Hay Production Storage and Feeding Objectives Discuss hay

Hay Production, Storage and Feeding

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

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

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

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 N. R. Native Range Bermuda N. R.

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

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

Is the quality of the hay you produce or buy important? n High quality hay (> 10% Crude Protein) will meet the needs of a lactating cow when fed ad libitum (free choice) n Good quality hay (> 7. 5% Crude Protein) will meet the needs of a dry cow when fed free choice. n High quality feed is more easily digested. This allows more to be consumed to meet the animals nutrient requirements. n May not need to feed supplements

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

Bermudagrass- Harvest interval and fertility are both important n For optimum forage quality bermudagrass needs to be harvested every 4 weeks n 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) n 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) 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%.

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

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

Sampling Guidance Provided on SWFAL Web Site

About What Will it Cost?

Minimizing Waste

Effect of Feeder Design on Hay Waste Feeder Item; Total waste, lb Waste, % bale wt Basket Open POLY Sheeted SEM P-value 71 a 283 b 294 b 170 c 22 < 0. 01 5. 3 a 20. 5 b 21. 0 b 13. 0 c 1. 6 < 0. 01 Sexton et al. , 2011

University of Missouri 2015 Open Feeder Tapered Feeder Cone Feeder

Feeder Design, Missouri Experiment 1 Alfalfa Haylage Item Cone Tapered Open Probability Hay Waste 6. 5 4. 9 7. 0 0. 9 DM Intake 2. 3 2. 2 2. 3 0. 6 Experiment 2 Fescue Hay Item Cone Tapered Open Probability Hay waste 8. 9 13. 6 19. 2 0. 01 DMI % BW 2. 21 2. 20 2. 15 0. 6 Moore and Sexten, 2015

Limit Feeding Hay

Access Time Impacts Hay Use Efficiency Access Time per Day Item 6 h 14 h 24 h P Hay DM intake, lb 21. 2 24. 4 27. 4 < 0. 01 Cow BW change, lb 27. 3 36. 5 51. 2 > 0. 10 Jaderborg et al. , 2011 University of Minnesota

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

Hay production costs n Costs of operating inputs n Fixed costs of machinery and equipment if owned

Hay Production Costs Cost item Cost per ton % of Total Labor $13. 32 15. 4% Fertilizer $19. 02 22. 0% Chemicals $1. 40 1. 6% Custom hire $2. 38 2. 8% Fuel $9. 97 11. 5% Repairs & Maintenance $17. 13 19. 8% Depreciation $11. 08 12. 8% Interest $9. 93 11. 5% Taxes & Insurance $2. 23 2. 6% Total cost per ton $86. 47 100% Falconer, 2004

Cost of feeding hay? 1200 lb round bale example Nutrients removed Harvesting Stacking and feeding Storage loss Feeding loss Total Or $84. 16 per ton $13. 68 $24. 50 $ 2. 32 $ 6. 00 $ 4. 00 $50. 50

Cost per Acre, $ Estimated Cost of Owning and Operating a Swather 400 A/Yr 800 A/Yr 1600 A/Yr Years of Ownership

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

OK Custom Rates, 2015 -16 Avg ($/a) Low High Mowing ($/acre) 11. 13 5 20 Raking ($/acre) 5. 22 1 12 14. 94 10 18 Baling small sq. bales ($/bale) 1. 70 . 80 4 Baling large sq. bales ($/bale) 15. 75 8 25 Baling large rd. bales (5 x 6) ($/bale) 17. 54 11 26. 50 Cutting, raking, baling large round bales (5 x 6) ($/bale) 24. 51 18 32 Swathing ($/acre)

Harvest/Storage Methods n Maturity n Field losses (respiration and rainfall) n Storage losses n Other losses (pests)

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

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

Value of Hay Lost in Storage Hay Price (per ton) Storage Loss (%) $40 $60 $80 $100 $120 ---------------- $ per ton --------------- 5 2 3 4 5 6 10 4 6 8 10 12 15 6 9 12 15 18 20 8 12 16 20 24 25 10 15 20 25 30 30 12 18 24 30 36 35 14 21 28 35 42 40 16 24 32 40 48 Does not include losses associated with shrinkage or reduced quality. Source: Huhnke.

Percent Dry Matter Loss of Round Hay Bales Storage Period Storage Method Up to 9 monthsa 12 to 18 months Ground 5 -20 15 -50 Elevated 3 -15 12 -35 Ground 5 -10 10 -15 Elevated 2 -4 5 -10 2 -5 3 -10 Less than 2 2 -5 Exposed Covered Under roof Enclosed barn If used before spring warm-up. Source: Huhnke. a

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

Amount of Dry Matter in Outer Layers of Large Round Bales Outer Layer Depth Bale Diameter, ft 2” 4” 6” 8” --------- % dry matter loss ---------4 16 31 44 56 5 13 25 36 46 6 11 21 31 40 7 9 18 27 34 8 8 16 23 31 As a general rule, the larger the bale the smaller the % dry matter loss.

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

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.

Hay Storage Recommendations

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

Good and Bad

Hay Feeding Recommendations

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

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

Solid footing reduces hay waste. Dry, welldrained or frozen sites make good feeding sites.

Waste can be reduced by having at least one cow for each foot of outside circumference

Stockpiling Forages Is it any fun to put out hay bales in the winter? Almost always cheaper to allow the cattle to harvest the forage rather than mechanically harvest the forage and feed it back to the cattle.

How do I stockpile forages for fall and winter grazing? n Tall fescue n Bermuda grass n Remove existing forage by late August § Graze, hay, or mow n Apply 75 to 100 lbs of N n Grazing can begin in late. December and continue through February n Apply 50 to 75 lbs of N n Grazing usually begins sometime during October through early January n Expect about 1 ton of forage per acre n 1 acre = 45 grazing days for 1 animal

Mayes County Average August and September Rainfall is 8. 40 inches n Bermudagrass Water Efficiency n Without fertilizer - 18 to 20 inches of water/ton n With fertilizer - As little as 4 inches/ton Fertilizer improves water use!!!

How can you estimate your standing forage? Stockpiled Fescue 276 lb Forage per inch of height

Fertilizing Cool Season Grasses n 60 Pounds of N per ton of forage n 1 -1 ½ tons/A in the fall (60 -90 N) n 2 - 3 tons/A in the spring (120 - 180 N)

Late Summer Fertilization for Stockpiled Forage n Bermudagrass and/or Fescue n 60 to 80 lbs. N/A in August n Defer grazing

Bermudagrass/Fertilizer Demo. Mayes Co. Fertilized May 12, Harvested August 5, 1997 Yield lb. /a Nitrogen Rate

Timing Fertilizer Applications n Ahead of anticipated rainfall n Ahead of anticipated plant growth n Ahead of anticipated need

n Fall Production Reduces Hay Feeding n Fertilize for Optimum Use of Fall Moisture

Summary 1. Minimize hay requirements with better pasture and grazing management. 2. Minimize hay requirements with good hay storage and feeding management. 3. Know the quality of hay being used and the relative costs. 4. Consider buying hay or having custom hay harvested, especially if you are a small producer.

Fall Fertilized Bermuda Grass $15. 34

Fall Fertilized Tall Fescue $24. 46

Seasonal Rainfall and Cool Season Forage Production Percent Fertilize

Hay Avoidance Strategy n Bermudagrass to graze in August and Sept. , overseeded with a cool season legume n Stockpiled fertilized bermudagrass in October until fully grazed n Stockpiled fertilized fescue after stockpiled bermudagrass or native grass is grazed