Many producers in the county are cutting, raking and baling hay right now. The good spring we have experienced has provided a decent hay crop. It does seem however as if our forages have struggled some due to the hard fall and winter in terms of root storage and recovery and hay yields are a bit lower in terms of biomass than expected. All in all though the hay crop is coming along okay. Now with hay being such a precious and expensive commodity to produce it is important to consider how you will store it in order to minimize losses. A recent University of Tennessee trial compared different methods of storing large round bales of grass hay. The hay was cut and baled in June in Moore County, TN. Bales were weighed at the time of harvest and storage and then weighed again the following January at the time of winter feeding. The following results show the type of storage method used and the percentage hay loss.
- On Ground, No Cover - 37% loss
- On Tires, No Cover - 29% loss
- On Ground, Covered - 29% loss
- Net Wrap, On Ground - 19% loss
- On Tires, Covered - 8% loss
- In Barn - 6% loss
When looking at these percentages lets put them into a little better perspective: 37% loss on a 1,000 pound bale is 370 pounds versus 6% loss which is 60 pounds. That is very significant. Lossess can be significant depending on the type of storage. This information also indicates that storage losses occur from moisture getting into both the top AND bottom of the bales. If hay can't be stored in a barn, the next best option it to at least get the hay off the ground and under a tarp or plastic cover. So as you start to store hay this spring and summer think about storage options and protect your hay investment.
