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Nutritive Value of Hay is Critical at Baling and Feeding
Sellers and buyers need to consider livestock needs

ARDMORE, Okla. — Adequate rainfall and mild temperatures this spring and early summer got this year’s pasture production off to a good start. There has even been an overabundance of forage production for grazing purposes, causing producers to bale the excess for use at other times of the year or to sell.

In any case, most, if not all, of this hay will wind up in front of some class of livestock — so nutritive value must be considered at the time it is baled as well as when it is fed.

The most important factors affecting the nutritive value of hay are moisture content at baling, length and conditions of storage, maturity at cutting, and forage species present.

"Moisture content at baling and storage characteristics add considerably to the nutritive value of the hay and are often at the control of the operator," said Evan Whitley, a livestock specialist at the Noble Foundation.

Excessive moisture content (greater than 22 percent) at baling is usually only an issue when it results in significant hay spoilage or a barn fire. However, baling wet hay results in a significant reduction in nutrient value along with losses in dry matter production, which are detrimental when feeding.

A natural event, commonly referred to as "heating," occurs when growing forages are cut and continue to give off heat due to respiration. This particular heat is of little consequence except to provide proper growing conditions for bacteria, and will subside as the moisture content of the forage drops during the curing process.

"But, if hay is baled too wet, microbe populations flourish and exacerbate the heating process, resulting in hay that is lower in nutritive value and dry matter availability," Whitley said. "In extreme cases, it results in significant losses due to hay and/or barn fires."

Moisture levels for safe storage vary with the size and density of the bale and the type of hay. Hay in small square bales should be baled between 15 and 22 percent moisture to minimize leaf shattering, molding and heating.

Larger bales retain core moisture, thus internal heat, longer and should not be baled at moisture levels in excess of 18 percent. If baling hay with more than 22 percent moisture is necessary, do not stack for at least 30 days and consider this fact when feeding.

Large bales stored outside will suffer variable losses, depending on the moisture of the hay at baling, the extent of exposure to precipitation, soil drainage characteristics where the bales are stored, the amount of space between the bales and the type of hay.

"Store properly-baled hay in a well-drained area, a minimum of three feet between bale rows, away from trees or shade, and in the same direction as prevailing winds [north and south]," Whitley said.

"Now that the hay is put up right, let's jump ahead six months and talk about feeding it right," he said. "First and foremost, ask yourself 'What will be the nutrient demands of my cattle at feeding?'"

These demands will be influenced by stage of lactation, mature weight, frame size, breed and weather conditions.

Furthermore, Whitley said, ask yourself "How is the existing forage base (quality and quantity) going to contribute to the feeding program?"

This information will yield insight into the quality of hay needed to be most efficient through the feeding period. When buying hay, observe where the hay has been stored, look for excessive mold, ask for nutrient (protein and energy) values and ask if weights were taken. Instead of making the transaction solely on a per bale basis, implement the answers to the above questions to meet feeding goals most effectively.

"When hay producers are willing to collect and provide this type of information, and livestock producers ask for it and use it, then 'making' and 'feeding' hay become one in the same," Whitley said. "And if you are in the market to buy or have hay to sell, visit the "Hay Listings" section of the Foundation's Web site, at www.noble.org/ag/Cattlelog/Index.asp, to facilitate the transaction.

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The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a non-profit organization conducting agricultural, forage biotechnological, and plant biology research; providing grants to numerous non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.

To learn more, visit the Noble Foundation Web site at http://www.noble.org.

More news releases available at www.noble.org/Press_Release