๐พ Hay
Dried grass, a winter feed.
Hay is grass that has been cut and dried. It is made in summer and fed in winter, when there is no pasture. Hay is made from grasses (timothy, ryegrass, fescue, cocksfoot) and legumes (alfalfa, clover).
The grass is cut and left to dry right in the field, being turned from time to time. Then it is raked into windrows, long rows, and pressed into bales. There are small rectangular bales, big round bales (usually 300โ400 kg) and big rectangular ones (up to a tonne). Only dry hay, with about 20% moisture, can be stored. Damp hay goes mouldy and can even catch fire on its own: if a bale heats up above 60 ยฐC, there is a fire risk. This happens most often in the first 5โ7 days after baling.
The quality of hay depends on when the grass was cut. The leaves and flower heads hold the most nutrients; the stems hold less. Good hay is green and soft, while faded, stiff hay is poor. On dairy farms hay is usually fed together with silage and compound feed.
How it connects to milk
๐พ Hay โ feed for โ ๐ Feeding โ feeds โ ๐ Cow โ gives โ ๐ฅ Milk
Links
- Feed for
- ๐ Feeding
Frequently asked questions
Why must hay be dry?
Damp hay goes mouldy, and if it heats up strongly inside the bale it can catch fire on its own. So the grass is dried to about 20% moisture before it is baled.
What is the difference between hay and silage?
Hay is dried grass; it keeps because it holds little water. Silage is moist green fodder preserved by the acid that forms when it ferments without air.