how to produce high quality hay i: forage species, harvest timing, and forage quality dennis...
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How to produce high quality hay I:
Forage species, harvest timing, and forage quality
How to produce high quality hay I:
Forage species, harvest timing, and forage quality
Dennis Hancock, PhD.Extension Forage Specialist
UGA – Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences
Dennis Hancock, PhD.Extension Forage Specialist
UGA – Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences
What is the difference?What is the difference?
What is the difference?What is the difference?
1) Digestible energy2) How much can be eaten1) Digestible energy2) How much can be eaten
How do we get enough energy in the animal?
How do we get enough energy in the animal?
• The animal eats more forage. What is the physical limit? Can a cow eat enough straw to meet her
energy needs?
• What forage the animal eats must be high in energy. High digestibility -> High energy
• Bottomline: Every bite has to count!
• The animal eats more forage. What is the physical limit? Can a cow eat enough straw to meet her
energy needs?
• What forage the animal eats must be high in energy. High digestibility -> High energy
• Bottomline: Every bite has to count!
What is “high quality forage?”
What is “high quality forage?”
Relative Forage Quality (RFQ)75 100 125 150 175 200 225
• Heifer, 18-24 mo.• Dry cow• Mature horse, lt. work
• Heifer, 12-18 mo.• Lactating beef cow• Lactating mare• Mature horse, mod. work
• Dairy, last 200 days• Heifer, 3-12 mo.• Stocker cattle• Weanling horse• Mature horse, int. work
• Dairy, 1st 120 days• Dairy calf
Qu
ality
Req
uir
ed
Typical Range in Quality of
Common Forages
Typical Range in Quality of
Common Forages
Relative Forage Quality (RFQ)
Summer Annual Grass
Bermudagrass
Cool Season Peren. Grasses
Other Legumes
Alfalfa
75 100 125 150 175 200 225
Cool Season Annual Grasses
Qu
ality
Pro
vid
ed
What Affects Forage Quality?What Affects Forage Quality?
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Factor Recommendation
Plant Maturity Cut bermudagrass every 4-5 wks; cut tall fescue in the boot or early head stage.
Forage Species Use the highest-quality grass species that will persist in your environment.
Bale Storage Protect bales from rainfall and weathering during storage (i.e., barn, tarp, etc.)
Rain During Curing
Avoid cutting if significant rainfall (> 0.50 inches) is predicted during curing.
Moisture at Baling
Allow forage to dry to the appropriate moisture (Round: 15%; Square: 18%)
Fertilization Provide fertilizer based on soil test recommendations
Variety Use varieties that have proven to be higher in quality.
The Paradox of Forage Quality and Quantity
Days of Growth
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
For
age
Mas
s(d
ry lb
s/a
cre
)
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000Growth Curve
Digestibility & Palatability
Bermudagrass Harvest Interval: Effects on Protein
and Digestibility
McCollough and Burton., 1962DMI 11.9, 8.8, 9.5 lbsADG 1.2, .9, 0 lbs
Perc
en
t, %
Bermudagrass Harvest Interval: Effects on Yield and
Protein
Bermudagrass Harvest Interval: Effects on Yield and
Protein
Hoveland et al., 1971
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Factor Recommendation
Plant Maturity Cut bermudagrass every 4-5 wks; cut tall fescue in the boot or early head stage.
Forage Species Use the highest-quality grass species that will persist in your environment.
Bale Storage Protect bales from rainfall and weathering during storage (i.e., barn, tarp, etc.)
Rain During Curing
Avoid cutting if significant rainfall (> 0.50 inches) is predicted during curing.
Moisture at Baling
Allow forage to dry to the appropriate moisture (Round: 15%; Square: 18%)
Fertilization Provide fertilizer based on soil test recommendations
Variety Use varieties that have proven to be higher in quality.
Typical Range in Quality of
Common Forages
Typical Range in Quality of
Common Forages
Relative Forage Quality (RFQ)
Summer Annual Grass
Bermudagrass
Cool Season Peren. Grasses
Other Legumes
Alfalfa
75 100 125 150 175 200 225
Cool Season Annual Grasses
Qu
ality
Pro
vid
ed
Quality Differences in the Major Forage Species
Quality Differences in the Major Forage Species
40
50
60
70
80
Dig
estib
le D
M, %
Trop
ical Annual
Grasses
Cool S
eason P
erennial
G
rasses
Cool S
eason A
nnual G
rasses
Leg
um
es
Trop
ical Peren
nial
Grasses
Maint.
Mod. Production
High Production
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Factor Recommendation
Plant Maturity Cut bermudagrass every 4-5 wks; cut tall fescue in the boot or early head stage.
Forage Species Use the highest-quality grass species that will persist in your environment.
Bale Storage Protect bales from rainfall and weathering during storage (i.e., barn, tarp, etc.)
Rain During Curing
Avoid cutting if significant rainfall (> 0.50 inches) is predicted during curing.
Moisture at Baling
Allow forage to dry to the appropriate moisture (Round: 15%; Square: 18%)
Fertilization Provide fertilizer based on soil test recommendations
Variety Use varieties that have proven to be higher in quality.
