The Advantage of Hay Baleage

To maximize forage, quality, warm weather is essential. Like anything else that depends on the weather, however, it can be hard to predict success. In the case of hay making, forage quality can suffer if the weather doesn’t cooperate. That’s why baleage is such a great alternative.

For those who aren’t familiar with baleage, it is more flexible than putting up dry hay. Baleage can be done one or two days after mowing and when moisture ranges from 25 to 70 percent. As a result, hay producers do not have to wait until there is going to be a long stretch of warm, they can mow hay when it is at its highest quality. That’s because even if hay is a little damp it can be wrapped in plastic.

Timing is still important, however, as high moisture bales need be wrapped within 24 hours of baling to reduce heating and protect the quality of the hay. By maintaining a lower temperature the hay will be less likely to deteriorate or cause any chemical changes that can result in dry matter loss or a decrease in nutritional components.

Baleage is becoming more and more popular in the Midwest and Northeast due to the fact that periods between rainfalls can be short lived. While baleage has been used for quite some time in the dairy industry, the beef industry seems to be jumping on the bandwagon, as well.

What follows are just some other benefits to baleage:

• Fewer weather delays means a large percentage of the next cutting’s yield is saved. The sooner hay is taken off the field, the less that is lost at the next cutting.
• Harvesting wetter forage allows you to conserve leaves which serve as an energy source for your livestock. Remember, the drier hay gets, the more leaf loss that occurs.
• The ability to make baleage anywhere from 25 to 70 percent moisture helps alleviate the challenge of determining proper moisture levels.
• It is great livestock feed. Cattle don’t like to eat brittle stems so they enjoy baleage much more and are less likely to leave any hay behind as waste.

The cost of baleage may be a concern for hay producers but the benefits actually make up for any additional costs that are incurred. Therefore, there is no reason baleage is not a great alternative to putting up dry hay.