NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota
State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
June 4, 1998
Making sure cows eat well this fall and winter depends on proper hay harvest management now, notes a North Dakota State University dairy specialist.
"Forage maturity, moisture level and particle size are all key elements in harvesting haylage that will ferment properly and provide the best quality feed for dairy cows," notes J.W. Schroeder of the NDSU Extension Service.
First of all, it's essential to harvest hay at proper maturity, Schroeder notes. "In fact, knowing when to harvest is likely the most important part of a good forage program."
Dwain Meyer, forage management specialist at NDSU, notes that recommended stage for harvest of alfalfa has been at the late-bud to the 10-percent-blooming stage. "But today there's a much more accurate system available to measure the feed quality of alfalfa standing in the field. It's called the PEAQ systemwhich stands for Prediction Equation for Alfalfa Quality." That system estimates the feed value of alfalfa in the field. Contact your local office of the NDSU Extension Service for more information on using the PEAQ system or on peak maturities for other forage crops. Information on the PEAQ system is also available on the NDSU Dairy Extension and Research Resources page on the World Wide Web at www.ag.ndsu.edu/aginfo/dairy/.
The second key ingredient in the successful haylage recipe is dry matter content, Schroeder notes. Proper dry matter levels encourage good packing and fermentation. If haylage is too wet (less than 30 percent dry matter) or too dry (greater than 60 percent dry matter), the likelihood of poor fermentation in storage is drastically increased.
"High quality haylage requires proper fermentation to promote good dairy cow intake and high levels of milk production," Schroeder notes. "The only way to know the dry matter of haylage is to measure it."
Use a microwave, oven or Koster tester to dry samples to evaluate dry matter, Schroeder recommends. Be sure to measure the first load harvested, and check dry matter levels again periodically during harvest.
"Some producers are very good at squeezing a handful of hay to monitor moisture," Schroeder notes. "It's still a good idea to occasionally calibrate your self-measured tests in the microwave or Koster tester. Recalibrate yourself often."
Also, check particle size as you chop your hay.
"Nothing you do to haylage after harvest increases the particle size. Everything—including silo fillers, silo unloaders, mixers and feed delivery systems—reduces particle size. That's why it's important to have the correct particle size to begin with."
If moisture ranges are monitored for haylage, it is strongly suggested to try to achieve the greatest particle length possible that will fit with your storage and feeding systems. Longer lengths typically work better in bunker silos than in upright silos. Bunker silos still need to have proper moisture to pack longer material.
On the other hand, never compromise a good fermentation with particle sizes that are too long, Schroeder notes. "The problems of poor packing and moldy, poorly fermented haylage will far outweigh any increases that you may gain from longer haylage particle size."
How important are these key elements to haylage harvest?
Schroeder says grasses and legumes harvested for haylage at proper maturity and moisture ranges will provide better performance in the dairy herd than corn silage harvested this fall. "There are often more problems with fermentation and fiber digestibility from long chopped corn silage supplying physical effective fiber for your cows than if that long fiber comes from a haycrop source," he says.
###
Source: J.W. Schroeder (701) 231-7663
Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629