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Hay Storage
It will soon be time to start cutting hay, the fifth most valuable crop grown in the state. Unless it is properly harvested and stored, however, losses can easily reach 30 percent.
Harvesting hay at its proper growth stage will determine its quality and quantity. Hay contains the most digestible nutrients when it is harvested in early bloom. Since 70 percent of alfalfa's protein is in its leaves, baling or stacking it at the proper moisture content to reduce leaf loss is important. Recommended packaging moisture content is about 20 percent. Handling hay during the higher humidity hours of morning and evening will help reduce leaf loss.
Large round bales stored outdoors need to be placed in a well- drained area and, if possible, on a gravel or crushed rock surface. To avoid trapping water under the bales, place them end- to-end in rows perpendicular to the land's contour. If rows are placed side by side, the rows should be separated by at least 18 inches to allow airflow between the rows.
Stacking large round bales should be postponed until after autumn rains. A South Dakota study showed storage losses ten times greater for bales stacked rather than placed end-to-end in spaced rows.
Hay stored indoors at harvest will suffer about a four percent storage loss, while hay stored outdoors may suffer a 14 percent loss.
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