Wheat Hay: Cattle Love It
Wheat hay can have an 18% protein content, is very palatable, and has a sweet taste that cattle enjoy; in comparison to alfalfa, which can cost $100-$120 per ton in many cases, wheat hay can cost $50-$60 per ton.
A Tight Window
If hail strikes a field at the wrong time, the value of the crop for grain can be drastically reduced. High-quality wheat hay has 58% digestible nutrients, the same as alfalfa. Other small grain-hays can be stored at a reasonable cost.
Can you cut winter wheat for hay?
The wheat begins regrowing early in the spring, and Reich cuts it for hay in early to mid-July, just as the heads are emerging. Though the plants are still green at the time of cutting, they dry quickly in the swath, allowing Reich to bale the hay two days later.
Can wheat be cut for hay?
Wheat can make excellent hay if cut in the boot to very early head emergence growth stage. Yield can be increased by waiting until the grain is in the early milk stage, but quality will suffer. Always ask why the wheat was cut for hay and at what stage.
How long does wheat hay take to dry?
Because hay requires three days of good weather to cure, which can be difficult in late May or early June, a good strategy is to mow a day before or immediately after it rains, assuming that the weather will be good for the next few days.
When should hay be cut?
Because mowing, raking, and baling hay takes three days on average in good weather, pastures should be cut when a window of at least three days of sunny, dry, hot weather is expected. Some farmers cut on the last day of a rainy spell to maximize the number of hours of drying time.
Does triticale make good hay?
Both rye and triticale can produce very high single cutting hay yields if grazed lightly or not at all in the spring. Because of its early development and declining palatability, rye should be cut very early u2013 early heading at the latest u2013 or you may need to grind hay to get good consumption.
Why is Bale called wheat?
According to the University of Kentucky AGR -1 Lime and Nutrient Recommendations, baling wheat straw removes 12 lbs of nitrogen, 4 lbs of phosphorus, and 20 lbs of potassium per ton of straw, respectively, so the cost of baling wheat straw will fluctuate as commercial fertilizer prices fluctuate.
What is the best moisture to bale hay?
When hay is baled, it should have a moisture content of 18 to 22 percent, because higher moisture levels cause bales to lose a lot of dry matter (Figure 1) due to excessive heating and molding (Figure 2). In extreme cases, spontaneous combustion can occur.
Is beardless wheat hay good for cattle?
Beardless wheat is popular among grazers and wheat hay producers because the beards, or awns, are largely absent, reducing the risk of awns becoming entangled in livestock gums and throats or causing eye irritation.
What is the dough stage of wheat?
During the dough stage, the kernel is fully formed, and the plant transfers nutrients from the stalk and leaves to the kernel. At the end of the dough stage, the kernel is still very moist and contains about 30% water.
Do they bale wheat?
Wheat is baled into straw and used as roughage and bedding by livestock.
How long does it take oat hay to dry?
It’ll be at least 4 or 5 days before it’s dry enough to rake, and even then, some areas beneath the surface may still be green.
What’s the difference between straw and hay?
Hay, on the other hand, is a crop grown and harvested as a feed crop for cattle, horses, and other farm animals, whereas straw is a byproduct of a grain crop; in our area, wheat straw is the most common. Hay is often made up of a mixture of different plants growing in a field or meadow.
How long after cutting hay can you bale it?
Subject: How long does your hay take to dry before baling? Cut first thing in the morning, ted about 2-4 hours later, do nothing the next day, rake as soon as the dew is gone (-48 hours after cutting), let dry about 3 hours, and bale.
Is it OK to cut hay in the rain?
Plants do not die immediately after being cut for hay; as long as the moisture content is above 40%, they will continue to respire – exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide – a process that consumes energy. In some cases, rain will not significantly reduce hay quality if the hay is allowed to dry and cure prior to baling.
How many bales of hay can you get from an acre?
For a first cutting, with an average bale weight of around 40 pounds (using our Abbriata small square baler or any of our mini round balers), that’s 100 bales per acre.