerns • Plastic cost • Labor per bale • Most only accommodate
4-foot wide bales
Square Bale Platform Wrappers
Other Wrappers
End-to-End Individual Wrap
Concerns • Labor • Plastic on bottoms
of bales
Baleage - Transport
Avoid handling if possible
If bales must be moved, use a grapple to avoid puncturing plastic
In-Line Wrappers
Features • Bales end-to-end • Less labor for
wrapping • Lower plastic
cost (1/2 or less)
In-Line Wrappers
Concerns • Uniformity of adjacent bales
(both size and density) • End of rows need to be
sealed by hand • A hole in the plastic can
spoil a large area • Feedout rate (need to feed
two or three per day to keep ahead of spoilage)
Baleage - Wrapping
Wrap with at least four layers of 1-mil plastic with 50% overlap. 8-mil total is ideal for long-term storage
Use high-quality plastic
Storage Treatment Consumption 2 layers 53% 4 layers 84% 6 layers 88% Hay 64%
Alfalfa Silage & Hay
Alfalfa silage & hay from the same field 2, 4, or 6 layers of stretch film - platform wrapper
2 layers Hay 4 layers 6 layers
Baleage - Storage
Store in a well-drained site Store bales where animals
won't damage them Weeds encourage rodents Storing on the flat side
prevents squatting Patch holes promptly
Crops to Wrap
Legumes • Alfalfa • Red clover • Soybean
Cool Season Grasses • Tall fescue • Wheat / Triticale / Rye • Annual Ryegrass
Warm Season Grasses • Forage sorghum • Sudangrass • Pearl millet • Immature corn
Legume-Grass mixes work best
Grasses vs. Legumes
Grasses tend to ferment better than do legumes – more water-soluble carbohydrates
pH near 4 for all grass treatments Much more acid production than in alfalfa silage
Alfalfa
Grasses
2
3
4
5
6
7
pH
When to Wrap
Wrap as soon as possible after baling Definitely on the same day – Start a
little on the wet side Delayed wrapping prevented
adequate fermentation as reflected in the higher pH value
Suggestions: • Hot, summer day – 2 hrs • Cool, fall day – 8 hrs
(Depends on weather and type of forage)
pH 4.5
pH 6.2
Other Tips
Do not use treated sisal twine. The treatment breaks down the plastic.
Inoculants are a good option if the moisture isn’t right – speeds up lactic acid formation.
Don’t wrap in the rain Bales should be fed within one
year of wrapping Wrapping area and storage areas
should be close
Key Factors
Cut at optimum maturity Bale between 50 and 60% moisture Make bales dense Use a minimum of four layers of
plastic Wrap A.S.A.P. after baling Patch holes promptly
Questions?
Robert A. (Bob) Schultheis Natural Resource Engineering Specialist
Webster County Extension Center 800 S. Marshall St.
Marshfield, MO 65706 Voice: 417-859-2044 Fax: 417-468-2086
E-mail: [email protected] Web: extension.missouri.edu/webster
Program Complaint Information To file a program complaint you may contact any of the following:
University of Missouri MU Extension AA/EEO Office
109 F. Whitten Hall, Columbia, MO 65211 MU Human Resources Office
130 Heinkel Bldg, Columbia, MO 65211
USDA Office of Civil Rights, Director
Room 326-W, Whitten Building 14th and Independence Ave., SW Washington, DC 20250-9410
"Equal opportunity is and shall be provided to all participants in Extension programs and activities, and for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without discrimination on the basis of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran. This policy shall not be interpreted in such a manner as to violate the legal rights of religious organizations or military organizations associated with the armed forces of the United States of America."
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Some slides in this presentation provided by: -- University of Arkansas Extension -- University of Kentucky Extension