Hay Production, Storage and Feeding

1. Hay Production, Storage and Feeding

2. Objectives • Discuss hay production • Discuss economics and a hay budget • Discuss ways to reduce dry matter losses through production and storage • Discuss stockpiled forages

3. Why Hay? • Harvested forage is used to preserve forage quality and fill gaps in forage availability • Hay harvested during the growing season will usually have higher protein concentration and higher digestibility compared to standing cured forage.

4. Excess forage; harvest as hay Feed hay Feed hay Forage required by livestock Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Month Forage Production and Utilization

5. YEAR-ROUND GRAZING SYSTEM Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec C.S.G. Cool-season Grass C.S.G./legume Bermuda/legume Bermuda Bermuda N.R. Native Range N.R.

6. Forage Production Costs • Forage production costs depend on • Cost of establishment • Years of stand life • Maintenance costs agecon.okstate.edu/budgets

7. Typical Hay Feeding Season Only 26%, of those feeding hay, have their hay tested to determine nutritive value

8. Is the quality of the hay you produce or buy important? • High quality hay (> 10% Crude Protein) will meet the needs of a lactating cow when fed ad libitum (free choice) • Good quality hay (> 7.5% Crude Protein) will meet the needs of a dry cow when fed free choice. • High quality feed is more easily digested. This allows more to be consumed to meet the animals nutrient requirements. • May not need to feed supplements

9. How Do You Improve Hay Quality? • Forage maturity is the most important factor in improving hay/forage quality. • Fertility and harvest interval have an impact on forage quality. • Their order of importance varies depending on the forage.

10. Bermudagrass- Harvest interval and fertility are both important • For optimum forage quality bermudagrass needs to be harvested every 4 weeks • As a rule of thumb, for every two weeks you increase harvest interval you decrease protein by 1% for unfertilized and 2-3 % for fertilized bermuda (up to 8 week harvest interval) • As a general rule, every 50 lbs of actual nitrogen will increase crude protein percent by 2%, in addition to the change expected due to harvest interval. (up to 100 lbs of actual N) • For reference, bermudagrass fertilized with 100 lbs of actual N and harvested at a 4 week interval will have a crude protein of approximately 12%.

11. Fescue – forage quality is not affected as much by harvest interval or by fertility. • Crude protein does not change greatly due to harvest interval until seed heads are produced. Then it drops significantly. • Nitrogen fertilizer can improve crude protein from 1 to 4% depending on when the fescue is grazed. • Native – Timing of harvest is important • Forage quality and quantity is determined primarily by time of cutting. • Native hay is normally much lower in crude protein (2 – 8 % CP) • Maximum tonnage and peak quality cannot be achieved in the same cutting. Cutting in early July is the best compromise between yield and quality.

12. How do you test the quality of your hay? • Complete a forage test because many factors influence forage quality • The quality of a forage cannot be accurately determined by visual appraisal

13. Economics and Hay Budgets • Hay production is an expensive source of nutrients for beef cattle compared to grazing standing forage.

14. Hay production costs • Costs of operating inputs • Fixed costs of machinery and equipment if owned

15. Hay Production Costs Falconer, 2004

16. Cost of feeding hay?1200 lb round bale example Nutrients removed $24.70 Harvesting $20.24 Stacking and feeding $ 2.75 Storage loss $ 6.00 Feeding loss $ 4.00 Total $40.00 Or $66.67 per ton

18. Estimated Cost of Owning and Operating a Swather

19. Example AGMACH$Input and Report Windows

20. Important Points to Remember • Machinery costs can often account for as much as 50% of the annual total cost of producing a crop (excluding land costs). • For small acreages, custom hire of hay raking and baling is typically less expensive than equipment ownership and maintenance.

21. Cost per Harvested Acre for Selected Haying Equipment

22. OK Custom Rates, 2011-12

23. Harvest/Storage Methods • Maturity • Field losses (respiration and rainfall) • Storage losses • Other losses (pests)

24. Hay Crop Production • Field losses • Mowing - 0% • Respiration – 2% to 16% - unavoidable • Raking – 5% to 20% - legumes high % • Weather – 0% to 35% - unplanned weather • Baling – 1% to 15% - dry or brittle hay • Most hay production problems are the result of poor environmental conditions that occur from mowing to baling.

25. Properly cured hay has between 10 and 15 % moisture • High moisture levels (>20%) increase mold growth • Safe moisture levels < 20% small bales 18% round bales 16% large rectangular • The value of storage depends on the projected hay loss while in storage and the price of hay when sold or used.

26. Value of Hay Lost in Storage

27. Percent Dry Matter Loss of Round Hay Bales

28. Dry matter losses can reach 50% depending on bale quality, storage conditions , and length of storage. • Severe deterioration is usually limited to the outside 2 to 8 inches of the bale. • This weathering also lowers forage quality and reduces palatability and intake.

29. Amount of Dry Matter in Outer Layers of Large Round Bales As a general rule, the larger the bale the smaller the % dry matter loss.

30. Bales should be as well shaped and dense as possible (especially the outer surface). • As density increases, proper moisture content becomes more important. • Most studies show net wrap may be slightly better than twine in preventing storage loss.

31. If you can push more than ½ inch with the palm of your hand, the bale could undergo significant storage losses. If using twine, wraps should be 6 inches apart (no greater than 8) Fine-stemmed, leafy, weed-free bermudagrass and fescue thatch better than coarse-stemmed forages and thus should shed water better.

32. Hay Storage Recommendations

33. Hay stored in enclosed barns have a dry matter loss between 2 and 5 %.

34. Select a site that is sunny and open to breezes • Select a site without trees • Site should be gently sloping and well drained

35. Bales should be stored in rows butted, end-to-end • Rows should run north to south is possible • Space rows 3 feet apart so they do not touch

36. Keep a no-vegetation zone of at least 3 feet in width around the storage area • Store hay in more than one location to reduce fire risk • Keep objects that may attract lightning away from hay

37. Avoid hay/soil contact by placing bales on gravel, wooden pallets etc.Ground contact can account for over half of the total dry matter losses.

38. Bales should not be allowed to be in standing water, even temporarily.

39. As a bale flattens, it allows more hay/soil contact and more top area horizontally exposed to rainfall. This increases the rate of weathering and slows drying.

40. Good and Bad

47. Hay Feeding Recommendations

48. General points regarding hay feeding • To minimize storage losses, bales stored outside and unprotected should be used by early spring ( March 1) • Match hay quality to the animal needs • To reduce feeding losses, minimize the amount of hay available to the cattle • When feeding on the ground only feed a one-day supply. • Hay stored outside should be fed before hay stored inside • Coarse, porous hay should be fed before fine stemmed, densely baled hay

49. If You Feed A Multiple Day Supply of Hay • Studies report that 30 to 50% of hay offered may be lost if fed without a hay ring (multiple day supply) • Large round bales will have losses less than 10% when fed in hay rings. (Even multiple day supplies)

50. Solid footing reduces hay waste. Dry, well-drained or frozen sites make good feeding sites.