The hay fields are hard at work as the weeks of summer are rolling by.  Whether it is grass, alfalfa, grain or some mix in between, the hay coming off of those fields is a precious commodity for the farmers and ranchers that count on the feed for the upcoming winter season.  The hay markets have remained high for another year, proving just how profitable it can be to be in the hay making business.

In theory, putting up hay sounds like a simple job- cut the hay, bale it up, and save it for later.  But putting up good quality is much more complex, a mixture of art and science held together with the glue of quality experience.

There’s a lot to consider when it's time to start cutting down hay.  Ideally, you want a lot of tonnage with the highest quality of nutrition from a field that will continue to produce a strong vigorous stand for years to come.  Unfortunately, when it comes to hay, you have to pick and choose your priorities.  

The nutrition found stored in hay, especially those like alfalfa, are found in the leaves of the plant.  As the plant grows, there comes a time that the nutrients and energy stored in the plant are used to produce buds which will flower and create new seeds.  This being said, there is a balance of letting the stand grow long enough to have a significant amount of hay but before the nutritional value declines.  

 If a farmer is looking to put up top quality hay, hay that might be used for dairy cattle or feed cattle that require more energy and protein from their feed, will begin cutting hay when the plants are just beginning to flower.  A farmer putting up hay for cattle that simply need feed to maintain their condition, don’t need the same high protein and energy in their hay so they can allow their stand to mature to nearly full bloom before cutting, which will allow them a higher yield.

A final thing that farmers and ranchers need to consider when it comes to the timing of their cuttings is the effect it will have on their crop as a whole.  For an operation that prioritizes having as many cuttings in a season as possible or to have young high quality, nutrient dense hay, it's important to recognize that there is a trade off that comes in the form of the crop as a whole losing its persistence.

In addition to storing energy needed for plant growth and maturation in the plant leaves, alfalfa and similar plants will store energy reserves in the crown and the root of the plants in preparation for growth in the spring and again after each harvest.  Ideally, there are high energy reserves in the root as a plant is first beginning to grow.  The energy is then used for the plant growth, depleting the root reserves.  As the plants begin to mature, the root stores begin to rebuild again.  If the plants are cut too young when there are little root reserves, the new growth will come back with less vigor and the stand will last closer to three years instead of five or six.

It’s difficult to know just when the nutrient quality is at its peak or when the root energy reserves are refilled or when the tonnage gained has outweighed the nutrition.  Soil, weather, and other conditions can change the timing of hay growth.  This means that hay cuttings can’t be calculated out or simply written on the calendar.  The science can tell us what is happening and what to look for, but it is experience that computes what is being seen into quality hay or not.

Quality hay doesn’t just come from cutting a stand of hay at the right time but baling it at the right time as well.  Typically speaking, it takes about three days for hay to dry enough to be bales, but once again, it’s that experience that dictates just what the right time is.

 How and when hay is baled has a lot to do to preserve the nutrition stored in the plants.  If hay is put up too dry, the leaves are much more fragile and likely to be crushed, losing all of its protein and energy stores.  But hay baled too wet can also be damaging.  

Allowing hay time to dry or cure allows time for the natural respiration that takes place inside the plant cells to stop.  Respiration in the plant will use up the stores of nutrients, decreasing the energy and proteins intended for the livestock eating the hay on a later day.  Moisture content below 30% is considered to be low enough to inhibit cellular respiration to preserve the plant nutrition.

Like anything left warm and wet, hay baled to moist can develop mold, which can lead to a myriad of problems from poor palatability to toxicity in some animals.  The microorganisms of mold will use the nutrients found in the hay, decreasing nutrient levels.  Mold can lead to mycotoxins, which if found in significant levels can be toxic and in extreme circumstances, cause death.  The more common, moderate side effect of ingested mold is decreased ruminant function which in turn leads to slower growth.  Mold dust in significant amounts can also be dangerous for farmers and ranchers to breath in, causing diseases such as farmer’s lung that can result in permanent lung damage.  

As the microbes that thrive in warm moist environments continue to break down the hay plants, they also put off heat.  With the right circumstances, bales can overheat and eventually combust.  Internal temperatures as low as 190 degrees have been found to catch fire.

Putting up a stack of high quality hay is indeed an art, a juggling act of timing, science, and experience to find just the right mix of conditions.  Of course, Murphy’s Law will always play a part in putting off a well intended timeline with breakdowns and pop up thunderstorms.  But even then, farmers and ranchers keep a keen eye and skilled hand at the ready to fill the hay sheds with the best hay of the season.