2008 Hay Production School How to Produce High Quality Hay II:
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2008 Hay Production School How to Produce High Quality Hay II: How to cure and handle hay. Components of Forage Waste: Field curing 5-25% loss Field curing How to Produce High Quality Hay II: How to cure and handle hay. Harvesting Storage Harvesting 7-15% loss Feeding Dennis Hancock, PhD. Extension Forage Specialist UGA – Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences Rainfall Distribution - Midville Components of Curing Losses 2000-2007 8.0 Average Monthly Rainfall (inches) 1 6.0 4.0 2.0 Rainfall and leaching Ja nu F e a ry br ua r M y ar ch Ap r il M ay Ju ne Ju A ly Se u g pt u s t em b O er c N to b ov e r e D mb ec er em be r 0.0 Respiration Drying Times Vary 0.40 80 0.35 Moisture (%) DM losses, (% DM/hour) Rate of Respiration Loss Depends on Internal Crop Moisture and Air Temperature 0.30 95° F 0.25 0.20 0.15 77° F 0.10 80 70 60 40 Poor Drying Conditions Good Drying Conditions 20 60 50 40 Moisture level, % 30 20 0 Dr. Dennis Hancock Extension Forage Agronomist 1 1 2 3 Days 4 5 6 2008 Hay Production School How to Produce High Quality Hay II: How to cure and handle hay. Mowing and Curing Systems Mower Options hSickle Cutterbar h10-20% less expense hRequire 30% less hp hRepairs are less expensive hDisk Cutterbar hFaster ground speed hCuts through ant hills better hMaintenance is 20-30% less hBetter if crop is lodged Conditioner Styles Flail (impeller) Conditioner Styles Roller (crimper) Cross Section of Crop Stem • Stems have a waxy surface called cutin • Conditioning should scratch or crack the stem surface for faster drying Dr. Dennis Hancock Extension Forage Agronomist 2 Flail (impeller) Roller (crimper) Fine stemmed grasses Thick stemmed grasses and Leafy (legumes) 2008 Hay Production School How to Produce High Quality Hay II: How to cure and handle hay. Dry Matter Losses from Alfalfa as a Result of Conditioning Conditioner Drying Rates Alfalfa Grass Alfalfa The Effect of Relative Humidity Night-Time Moisture Fluctuations Equilibrium Moisture (%) Moisture (%) 80 60 40 Poor Drying Conditions Good Drying Conditions 20 0 1 2 3 Days 4 5 Grass 6 40 30 20 77° F 10 30 “My Buddy, Ted” 40 95° F 50 60 70 Relative Humidity, % Hay Raking Systems • Parallel bar rake The lowest amount of hay loss, particularly with legumes. Usually ground drive system. • Rotary rakes • Increase hay-drying rates by 20-40% (~ 0.5 – 1 day) • DM Loss: Grasses (<3%) Legumes (7-10% +) • Breaks up clumps & distributes the crop over the entire area. Some are dual function (rake or ted). Increased sun Fluffed for better air movement • Wheel rakes Operated at a higher speed (saves time) Tend to leave more in the field. • Initial tedding: w/in 2-4 hrs (clumps break better) • Additional tedding? May be necessary for grass, probable for alfalfa Dr. Dennis Hancock Extension Forage Agronomist 3 80 90 2008 Hay Production School How to Produce High Quality Hay II: How to cure and handle hay. Hay Curing Management • • • • Square vs. Round Conditioner? YES. Wide or narrow swath? Wide as possible When to mow? Early as possible Ted it? YES, but only when damp and toward the end of when the dew is on. Avoid tedding legumes when > 50% moisture • Moisture at raking? 35-40% for legumes 20-25% for grass/legume mixes ~<20% for bermudagrass • Moisture at baling? Small square = 18%, Round bales = 15% Square vs. Round Bale Accumulator • Round bales Large (800-2000 lbs) Easy to handle, if you have a tractor Less expensive ($/dry ton) Lots of waste ¾ If stored outside ¾ If fed on ground ¾ If accessible over long periods • Square (small rectangular) bales Small (40-75 lbs) Relatively easy to handle and store More expensive ($/dry ton) Fed with less waste, usually Labor intensive Bale Grapple (“Grabber”) Bale Grapple (“Grabber”) Dr. Dennis Hancock Extension Forage Agronomist 4 2008 Hay Production School How to Produce High Quality Hay II: How to cure and handle hay. Advantages • High Quality! But, “Garbage in = garbage out” • • • • Much lower harvest and storage losses Min. amount of additional machinery No specialized machinery for feeding No effluent problems if wilted Baled Silage Disadvantages • Higher cost than conventional hay methods costs are offset by losses in hay methods • Bales can be very heavy • Some balers can’t bale wet forage Rare these days • Tears or punctures can lead to spoilage • Possibility of spoiled silage causing sickness • Disposal of used plastic Details at End of Day Resources on CD How to Produce High Quality Hay II: How to cure and handle hay. QUESTIONS? www.georgiaforages.com Dr. Dennis Hancock Extension Forage Agronomist 5
