Harvesting & Storing Forages. What factors determine time to harvest forage?

Harvesting & Harvesting & Storing ForagesStoring Forages

What factors What factors determine time to determine time to harvest forage?harvest forage?

•Balance between Balance between quality and yieldquality and yield

•Weather conditionsWeather conditions

-rain leaches nutrients-rain leaches nutrients

How is forage How is forage quality quality

determined?determined?

Physical AppearancePhysical Appearance

•Visual AppearanceVisual Appearance

•ColorColor

•Odor (pleasant)Odor (pleasant)

Chemical AnalysisChemical Analysis•Protein ContentProtein Content•Fiber ContentFiber Content•DigestibilityDigestibility•Lignin ContentLignin Content

When should When should forages be forages be harvested?harvested?

•Harvest Harvest beforebefore the crop is the crop is fully maturefully mature

What methods What methods are used to are used to

harvest harvest forages?forages?

GrazingGrazing

Dry Hay Dry Hay SystemsSystems

•Square BalesSquare Bales

•Round BalesRound Bales

•HaystackHaystack

•Field CubesField Cubes

High Moisture High Moisture SystemsSystems

•Green ChoppedGreen Chopped

•Haylage (40-60%)Haylage (40-60%)

•Silage (60-70%)Silage (60-70%)

Special ForageSpecial ForageProcessing SystemsProcessing Systems

•Stationary CubersStationary Cubers

•Pelleting MachinesPelleting Machines

Causes of Causes of DeteriorationDeterioration

•Harvest (late or early)Harvest (late or early)

•Bailing (wet / too dry)Bailing (wet / too dry)

•Improper storageImproper storage

How can forage How can forage deterioration be deterioration be

preventedprevented??

•Proper Proper harvestharvest timetime, , methodsmethods, and , and moisture moisture contentcontent

•Maintain storage facilitiesMaintain storage facilities

What are the What are the basic storage basic storage

requirements of requirements of forages?forages?

Dry HayDry Hay•Weather protectionWeather protection•Pest protectionPest protection•Adequate ventilationAdequate ventilation

Silage / HaylageSilage / Haylage•Weather protectionWeather protection

•Pest protectionPest protection•Air tight facilityAir tight facility

Silage / HaylageSilage / Haylage•Convenient for Convenient for filling, emptying, filling, emptying, monitoring, & monitoring, & cleaningcleaning

What are ways What are ways to improve to improve

field drying?field drying?

•Swath dryingSwath drying

•Windrow dryingWindrow drying

•Conditioning Conditioning

•Chemical additivesChemical additives