It can be full of poor grasses and weeds. It can be a source of moulds animal and human health risk. It can burn. Key points about hay making Select a paddock with a good crop in it.
Make sure there are no major weeds in it like ragwort, thistles and docks. Do something about removing these weeds early on and long before cutting. There should still be a lot of green leaf in the crop. Be wary of patches of green grass that have not been exposed to the sun because of poor turning. They will mould and rot in the bales. Bale as soon as it is evenly dry and put into storage. Check it for excess heating after putting in the shed or stack.
Bale sizes Small conventional bales are best for small farmers, as they are easy to handle and feed out. Good hay is a nice green colour and sweet smelling. Check for ryegrass seed heads and clover with leaves still on it. Watch out for dead Yorkshire Fog and Browntop — grasses with poor feed value.
Avoid hay with docks, thistles and ragwort. Ask anyone who has had that job, and you will quickly realize it is hard, time-consuming work. Round bales have the same amount of hay as about twenty square bales. They are designed to be moved using tractors. Instead of having to move twenty square bales out of the field, into the barn, then back out to the cattle during the winter, one large bale is moved with a tractor.
The technology to make large round bales has taken a job that might take three or four people and made it a one-person job. For a farmer who may use or sell several hundred round bales during the winter, that makes a big difference in time and money.
There are hay producers who continue to produce small square bales. Most of them do this primarily for the convenience of customers that buy their hay. If someone has a horse and needs hay, small square bales are a more acceptable size for use. But for people that feed large amounts of hay, round bales are the norm. Even though round balers may cost twice as much as a square baler, the labor savings during hay baling and feeding more than make up for the extra expense of the machine.
Technology has also impacted agriculture. We work at universities, government research facilities, and private businesses across the United States and the world. Categories: Nutrition , Sustainability. Does the roll bale not get as hot internal combustion as a Rectangular bale? The benefits of natural grass-fed livestock are many — from happier, healthier animals and naturally fertilised paddocks through to better tasting meat and dairy. Feed Grass for Good Farming sustainably is at the heart of everything we do.
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