Quality Hay Production and Storage

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Quality Hay Production and Storage
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Aggie Story

• Bird collisions into Airplane windshields are
  dangerous. DOT in DC requested proposals for the
  testing of new windshield. Aggie engineers
  received one of these grants, looked around and
  found the cheapest most effective method. They
  built the now famous
• CHICKEN GUN

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Aggie Story

• The Aggies published this, and the Brits, having
  the same trouble with birds on trains, asked for
  and received it.
• The Brits set up the gun, and on the first test
  the chicken blasted through the windshield and
  embedded itself the drivers seat. They sent the
  data back to AM and asked for recommendations

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Aggie Story

• The Aggie Engineers examined the data, came to a
  conclusion and sent the the Brits a report that
  basically said next time.
• THAW THE BIRD FIRST
• This proves once again.
• You gotta pay attention to the details

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Hay Production

• Hay Production is the most expensive part of
  cow/calf production
• Concepts
• Quality Counts
• Economic Production Practices
• MEY Strategy
• Proper Harvesting
• Reduction of Storage Losses

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Producing Quality Hay

• Plant digestibility
• What can be used by livestock
• Plant composition
• Whats in it.

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Stage of Harvest

• Digestibility is a function of maturity
• Crude protein is a function of maturity and soil
  nitrogen.

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Maturity effects on Digestibility and Crude
protein.
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Bermudagrass and Ryegrass Growth Curve
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Growth curve

• First two cutting have the highest yield and
  quality
• Later cuttings are more expensive per pound of
  hay
• Stock piling possible
• use early
• supplement
• sward health

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Weed control in pastures
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Liebergs Law of Limits
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Nutrient removed (lbs./ac) by grazing and hay
production
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Fertility Management

• Soil Test
• Utilize known nutrients
• Correct deficiencies
• Correlate with production practice
• Nutrient Management
• Maintain production
• Minimize mining

• No Soil Test
• SWAG at best
• Assume known nutrient removal
• nutrient replacement
• Renter mentality
• Short term vs. long term management goals.

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Fertility Management

• Nitrogen Bermudagrass
• Grazing180 units/year include recycled
• Hay most responsive with early harvests
• Hybrid Bermuda 100 units/cutting, split
• others 60 units/cutting
• Phosphorus
• 60 - 120 units per year
• pH dependent
• build up with manure

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Fertility Management

• Potassium Tricky
• Grazing limited
• Hay mining possible
• First indication Winter kill
• Late application may be more important

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Fertility Management

• Soil pH
• limits nutrient availability
• Cool season more intolerant
• Ryegrass/small grains pHgt5.8
• Clover
• pHlt7 crimson, arrowleaf, subterranean, lespedeza
• pHgt7alfalfa, berseem, sweetclover, vetch, medics
  (?)

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Fertility Management

• Secondary Ca, Mg, S.
• Ca, Mg adjust with lime
• Sulfur becoming more important
• Micronutrients Zn, Cu, others
• responsive if major nutrient needs are met
• pH regulates
• pHlt5.5 Zn, Cu, others
• pHgt7.5 Fe, others
• manure build up of Cu

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Important factors to making quality hay

• Stage of Maturity at harvest
• Forage Species
• Legumes are better
• Nitrogen for grasses
• Moisture content at baling
• Time of Storage
• Storage conditions

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Dry matter loss due to Moisture Content

• Early Respiration Losses (90-gt40 M)
• Mechanical losses (40-gt15 M)
• Raking Baling loss
• Solutions
• Handle at with moisture (dew, late evening)
• Crimp/Crush
• Reduce curing time
• reduce weathering
• reduce leaf shatter

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Minimizing Dry Matter Loss

• Bale at proper moisture (18-22)
• Prevent or minimize moisture infiltration after
  baling

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Critical Bale Temperatures
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Heat losses

• Fire
• Mold damage
• Maillard Reaction
• formation of sugar/protein polymers
• lowers digestibility of available protein and
  sugars

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Moisture considerations

• Small Rectangular Bales
• bale _at_ lt22 moisture
• Large Round Bales
• bale _at_ lt18 moister
• large bales retain internal heat longer
• Any hay baled at gt22 moisture should not be
  stored for one month to allow adequate dryings

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Major Feed Value Losses

• Late cutting losses in digestibility
• Wilting losses in swarth
• Leaf shattering due to low moisture and improper
  handling
• Excessive moisture at baling
• Water infiltration into the bale after baling

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Large Bale Losses

• Moisture content _at_ baling
• Forage type
• legumes high quality deserve proper storage
• Rainfall during storage
• Distribution vs. amount
• Bale Density
• Site Drainage
• Bale Drying

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Storing Big Round Bales

• Insure Adequate Drainage
• minimize hay/soil contact
• Crushed rock, RR ties, etc.
• Store on a gentle south facing sod covered slope
• Orient rows North to South
• Pack bales tightly in rows
• Avoid overhead water infiltration
• trees, eaves, etc.

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Bale Storage

• Use barns for high quality forage
• Baled silage for high quality small grains
• penetration damage
• Tarps (6 mil minimum)
• wind, secure edges.
• bale stacks
• Plastic Wraps
• animal damage

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Round bale storage

• Do
• avoid lighting other fire hazards
• pack flat ends together
• Keep 3 between rows
• tight wrappings
• well drained
• cover (?)

• Dont
• place where fire can occur
• store around moisture
• use loose wrappings
• allow animals free access to storage areas
• waste hay