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