Transcript Evaluating Hay Quality - smallfarmsuccess.info

Evaluating Hay Quality
Terry E. Poole
Extension Agent
Frederick County, MD
Hay Quality
Evaluation Factors
The pie chart shows the impact the five hay evaluation factors have on hay quality.
The two most important factors concerning hay quality are stage of harvest and
leafiness. These two factors are considered to affect 60% of hay quality. Color,
odor, and softness have a less direct impact on hay quality.
Leafiness
Color
Odor
Softness
Harvest Stage
Using a Point System to Evaluate Hay
• Hay quality factors can be assigned a weighed
number of points based on their importance to the
overall quality.
• The sum of these numbers can be used to select
the best quality hay
• The scoring system is as follows:
Stage of Harvest
Leafiness
Color
Odor
Softness
Trash/Weeds
0 to 30 points
0 to 30 points
0 to 15 points
0 to 15 points
0 to 10 points
- 0 to 30 points
Hay Quality Factors
• Stage of harvest (30 points)
*refers to the plant’s stage of development
at the time of harvest.
*considered to be the most important
quality factor.
*grass hay is easy to evaluate stage of
harvest. Grass should be cut in the boot to
early seed-head stage. Quality grass hay
does not have many seed-heads.
Hay Quality Factors
• Stage of Harvest (con’t)
*alfalfa should be cut in the late bud to
early bloom stage.There should not be many
blooms or any seed pods.
*clover should be cut between the 20 to
50% bloom stage. This can be determined
by observing the color and condition of the
blooms in the bale. There should be little to
no mature, weathered flowers.
Hay Quality Factors
• Leafiness (30 points)
*a factor of the ratio of leaves to stems in
the bale.
*leaves are critical to animal nutrition: 60%
TDN, 70% protein, and 90% vitamins.
*hay with lots of leaves indicates good
harvest technique.
Hay Quality Factors
• Leafiness (con’t)
*as grass and leguminous plants mature, the
ratio of stems to leaves increases.
*leaves will cling to the stems in leafy
alfalfa.
*leaf shatter during raking will leave a
visually “stemmy” hay.
Hay Quality Factors
• Color (15 points)
*the most desirable hay is bright, natural green.
*color is usually a factor of curing. Hay that is
rain damaged, sun bleached, moldy, or heat
damaged during storage will be off color.
*yellowing, especially in grasses, is often an
indicator of over-maturity.
Hay Quality Factors
• Color (con’t)
*a bale of sun bleached hay should not be
judged solely on one factor. Often, only the
outside of the bale gets bleached from
“mow burn”, or material from the outside of
the windrow. Dig through a few bales to be
sure of the quality.
Hay Quality Factors
• Color (con’t)
*rain damaged hay tends to make hay dark brown
or black, stems will often become very brittle.
*heat damaged hay will often be brown and have a
musty smell from molds developing from hay
being put up too wet.
*color is another good indicator of hay making
technique.
Hay Quality Factors
Odor (15 points)
*the smell of freshly mowed hay is the standard
for evaluating hay with the nose.
*think about what the first thing an animal does
before eating hay.
*odor is the primary reason for animal rejection.
*odor is a good indicator for molds and mildew.
Hay Quality Factors
• Softness (10 points)
*another indicator of maturity. Plants will
become more fibrous as they mature.
*is a factor in animal acceptance and
palatability.
*another indicator of hay making technique.
Hay Quality Factors
• Trash and Foreign Material
(- 0 to 35 points)
*this includes trash, weeds, and dirt.
*this is another indicator of the quality control of
the hay producer. This, as much as any factor,
reflects on the management ability of the producer.
*weeds lower nutritional quality, can be
poisonous, and make it painful to handle hay
(thistle, spiny pigweed, horse nettle).
Sum Up Your Scores
Hay Sample #12
Stage of Harvest (30pts.)
Leafiness (30pts.)
Color (15pts.)
Odor (15pts.)
Softness (10pts.)
Trash/Weeds (-0 to 30pts.)
Total Score
24
25
11
13
08
-09
72 points
Thank You