Author: Jimmy Henning
Planning Unit: Plant and Soil Sciences
Major Program: Forages
Outcome: Initial Outcome
Wrapping bales of high moisture hay with UV-resistant, stretch-wrap plastic is known as making baleage. Baleage allows producers to harvest higher quality forage because of reduced field curing time and reduced leaf loss. Increasing numbers of counties have been purchasing bale wrappers to make high moisture haylage in round bale packages. Producers know of cattle losses due to feeding off-quality silage and this is a barrier to adoption of the technology. A project was initiated to analyze a range of farmer-produced baleage samples for forage quality and fermentation profile (volatile fatty acid content and final pH). The fermentation profile data will identify lots of haylage that did not properly ensile. Collecting information on these samples will increase ability of UK specialists to predict feeding problems and prevent them. Data from two production years (2017-2018) were summarized and presented at the Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference in February 2019. The results clearly indicate that moisture content at baling was the major factor influencing fermentation. Attendees at the conference either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement "I have a better understanding of how to make good baleage." This survey work will continue.
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