Conditioners for Hay and Haylage

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Conditioners for Hay and Haylage

• Dr. Dan Undersander
• University of Wisconsin

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Mower Conditioner Options

• Sickle Cutterbar - roll conditioner
• Disk Cutterbar - roll conditioner
• Disk Cutterbar - impeller conditioner

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Cross Section of Crop Stem

• Stems have a waxy surface called cutin
• Conditioning should crack the stem surface for
  faster drying

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Conditioner width as percent of cutting width
Maximum Swath Width Conditioner Width
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Maximum swath width versus cutting width
Maximum Swath Width Cutting Width
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Put hay into wide swath Keep off of ground
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Conditioned hay
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Conditioner types

• Flail/impellers
• Rubber Rolls

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Rollers vs flail (impeller) conditioners
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Roll and Impeller Comparison

• Roll creates a crushing action
• Impeller creates a stripping action
• Impeller has greater capacity
• Impeller tends to have higher losses
• Roll with rotary mower will leave strips in light
  crops (Limited air through rear of machine)

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Drying Rate Comparisons

• Cutterbar Conditioner Drying Rate
• Sickle Roll .2 hr(2nd)
• Rotary Roll 0(1st)
• Rotary Impeller 1.8 hr(3rd)

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Conditioner drying rates
Alfalfa
Grass
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Conditioner field losses

• Flail conditioners have 2 to 3 higher field
  losses with alfalfa.
• The loss is all leaves so forage quality is
  significantly reduced.

Stems
Leaves
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Adjust conditioner properly

• Tension on rollers
• Spacing of rollers

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Adjust conditioner roller spacing
Measure clearance where Crimp or smallest
clearance occurs
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Summary

• Flail conditioner designed for grasses
• Faster drying for grasses
• Greater leaf loss with alfalfa
• DM loss
• Forage Quality loss
• Roll conditioner designed for alfalfa
• Faster drying for alfalfa