Hay is the most commonly grown, mechanically harvested crop in the U.S. It is
also the most commonly used stored feed on livestock farms. With costs for grain
and other protein sources skyrocketing, it is critical producers pay attention
to hay quality.
To get things started, here's a checklist for producing quality hay:
SELECT THE RIGHT SPECIES. Forage quality varies greatly between legumes and
grasses. Rocky Lemus, Mississippi State Extension forage specialist, says
legumes produce more leafy material, are higher in protein content and are more
easily digestible.
CUT AT THE RIGHT MATURITY. David Lang, Mississippi State agronomist, says
cutting at the right maturity stage is the No. 1 factor influencing forage
quality. Plants continually change in quality as they mature. Each day's harvest
delay increases accumulation of indigestible lignin.
FERTILIZE ADEQUATELY. With today's high fertilizer prices, a regular soil
test—at least every two to three years—
is indispensable.
HARVEST FOR QUALITY. Mississippi agronomist Lang says hay quality is never
higher than when the forage is cut. Quality is lost through improper
conditioning, severe raking and baling at incorrect moisture levels.
Forage specialist Rocky Lemus agrees, and recommends putting hay down in wide
swaths to maximize drying and raking when forage moisture is at least 40%.
Optimum moisture content when hay is baled varies by forage species and bale
type. Baling at higher moisture levels can lead to heating, mold formation and
even fire. Use a moisture probe to be sure you're baling small square bales at
20% moisture, large round bales at 18% and large square bales at 16%.
ANALYZE YOUR HAY. Knowing the nutrient value of your hay can help you decide if
you need to make changes in your management program.
If you feed the hay to your own livestock, that information also tells you what
class of livestock a particular batch of hay is best suited for and what, if
any, additional supplementation may be needed.
If you sell hay, you can use the analysis information as a marketing tool.
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Rusty Bean says he can't afford to sell any junk. As a veterinarian in Gray,
Ga., he has a reputation to protect. So the hay he markets from 36 acres of
bermudagrass has to be top quality.
Apparently, Bean is succeeding. His hay consistently tests in the neighborhood
of 14 to 19% crude protein. Most of his sales are to local repeat customers. He
delivers to several seed-and-feed stores on a weekly basis and sells to
individuals in the north Georgia/Atlanta region.
Bean's production program starts from the ground up with soil fertility. "Using
soil samples taken every February, I break down what my crop's nutrient
requirements will be throughout the year," he says. "I apply my phosphorous and
potassium, as well as limited nitrogen during the winter months. Then I drill
ammonium nitrate into the soil during growing season so there is limited
atmospheric nitrogen loss."
Bean says he tries to stay on a 28- to 32-day cutting cycle for the best balance
of yield and nutrient value. He usually cuts at night, and says given the area's
high humidity all hay has to be teddered.
Hay is probed with a moisture tester, and most bales come from a New Holland 565
small square baler. Occasionally Bean uses a large round baler to keep up.
Yields average better than 61/2 tons per acre.
"I am giving serious thought to round-baling more of my hay, storing it in the
barn and then unrolling it and rebaling it in small square bales," Bean says.
"It actually cuts the time in half. I can bale faster and maintain more of the
quality and bale size of the hay. Plus, big bales are a lot easier to haul to
the barn."
In addition to the bermudagrass, Bean bales 15 acres of ryegrass that he
overseeds in the bermuda. Last year he harvested 2,000 50-pound bales. The
ryegrass delays the bermudagrass 20 to 25 days, but as compensation Bean doesn't
have to spray for weeds because the ryegrass chokes them out.
"I have to make the best return I can from a limited acreage," says the
veterinarian. "With my production costs, I can't afford to sell $3-a-bale hay.
By selling a quality product, I've been able to make at least a $2-a-bale
profit. I have to turn people away. I can't produce enough."
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Gayle McMinn, Dennis Heaton and Mark Hobson are producing hay for one of the
most demanding markets out there: horse owners.
Based in Russiaville, Ind., the three farm separately (McMinn with his son
Scott), but market together the production from about 750 acres of alfalfa mixed
with orchardgrass, timothy or red clover.
"Horse people are very particular," says McMinn, who handles the marketing.
"They prefer a green-colored leafy hay. They want no stemmy hay, no mold, no
dust."
To prevent "stemminess," the growers plant at a high seeding rate of 20 pounds
of alfalfa seed per acre. That's nearly double the dealer-recommended rate.
McMinn explains this results in thicker stands, smaller plants and finer-stemmed
hay. Yields average 5 tons per acre from four cuttings. Crude protein has been
running 20 to 22%.
Alfalfa is cut at the 10 to 20% bloom stage for the best compromise of quality
and yield.
"We use a mower-conditioner that both mows and crimps. Depending on how thick
the hay is, we may have to use a tedder to spread the windrow more evenly,"
McMinn says.
The team invested in a 24-foot Claas rotary rake that isn't ground-driven. This
means the tines don't kick up dirt but only touch the hay, fluffing it up so it
dries quicker.
Hay is baled with two Hesston 4590 small square balers.These are straight
through in-line balers equipped with bale skis, an attachment in the bale chute
that helps stop almost all leaf loss.
An automatic moisture sensor embedded in the bale chamber signals to a
preservative tank installed on the baler whether preservative needs to be
applied to the hay to stop the heating process and prevent mold.
Storage is inside, another key to quality control, says McMinn. "We store all
our hay in barns. We put wooden pallets on the floor and cover them with plastic
to keep moisture from wicking up from the ground. We keep the doors shut as much
as possible to maintain the green color."
