Hay

Hay is quite often an important part of the ration fed to herbivores such as sheep, goats, horses and cattle. Hay is simply a dehydrated version of green forage. It is easily stored and allows the farmer to feed forage to their animals whenever they wish.

The use of hay has become a common practice on modern farms. However, the practice of collecting, drying and storing forage for periods has been going on in one version or another for hundreds of years. The current methods of harvesting hay build on past methods and enable the farmer to produce hay economically.

The first step in making hay is selecting the right plants to grow. The choices are usually a legume (mix), legume - grass mix or a grass (mix). There are many environmental factors such as soil, fertility, moisture content weather etc which that can affect the quality of the finished product. Careful selection is important.

Once the crop has reached the proper stage of development, it is time to begin the harvesting process. The proper stage of development will vary somewhat depending on the plants but it is in general an early bloom. The farmer will pay close attention to not only the stage of development but also the weather conditions. They will need a sufficient amount of dry weather to allow the crop to dry properly and may delay harvest to avoid getting the cut hay wet. Once the time is right, the hay is cut.

Cutting hay involves the severing the stem a few inches off the ground and allowing the stock and leaves to lie flat on top of the remaining stem. Depending on the equipment used the cut hay may be allowed to lie where it falls or is directed into windrows. Many farmers also choose to condition the hay at the same time it is cut. Conditioning of the hay results in the long stocks being broken which will allow the hay to dry faster. In all cases there is an effort made to disturb the hay as little as possible particularly as it becomes dryer. This will reduce the number of leaves and stems knocked off the plant and reduce harvest losses.

During the drying process, the farmer may decide to rake the cut hay to ensure it is drying evenly. The farmer may spread out the crop so the layer of hay is very thin. They may also turn the hay over so the bottom hay dries as well as the hay sitting on top. After a day or more, the cut hay will have dried considerably and the moisture content will be 20%. The farmer will then determine if it is necessary to dry some more or begin harvesting the hay.

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