Findings Content Now that haylage has won its sSouid be more tightly controll spurs as a forage feed, it’s time cd, depending on how you plan to take a closer look at it from to ensile. the standpoint of the most ef- por an oxygen-free sealed fective methods of production &ilo. the accepted ideal moisture and utilization. level is 35 to 40%. Bui indica- How critical Is the moisture tions are this doesn't hold for level? What is the best harvest- haylage made in a convention ing and curing system? Where s **°- does haylage fit into the overall For conventional silos, an av feeding program? crage moisture of about 50% has A moisture level ranging -as been regarded as acceptable, widely as 35 to 65% has been re- Recent research, however, indi garded as satisfactory. Now cates the range should be clos there is evidence moisture er tq 55 to 65%. 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Haylage Cornell scientists have tound that 55-65% moisture haylage is highly palatable and that milk production per pound of dr y matter is greater than with high er moisture silage. Alfalfa haylage at about 65% moisture also is highly efficient for feeding beef cattle, accord ing to trials at Michigan State University. "Under no conditions should the haylage be more than 70% moisture,” says Hugh Hender son, Michigan State researcher. "Higher moisture than this makes for a poorly fermented, unpalatable feed. Research by USDA scientists at Beltsville indicates that for best results the moisture con tent should not drop below 50%. For harvesting and curing haylage, the conventional meth od has been to mow and condi tion and then let the forage wilt in the swath before raking. Now USDA researchers, head ed by Dr. C. H. Gordon, have determined that use of a wind rower, which mows, conditions and windrows in one operation, 'ome in m E MOUNTING! does a better Job for making haylage oven in humid areas. The scientists decided losses caused by leaching and slow drying appeared minor com pared to physical losses from inking. Because of weather problems when making first-crop hay in humid areas, Dr. Gordon sug gests haylage as a best bet. Sec ond and third cuttings, he says, are the logical choice for hay. Where does haylage fit into the overall feeding program? Haylage should be used as a high ; protein, low-energy rough age, says Dr. T. W. Perry, Pur due University. In an energy comparison trial at Purdue, a full feed of hay- Ltge plus 10 pounds of corn had a beef feeding value equal to a full feed of corn silage plus 2.3 pounds of corn and two pounds ol Supplement A. “It is hardly fair to compare haylage and corn silage as roughages,” Dr. Perry says. “Corn silage is a higher energy, low protein roughage, while hay lage is a high protein, low ener gy roughage.” Dr. Perry points out that hay lage can replace one half, or more, of the supplemental pro tein required in fattening rations PRICED AT ONLY *M 95 H H Size 8.3x24 lA plus $2.06 Fed. Ex. Tax trade-in tire i HEAVY LUG TIN Silvertown Power Grii ■ pie. heavy tuts that can't flex or break, mil ■ K or , e f“bber on the face of the lut bar. Oil ■ Wedfe-shaped lu(s that trip the soil ftr better fraction. OST ■ Wide and equal spacine between the lues, G possible 3 k6s sell ' c,eanin < 111 wettrouniT r „ ■An unproved rubber compound for flthb'iu ESs Jlour way over stumps and rocks, * about our LOW PRICE • NO MONEY DOWN Lancaster Farming. Saturday, April 6,1968 which contain no haylage. South Dakota Stale College re searchers have concluded that alfalfa haylage is better used in a dairy cow feeding program when corn silage lurnishos part of the roughage. Alfalfa hay lage, they say. should be used as a major source of protein ra ther than as a source of energy in providing a balanced ration. In tests at Pennsylvania Slate University, a combination of mixed haylage. corn silage and mixed hay proved to be a highly efficient dairy feed. Total daily feed costs per cow were only 54 cents when fed 29 pounds of haylage, 36 pounds of corn silage and six pounds of hay. Based on a return of $1 87 per day, income over feed costs came to $1.33. For corn silage and mixed hay, $121; for hay lage alone, $1 30. Very little soybean meal was needed with the corn silage hay lage-hay mix, and no vitamin A was required. Total added in gredient costs therefore were less for the combination. Penn State has been compar ing results for several years, us ing a gas tight silo. In tests with red clover, both haylage and dnect-cut silage proved to be excellent feeds, but dry matter loss was only 15% with hay lage. The direct-cut silage show ed a 24% loss in dry matter when fed out. The effects of using overly dry forage in making silage were shown as part of the Penn State work When average mois ture levels were about 40%, with some loads much closer to dry hay, dry matter losses amount ed to 6% for haylage When the same material was stored as di rect-cut silage, losses went over 15%. When Penn State stored 48% average moisture timothy-alfal fa haylage in conventional con crete stave silos, losses were considerable Some of the loads actually went into the silo at 20% moisture. This seems to bear out recommendations that haylage should always be over 50% moisture. The advantages of haylage are spelled out by scientists at the University of Wisconsin 1. Cows consume more dry matter than when fed higher moisture silages. 2. No objectionable odors 3 Reduced freezing problems. 4. Efficient mechanization of the feeding operation. 5. Reduced exposure to weath er damage. Disadvantages include: 1. Considerable care must be taken to make good haylage in conventional silos 2 More exposure to weather damage than direct-cut silage. 3 Gumming may clog some equipment not equipped with a water inlet. Based on their own research observations as well as reports from farmers, the Wisconsin scientists offer these recommen dations for making good quality haylage: 1 Cut the crop early (one tenth to mid-bud stage for al falfa). 2 Chop as short as possible. 3 Use equipment that will re duce drying time in the field as much as possible. 4 Begin chopping at about 50- 55% moisture (This may be too low in view of the findings that suggest average moisture in the 55-65% range works out better ) 5 Use covers on forage wag ons to reduce field losses 6 Store material m a good, tight silo. 7. Fill as rapidly as possible. 8 Fill uniformly In large silos, distribute forage while filling. 9. Level top of silage if it is necessary to stop filling for 'more than a half day. 10. Cover the silage with a plas- 23
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