Regional Hay School - Nevada, MO 2/6/2016extension.missouri.edu/webster/documents/... · 2/6/2016 · Regional Hay School - Nevada, MO 2/6/2016 3 Use Wide Swaths Maximizes solar

Regional Hay School - Nevada, MO 2/6/2016

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“Hay Day” ManagementNuts & Bolts of Making Hay and Silage

Bob SchultheisNatural 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

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Can you afford to spend $2 to get $1 back?

Can you afford to think this way in the hay business?

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Storage

-35%

Harvesting

-14%

Feeding

-30%

Field curing

-26%

30% Left

Typical Forage

Harvesting Losses

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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

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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 milk6


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Stage of Growth Affect Intake

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

Forage Moisture Affects Dry Matter

Harvest & Storage Losses

Garbage Zone

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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

Lost

Sicklebar mower only 1 2

Sicklebar mower, fluted rolls 2 3

Disc mower, fluted rolls 3 4

Disc mower, flail conditioner 4 511

Sickle vs. Disc

Clean cut

Slower

Low horsepower

Close cut (too close?)

Quicker

Higher horsepower

Cumbersome to mount


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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

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Use a Tedder EARLYin the Process

Best used on legumes within4 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


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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 RoundBales

1200 lbs. ÷ 142.5 sq.ft. = 8.4 lbs./sq.ft.

Small SquareBales

60 lbs. ÷ 21.3 sq.ft.

= 2.8 lbs./sq.ft.

Shape Dictates MoistureContent at Baling

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5.5’ x 5.5’

Effect of Moisture Contenton Hay Quality

Forage Moisture Testing

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

Microwave$50 - $100

Prices as of December 2015

Electrical conductance

moisture meter $446

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)

$374

Photo credit: www.enasco.com/product/C08633N

Maximum Hay MoistureContent (%) at Baling

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Per

cent

Moi

stur

e C

onte

nt

Reference: MU Guide G3151 Using a Microwave Oven to Determine Moisture in Forageshttp://extension.missouri.edu/p/G3151

22%

18%16%

Final Moisture Contentof 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

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At a given temperature and relative humidity, there is a corresponding moisture content below which the hay will no longer release moisture.


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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 outof 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 move haylaterally without rolling it

7. Store hay off the ground

8. Store silage piles on concrete26

Practical Ways ProducersCan Speed Haymaking

Use weather forecasting to minimize exposureto rain

Cut forage higher to let stems support swath

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

More energy per acre than hay

Flexible harvest schedule

Lower harvest losses

Totally mechanized handling

Less dependent on weather

but….

Higher capital investment

Must be fed soon after taken from storage

No ready off-farm market

Bulky to store; costly to transport

Harvest Moisture ContentDepends on Silo Type

Photo credit: University of Wisconsin

Photo credit: University of WisconsinPhoto credit: www.nebraskaharvestore.com

30Photo credit: University of Wisconsin

• Conventional tower silos= 63–68% M.C.

• Limited-oxygen silos= 55-60% M.C.

• Horizontal silos= 65–70% M.C.

• Silo bags= 65% M.C.

• Silage bales= 50-60% M.C.


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Making Good Silage

KEEP THE OXYGEN OUT!

Wilt forage to correct moisture

Pack material tightly• Chop 3/8” to 1/2” length

Ensile as quickly as possible• Fast fermentation leads

to a more stable feed andmore nutrient retention

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

Baleage vs. Dry Hay

Baled silage• Flexible harvest

options Less field drying time Greater harvest window Less weather risk

• Lower losses Harvest & storage

• More uniform product• No taxable structure

Baled hay• More marketable

Horses Lower trucking costs

• No fermentation• Less equipment• Less plastic disposal

issues

35Source: Dr. Kevin Shinners, University of Wisconsin, 2010

© 2002 Bob Schultheis

Tube vs. Individual Wrapping

Tubes• Less plastic used

• Greater productivity

• Less labor

Chopped silage• Targeted feeding

• Marketable product

• Occupies less area

• Less aerobic loss at feedout

36Source: Dr. Kevin Shinners, University of Wisconsin, 2010


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Equipment Needed for Baleage

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Mower

Rake

Baler capable of baling wet forage

Tractor of sufficient horsepower to carry bales safely

Bale spear orgrapple

Bale wrapper

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 aspossible• 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-StoragePost-Storage

It’s all about moisture content at harvestand how fast it is put in an anaerobic environment for fermentation to begin

Digestibility of Alfalfa Baleage

IVD

MD

(%

)

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 35.7RC hay 16.3 49.8

__________________________

(60% moisture at baling)


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Ryegrass BaleageComparison to Hay

Replacement Heifers Gain – No additional supplementationRyegrass hay received a light rain shower on itUnpublished data, Calhoun, GA, 2009, Dennis HancockP<0.10

Treatment CP%

TDN%

RFQ ADGlbs/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 ofWrappers 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-EndIndividual Wrap

Concerns• Labor• Plastic on bottoms

of bales


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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 Consumption2 layers 53%4 layers 84%6 layers 88%Hay 64%

Alfalfa Silage & Hay

Alfalfa silage & hay from the same field2, 4, or 6 layers of stretch film - platform wrapper

2 layersHay 4 layers6 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


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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 reflectedin the higher pH value

Suggestions:

• Hot, summer day – 2 hrs

• Cool, fall day – 8 hrs(Depends on weatherand type of forage)

Wrap right away = pH 4.5

Wrap after 20 hrs. = 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

Summary

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) SchultheisNatural Resource Engineering Specialist

Webster County Extension Center800 S. Marshall St.

Marshfield, MO 65706Voice: 417-859-2044

Fax: 417-468-2086E-mail: [email protected]

Web: extension.missouri.edu/webster

Program Complaint InformationTo file a program complaint you may contactany 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 Building14th and Independence Ave., SWWashington, DC 20250-9410

The University of Missouri does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

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Documents

Regional Hay School - Nevada, MO 2/6/2016extension.missouri.edu/webster/documents/... · 2/6/2016 · Regional Hay School - Nevada, MO 2/6/2016 3 Use Wide Swaths Maximizes solar