Forage Harvest
RSS

Things you shouldn’t find in a bale of hay

September 21, 2022

Glenn Shewmaker

I help grow, harvest and feed hay and other forages on our family farm, which is downwind from a small town. If I had a dollar for every plastic grocery bag, beer can, dog food bag, trampoline, shed roof, golf ball and mylar balloon I picked out of a hayfield or bale, it would put me in a higher tax bracket.

How much ‘dirt’ is in your forages?

July 8, 2022

Loren Bailey, Gene Gengelbach, and Dan Schauff

Minimizing soil content of forages should be the goal of every forage producer and dairy farm. This is because soil contamination of forages can add to the total ash or mineral content, which dilutes the energy and nutritive value of forages.

More to hay moisture than fire risk

June 9, 2022

Rebecca Kern-Lunbery

When I visit with forage producers about hay moisture in square bales, the top concern is spontaneous combustion and fire risk, followed by mold and mycotoxins and heat damage.

Tips for maximizing forage quality from start to finish

March 31, 2022

Matt LeCroy and Jessica Williamson

Delivering the highest-quality hay is a complicated race against time.

Raise your hay standards

March 31, 2022

Andrew L. Skidmore

Spontaneous combustion of hay bales is just about the worst-case scenario for any livestock producer putting up hay. That’s not the only bad outcome when it comes to hay storage.

Wet hay years and what to watch for

December 31, 2021

Melissa A. Bravo

Single-statement truisms in the livestock feeding business are a rare occurrence. “If this occurs, then that will occur,” is usually prefaced by a disclaimer, “as long as Mother Nature cooperates.”

How to handle hay following a hurricane or flood

September 29, 2021

Jason Banta and Vanessa Olson

Flooded hay

Stretching forages through a drought

September 29, 2021

Rebecca Kern-Lunbery

Drought conditions encompassing the entire western U.S. have producers concerned about declining hay and forage inventories.

Are hay preservative applicators worth it?

September 29, 2021

Heather Smith Thomas

Weather during harvest can be the biggest challenge in putting up high-quality hay. If hay is still a bit wet but a storm is coming and you want to get it baled and stored before the rain, you might consider using inoculants and hay preservatives.