“Just be glad you're not getting all

the government you're paying for.”

-- Will Rogers
Can you afford to think this
way in the hay business?
Can you afford to spend
$2 to get $1 back? 2
 Field curing
Typical
-26%
Forage
Harvesting Harvesting
Losses -14%

Storage
-35%
30% Left
Feeding
-30%
3
 Field curing
Optimum
-12%
Forage
Harvesting Harvesting
Losses -8%

Storage
-5%
70% Left
Feeding
-8%
4
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
6
 Stage of Growth Affect Intake

The leaves contain about 2/3rds of the plant nutrients

7
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

Balingor
Chopping

Handling
 Mowing &
Conditioning
Losses

% D.M. % Leaves
Type of Mower Lost Lost
Sicklebar mower only 1 2
Sicklebar mower, fluted rolls 2 3
Disc mower, fluted rolls 3 4
Disc mower, flail conditioner 4 5
11
 Sickle vs. Disc

Clean cut
Close cut (too close?)

Slower
Quicker

Low horsepower
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

Photo credit: Dennis Hancock, Univ. of Georgia

Fasterdrying the first day – breaks vascular tissue

Works best for thin-stemmed grasses over thick
stem and leafy forages
 Raking &
Tedding Losses

Raking Tedding
Moisture % D.M. % Leaves % D.M. % Leaves
Content Lost Lost Lost 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
% D.M. % Leaves
Forage Moisture Content Lost Lost
25%, with preservative 1 2
20% 2 3
12% 3 4
19
 Shape Dictates Moisture
Content at Baling

Small Square Large Round

Bales Bales

5.5’ x 5.5’

60 lbs. ÷ 21.3 sq.ft. 1200 lbs. ÷ 142.5 sq.ft.

= 2.8 lbs./sq.ft. = 8.4 lbs./sq.ft.
20
Effect of Moisture Content
on Hay Quality
 Forage Moisture Testing

Heater/fan dryer Electrical Microwave

(Koster® unit) conductance $50 - $100
$365 moisture meter
$385

Photo Credit:
www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/forages/publications/ID-172.htm

Photo Credit:
www.enasco.com/product/C08633N Photo Credit:
www.enasco.com/product/C16283N

Reference: Determining Forage Moisture Concentration

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/442/442-106/442-106.html Prices as of October 2012
22
 Maximum Hay Moisture
Content (%) at Baling
Percent Moisture Content

22%

18%
16%

Reference: MU Guide G3151 Using a Microwave Oven to Determine Moisture in Forages

http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G3151 23
 Final Moisture Content
of Baled Hay, %
Relative Humidity, %
Temperature, °F 30 50 70 80
70 10 13 21 39
80 8 12 20 38
85 7 10 18 37
95 5 8 16 36
At a given temperature and relative humidity, there is a corresponding
moisture content below which the hay will no longer release moisture. 24
 Minimize Ash Content When
Harvesting Forages

Internaland 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!

25
 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

Wiltforage 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

KEEP THE OXYGEN OUT!

 Making Good Baleage

Wiltforage 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

KEEP THE OXYGEN OUT!

Crude Protein - Alfalfa Baleage
25
Pre-Storage
23 Post-Storage
Crude Protein (%)

21

19

17

15
54 49 43 22
Moisture Content at Baling (%)
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

70
-----------Baleage -----------
65
IVDMD (%)

60

55 Hay

50

45

40
54% 49% 43% 22%

Moisture Content at Baling (%)

 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

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

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
 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
 Alfalfa Silage & Hay

Alfalfa silage & hay from the same field

2, 4, or 6 layers of stretch film - platform wrapper

Hay 6 layers 2 layers 4 layers

Storage Treatment Consumption

2 layers 53%
4 layers 84%
6 layers 88%
Hay 64%
 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 Legume-Grass mixes work best
• Red clover
• Soybean

Cool Season Grasses
• Tall fescue
• Wheat / Triticale / Rye
• Annual Ryegrass

Warm Season Grasses
• Forage sorghum
• Sudangrass
• Pearl millet
• Immature corn
 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
7

6 Alfalfa

5
pH Grasses
4

2
 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 pH 4.5
in the higher pH value

Suggestions:
• Hot, summer day – 2 hrs
• Cool, fall day – 8 hrs
(Depends on weather
and type of forage)
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 Program Complaint Information
Natural Resource Engineering Specialist To file a program complaint you may contact
any of the following:
Webster County Extension Center
800 S. Marshall St. University of Missouri
Marshfield, MO 65706  MU Extension AA/EEO Office
Voice: 417-859-2044 109 F. Whitten Hall, Columbia, MO 65211
Fax: 417-468-2086  MU Human Resources Office
130 Heinkel Bldg, Columbia, MO 65211
E-mail: schultheisr@missouri.edu
Web: extension.missouri.edu/webster 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."

Some slides in this presentation provided by:

-- University of Arkansas Extension
-- University of Kentucky Extension 56