Most sales are in southern Indiana, but the producers also ship to South
Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Most sales come from the Internet, where Dennis
Heaton keeps a web site. McMinn says he gleans the Internet for people looking
for hay.
"Our hay is delivered on our own trucks and trailers, which further ensures
quality and timeliness," he adds. "We get a lot of compliments on our quality.
As a result, we can command a good price for our hay."
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For David Sampson, hay is a crucial part of holding down winter feed costs for
his Angus herd.
The Kirksville, Mo., producer uses hay for wintering a 100-cow Angus herd, as
well as for backgrounding calves after they are weaned. In addition to 300 acres
of pasture, Sampson maintains 270 acres of bromegrass and fescue/red clover
pastures for hay production.
His management program includes regular soil tests to ensure grasses have
adequate nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. He limes to keep soil pH above 6.0 in
brome pastures, which helps improve fertilizer efficiency. Sampson says one key
to a good hay crop is a well-timed cutting.
"Fescue needs to be cut as soon as it reaches the boot stage in May or it
deteriorates in quality very fast," he stresses. "We can get rain just about any
day in May, so I use a mower-conditioner that lays out the grass in a fairly
wide swath to dry. Then, when the grass is ready to bale at 18 to 22% moisture,
I use a 12-row wheel rake that throws two swaths together into one windrow."
Bromegrass is a bit more forgiving than fescue, he adds. "I can bale it anytime
starting the middle part of June."
Sampson uses a John Deere 567 large round baler with a net wrap to form bales
weighing in at about 1,300 to 1,400 pounds. He has a two-bale-size bed on the
back of his pickup, so he can back up to bales, pick them up with a hydraulic
lift and haul.
Storage for the hay is outside, but Sampson says he's particular about how the
bales are stacked.
"I leave a 6- to 10-inch gap between bales. With the net wrap, I get almost no
spoilage—1/2 inch at the most, compared to 6 inches or more when I was baling
with twine."
Forage analysis of Sampson's hay proves his quality-focused plan is working.
Crude protein on the bromegrass is 12% with total digestible nutrients (TDN) of
53%. Crude protein for the fescue is 10%, with 50% TDN.
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All the hard work it takes to produce and harvest quality hay are lost if that
hay isn't stored properly.
David Sanson, Louisiana State University beef cattle nutritionist, says large
round bales left uncovered outside can easily lose one-fourth to one-third of
their feeding value.
University studies show an investment in some form of hay storage pays for
itself in reduced hay losses. The higher the quality of the hay, the more you
can afford to spend for storage.
Sanson compared 1,200-pound round bales of bermudagrass and bahiagrass stored
inside, outside uncovered and outside covered with a tarp. He found hay stored
in the barn lost just 3% of its value. Hay left outside but covered with a tarp
lost 5%. And hay left outside and uncovered lost 25%.
He says they stack outside in a 3-2-1 pyramid pattern—10 bales in three rows on
the bottom, then nine bales in two rows, with one row of nine bales on the top.
"That's 57 bales per stack," he says. "It requires a 25-foot-wide tarp to cover
the pyramid."
And while he acknowledges that tarps cost $400, he says they'll pay for
themselves in one year. "If you take good care of them, they should last eight
years or longer. That brings the cost down to less than $1 per bale," Sanson
says, adding it's important not to use a plastic material. "It will hold
moisture that will wick into the hay. Use something that is breathable."
It is also important to tie the tarp down snugly and to check it frequently,
retying it as the stack shrinks.
If you're considering building a hay storage facility, costs can vary greatly,
depending on whether it is totally enclosed, open on one side or if it is a pole
barn open on all sides.
Erin Wilkerson, agricultural engineer with the Environmental Sciences Division
of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, estimates current costs for an open-sided
pole-frame structure at $7.50 per square foot.
Those for a completely enclosed structure are estimated at $12 per square foot.
These estimates are based on costs reported in the "2008 National Building Cost
Manual."
Wilkerson says as a general rule of thumb, hay barns can accommodate 1 ton of
square bales for every 10 to 15 square feet of floor space, or 1 ton of round
bales for every 16 to 24 square feet.
Total area required depends on bale density, stacking height and how often hay
will be removed and replenished. Round bales can generally be stacked two or
three bales high; small square bales, eight to 12 tiers high.
To determine if it is economically feasible to build a hay-storage facility, you
must calculate construction costs, annual maintenance costs and depreciation.
Compare this figure with an estimate of the value of hay lost if stored outside
either uncovered or with a tarp.
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Ryan Reuter, livestock research scientist with the Noble Foundation in Ardmore,
Okla., offers these suggestions:
1. Buy from a reputable source. Reuter buys hay from a supplier he knows and
trusts. He tends to buy from folks he's done business with before and who can
offer the services he needs, such as lab analysis, on-time delivery, etc.
2. Insist on a certified hay analysis. The hay must meet the nutritional
requirements of the class of livestock to be fed—without supplementation.
3. Buy by weight, not by the bale. The price of the hay must be in relation to
the amount of dry matter received.
4. Look at bale quality. Reuter wants a solid bale with square shoulders that
doesn't sag. He prefers it net-wrapped, especially if it will be stored outside.
5. Look for mold, dust, weed seeds and foreign objects. These "anti-quality"
factors can be particularly important for certain classes of livestock such as
horses and young calves.
6. Buy locally if possible. Buying hay from nearby farms reduces delivery
charges.