To make excellent quality hay, the forage needs to be cut at the right growth stage and packaged into a bale at the right moisture content without incidence of rain damage.
8 articles tagged "hay harvest".
Hay harvest should be coming to a close for another year.
To make excellent quality hay, the forage needs to be cut at the right growth stage and packaged into a bale at the right moisture content without incidence of rain damage. As forages mature, protein and digestibility concentrations decline. If the forage is harvested too late, dry matter intake by the consuming animal will be less because of high fiber concentration. Baling hay too wet can result in mold formation, reduced quality and the possibility of spontaneous combustion. When the hay is baled too dry, leaf loss occurs which results in less yield and quality. The link below is a video about timing the hay harvest. Timing of the Hay Harvest Making quality hay requires awareness of the maturity stage of the grass and legume, and weather conditions. Top forage-livestock producers make timing the hay harvest a management priority.
Are you prepared for hay harvest? It is hard to believe with the persistent cool spring temperatures, but cool-season grass and legume hay harvest will likely begin a month from now.
After hay has fully cured following the harvest, it is important to follow through and Sample, Test, Allocate, and Balance or STAB your hay. Doing the STAB is an important best management practice to keep your livestock healthy.
To make excellent quality hay, the forage needs to be cut at the right growth stage and packaged into a bale at the right moisture content without incidence of rain damage.
As we near mid-May, it is important to have hay harvest equipment in excellent condition so the forage can be harvested at optimum quality when weather conditions allow and to reduce harvest delays because of equipment breakdowns.
The 2020 grazing season has recently started and hay harvest is going to begin soon. As the pasture gets grazed and the forage growing in the field is mown, make sure to evaluate grazing and cutting height so perennial plants have better persistence.
