Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL  36507

Telephone (251) 937-7176 or

928-0860/943-5061 ext. 2222

FAX (251) 937-7285

Ken Kelley

Regional Extension Agent/Animal Science

January 4, 2011

Hay

Hay is one of the main winter staples for cattle, horses, goats and other fiber loving animals in south Alabama. Each year more than 60 million acres of forage crops are harvested for hay in the United States. Hay is the most widely grown mechanically-harvested agronomic crop in the United States. Hay can be made from many different crops, offers package sizes and shapes that can meet different needs, and is often sufficient to meet the needs of many non-lactating animals. Because of its merits, hay is the most commonly used stored feed on livestock farms across the nation.

Unfortunately, losses of hay during storage and feeding are often high (particularly with round bales stored outside).  These losses account for a huge chunk of money that is spent each year. Hay storage losses vary according to several factors, but storage technique is of utmost importance. Little hay will be lost when stored inside of a barn, but huge losses can occur when hay is stored outside.

Dry matter losses during storage results from respiration (the continuation of normal plant processes), microbial activity, and weather deterioration.  Respiration is a natural process, and some loss should be expected from respiration with all hay. However, hay that is stored wet or is placed into wet surroundings will continue this process longer and with more loss than hay that is properly cured and stored. Moisture is also associated with microbial activity, such as growth of various fungi, which are detrimental not only within physical losses, but also nutritionally. Both respiration and microbial activity can be positively affected by proper curing and storage, but perhaps the biggest losses associated with hay are related to direct weather deterioration.

The switch from small rectangular bales to large round bales on most U.S. farms has resulted in higher storage losses (in many cases several times higher). Round bales are not inherently subject to greater losses, but they are much more likely to be subjected to adverse storage conditions, often remaining outside with no protection between baling and feeding. Feeding losses are usually sharply higher with round bales as well, partly because big round bales are generally fed on sod while rectangular bales are often fed in bunks.

While dry matter losses are significant, forage quality losses also present significant problems. Total crude protein declines with weathering (the percentage of crude protein may increase due to dry matter losses). The proportion of digestible crude protein may decrease, especially if the hay undergoes heating due to excessive moisture. Soluble carbohydrates, which are highly digestible, decline during weathering. Declines in hay quality from weathering are normally greater for legumes than grasses.

Alright…there is a lot of potential to lose value with our hay. Whether we are talking dry matter or quality loss, we know that we need to reduce these losses as much as possible….so, how do we do that? Store hay in a barn. Walt Prevatt, one of our Extension Economists, likes to make the statement “you are gonna pay for a barn whether you build one or not”. In other words, the losses that you incur from hay stored outside of a barn will more than pay for the barn over time. There has been a lot of research done to back this up. If you lose 50% of each bale of hay (this number is not a step-out when you consider dry matter loss, quality loss, and waste due to the fact that the animal will not eat the hay), how may bales does it take to build a barn ?? How long does it take to pay for a barn if you half the number of bales you need? No point in belaboring the facts…you are gonna pay for a barn whether you build one or not.

Now, if you don’t have a barn (and don’t want to build one), and you are going to store round bales of hay outside, there are some things that can be done to help. Protect the tops and bottoms of the bales as much as possibly by using wooden pallets or rock pads underneath and some type of tarp or cover over the top. If you do not use tarps or covers over the top, store bales in rows with sides not touching so as to avoid creating a moisture holding area between sides (the flat end should be firmly butted against one another). 

Rows of hay should run north and south to allow maximum exposure of the rounded sides to the sun. Bales should be oriented up and down the slope so that they will not create a dam for surface water, and placed near the top of the slope to minimize the amount of water flowing around the hay.

There are a lot of things that we could say about storing and feeding hay. Feeding of hay is a large percentage of the cost associated with having livestock. Producers need to be aware that there could be huge losses associated with hay, both in quantity and in quality. Producers should attempt to produce or purchase top quality hay. Then every effort should be made to store and feed that hay in a way that reduces losses as much as possible. As always, if you’ve got questions send me an email or give me a call.

Email address: kellewi@aces.edu

Phone number: 937-7176 or 943-5061, 928-0860, ext. 2222

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.