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Factor Recommendation
Plant Maturity Cut bermudagrass every 4-5 wks; cut tall fescue in the boot or early head stage.
Forage Species Use the highest-quality grass species that will persist in your environment.
Bale Storage Protect bales from rainfall and weathering during storage (i.e., barn, tarp, etc.)
Rain During Curing
Avoid cutting if significant rainfall (> 0.50 inches) is predicted during curing.
Moisture at Baling
Allow forage to dry to the appropriate moisture (Round: 15%; Square: 18%)
Fertilization Provide fertilizer based on soil test recommendations
Variety Use varieties that have proven to be higher in quality.
Crop Moisture Lessens Rain Damage on Bermudagrass
Crop Moisture Lessens Rain Damage on Bermudagrass
ND
F,
%
Rainfall, in.Scarbrough et al., 2005
76% Moisture, Not Significant.
40% Moisture
13% Moisture
The Effect of Rain on Tall Fescue Hay
The Effect of Rain on Tall Fescue Hay
Turner et al., 2003
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Factor Recommendation
Plant Maturity Cut bermudagrass every 4-5 wks; cut tall fescue in the boot or early head stage.
Forage Species Use the highest-quality grass species that will persist in your environment.
Bale Storage Protect bales from rainfall and weathering during storage (i.e., barn, tarp, etc.)
Rain During Curing
Avoid cutting if significant rainfall (> 0.50 inches) is predicted during curing.
Moisture at Baling
Allow forage to dry to the appropriate moisture (Round: 15%; Square: 18%)
Fertilization Provide fertilizer based on soil test recommendations
Variety Use varieties that have proven to be higher in quality.
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Factor Recommendation
Plant Maturity Cut bermudagrass every 4-5 wks; cut tall fescue in the boot or early head stage.
Forage Species Use the highest-quality grass species that will persist in your environment.
Bale Storage Protect bales from rainfall and weathering during storage (i.e., barn, tarp, etc.)
Rain During Curing
Avoid cutting if significant rainfall (> 0.50 inches) is predicted during curing.
Moisture at Baling
Allow forage to dry to the appropriate moisture (Round: 15%; Square: 18%)
Variety Use varieties that have proven to be higher in quality.
Variety Use varieties that have proven to be higher in quality.
Yield and Digestibility of Bermudagrass Hybrids
Yield and Digestibility of Bermudagrass Hybrids
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Factor Recommendation
Plant Maturity Cut bermudagrass every 4-5 wks; cut tall fescue in the boot or early head stage.
Forage Species Use the highest-quality grass species that will persist in your environment.
Bale Storage Protect bales from rainfall and weathering during storage (i.e., barn, tarp, etc.)
Rain During Curing
Avoid cutting if significant rainfall (> 0.50 inches) is predicted during curing.
Moisture at Baling
Allow forage to dry to the appropriate moisture (Round: 15%; Square: 18%)
Variety Use varieties that have proven to be higher in quality.
Fertilization Provide fertilizer based on soil test recommendations
Effect of N Rates on Bermudagrass CP &
Digestibility
Effect of N Rates on Bermudagrass CP &
Digestibility
Burton et al.
Does fertility or harvest timing affect quality more?-
Digestibility
(3.8 X as much N)
Colovos et al. 1961Bromegrass
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Primary Factors Affecting Forage Quality
Factor Recommendation
Plant Maturity Cut bermudagrass every 4-5 wks; cut tall fescue in the boot or early head stage.
Forage Species Use the highest-quality grass species that will persist in your environment.
Bale Storage Protect bales from rainfall and weathering during storage (i.e., barn, tarp, etc.)
Rain During Curing
Avoid cutting if significant rainfall (> 0.50 inches) is predicted during curing.
Moisture at Baling
Allow forage to dry to the appropriate moisture (Round: 15%; Square: 18%)
Variety Use varieties that have proven to be higher in quality.
Fertilization Provide fertilizer based on soil test recommendations
Proper Maturity is the KEY!Proper Maturity is the KEY!
• Harvesting hay at the proper maturity is the only way to potentially bale high quality hay!
• Fertilizer drives yield.
• Economics should drive fertilization strategies, not quality goals.
• Harvesting hay at the proper maturity is the only way to potentially bale high quality hay!
• Fertilizer drives yield.
• Economics should drive fertilization strategies, not quality goals.
Harvest Timing Recommendations
Harvest Timing Recommendations
•Hybrid Bermudagrass- 1st cut at 12-16 inches- Subsequent cuttings at 3.5-5 week intervals
•Tall fescue, ryegrass, orchardgrass, etc.
- Spring cut at early flower stage - Mid to late boot stage for higher quality - Subsequent cuttings at 10-12 inches (better
quality)
•Alfalfa- Spring cut at when 10-20% of plants are
blooming- Cut at late bud – 10% bloom stage
•Hybrid Bermudagrass- 1st cut at 12-16 inches- Subsequent cuttings at 3.5-5 week intervals
•Tall fescue, ryegrass, orchardgrass, etc.
- Spring cut at early flower stage - Mid to late boot stage for higher quality - Subsequent cuttings at 10-12 inches (better
quality)
•Alfalfa- Spring cut at when 10-20% of plants are
blooming- Cut at late bud – 10% bloom stage
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