Conserving grass as forage Flashcards
What conserved forage can be made from grass?
Hay, haylage and silage
What is the process of making hay?
Hay is made in the summer.
First it is cut, then it is turned x 2 (or more if requires to fully dry).
The sun is used to natural dry it.
Takes about 3-5 days straight to fully dry out.
Then it is rowed up (collected)
Then it is baled.
If there is rain between when it is cut and when it is turned then it may need to be turned more times (this is very possible in certain particularly wet parts of England and Wales). This extra turning may effect the crude protein levels. Single species hay is better than multispecies.
What is the ideal moisture content for hay?
14-18%
What is an alternative method of drying hay? What are the positives and negatives of this method?
Alternatively it can be dried inside, in a barn, by the same dryer that is used to dry grain.
Positives:
Conditions within the barn can be manipulated to ensure to ideal temp and moisture level and the hay can be baled when completely dry.
Negative:
It is not an eco-friendly method. It may be more expensive due to more energy needed to power the large dryers. Less is also produced. End product is more expensive per bale.
Why is hay made in the summer?
- peak grass growth (may even get two cuts if they are timed right)
- higher nutrient content of grass (crude protein, energy, vitamins, minerals) Used to supplement winter grass with low nutritional content.
- early season grass is more digestible - also if the hay is allowed to seed it will have more starch and therefore more sugar (higher glycaemic response etc etc)
What is the process for making haylage and silage?
Haylage is made in the spring when the grass is young and has a high nutritional content, high water content and high digestibility.
Firstly it is cut
Then it is turned once
Then it is baled - the longer it takes to bale the drier it will be
Then it is wrapped.
Making silage is the same process but it has more moisture and it is not turned
Define ENSILING
Ensiling is used in both the silage and haylage making process. It is basically fermenting - putting grass into a silo or silage clamp in order to preserve it.
More moisture = better fermentation = better preserved forage
What is the process of wrapping silage?
Usually 6-8 layers are used. More layers lead to more anaerobic respiration.
Black is most common but green is thicker and can keep the ideal temperature more easily, helping fermentation.
Lactic acid utilising bacteria ferment the haylage/silage - they use water and WSC as energy to ferment the sugar and reduce the end energy level.
Drier haylage does not ferment as well because there is less water provided for the bacteria - sugar is not fermented and so the end sugar content is higher.
Why is hay soaked?
- short soak to remove dust
- long soak to reduce WSC e.g. for animals with metabolic conditions - ideally less than 10%
In what order will horses voluntarily eat forage?
Silage first, then haylage, then hay
Does the forage type influence hindgut health?
No, but a sudden change in the forage given will increase the likelihood of sudden colic
What happens if hay is dried too much?
Increased likelihood of leaf shatter and the loss of crude protein
What happens if hay contains too much moisture?
Mould form and the risk of fire when stored increases as it becomes warm
How much water does haylage contain?
Roughly 40% water
What are some quick facts about conserved forage?
Hay has 8-10MJ DE/Kg; haylage has more or equal to and silage has higher
Hay loses vits/mins when dry; haylage and silage are less likely to
Hay has low water content < haylage < silage
Crude protein is low in hay < haylage < silage
