Part II: Conserving Forage Dennis Hancock Extension Forage Agronomist Crop and Soil Sciences Dennis Hancock Extension Forage Agronomist Crop and Soil Sciences

Drought Risk Management Plan Cull following a priority list Have an emergency forage base Don ’ t depend on hay stocks Supplement to stretch hay

Cost Per Ton Of Hay Breakeven Cost: $60.38 $20.17 $1.33 $7.50 $2.17 $18.81 $10.40 Fertilizer and LimeHerbicide MachineryLabor InterestFixed Cost

Components of Hay Losses: Field curing Harvesting Storage Feeding

Storage 20-45% loss Harvesting 7-15% loss Feeding 10-30% loss Field curing 10-25% loss It’s not unusual to see total losses of 70% or greater LOSS ACCUMULATE WITH EACH STEP

Storage 20-45% loss Harvesting 7-15% loss Feeding 10-30% loss Field curing 10-25% loss BreakevenMarket Value ($/dry ton)$60$130 Loss (%)70 Cost($42)($91) The True Cost of Making Hay

The True Cost of Storage and Feeding Losses About 3 billion dollars of hay is lost per year from storage and feeding in the U.S. (37.5 million tons)

Storage Weathered DM Method Depth Loss (in.) (%) Twine Netwrap Solid plastic Shed< Hay Storage Research (Kentucky)

Storage Losses Source: Forage Crop Pocket Guide

Can I afford to build a barn? Source: Forage Crop Pocket Guide

Feeding Losses Method 1 day 7 day ---- % Waste---- Unrolled Ring

The True Cost of Storage and Feeding Losses BreakevenMarket Value ($/dry ton)$60$130 Storage and Feeding Losses (%) 40 Cost ($/dry ton) ($24)($52) Cost ($/1000 lb bale) ($10.20)($22.10)

If it has to be outside… Store bales with N/S orientation Don’t store under trees Make dense bales  Shed water better Elevate the bales Store bales with N/S orientation Don’t store under trees Make dense bales  Shed water better Elevate the bales

Every little bit helps!

Tarped Stacks Hay Sheds Hoop Structures Storage Options

Hoop Structures for Hay Storage

Adjustable tension to keep cover tight

Hoop Structures for Hay Storage Cost: Package (hoops, cover) $6,000-7,000 Posts, concrete, lumber, gravel, labor = $1,000-3,000 Total Materials Cost = ~ $7, , bales Assuming 10-year structure life (prorated 16-year warranty on cover) $10,000/10 yr = $1000 per year $1000/300 bales = $3.00 per bale

Tarped Stacks Hay Sheds Hoop Structures Storage Options $1.50 – 2.50 $2.00 – 3.00 $3.50+

Long-term Hay Storage DM Loss (Undercover)  5% 1 st year, little thereafter Net wrap or plastic sleeves  5-8% 1 st yr, 2-5% ea yr Twine on the ground  Don’t even think about it! Vitamin A content of old hay DM Loss (Undercover)  5% 1 st year, little thereafter Net wrap or plastic sleeves  5-8% 1 st yr, 2-5% ea yr Twine on the ground  Don’t even think about it! Vitamin A content of old hay

By-products Viable option when hay is > ~$80/ton Must be purchased in bulk loads Storage – under shelter, grain bins, gravity flow wagons Most cases – need a feed trough Feeding (other than a shovel) is the biggest obstacle for most people

Comparison of Relative Energy Values Maintenance energy Corn 1.00 Hay Cottonseed 1.00 Soybean hulls.88 Corn gluten feed.88 Distillers grains.99

Choices of By-Products 1.Soybean hulls  Low starch, moderate protein, high intake  Bloat 2.Corn gluten feed  Low starch, high protein (good complement to low quality hay)  Limit to 25% of diet, high sulfur, low Ca:P 3.Whole cottonseed  High energy (fat) and protein  Limit to 0.5% of diet 1.Soybean hulls  Low starch, moderate protein, high intake  Bloat 2.Corn gluten feed  Low starch, high protein (good complement to low quality hay)  Limit to 25% of diet, high sulfur, low Ca:P 3.Whole cottonseed  High energy (fat) and protein  Limit to 0.5% of diet

What about distiller’s grains? Fairly comparable to corn gluten feed  Probably will need to limit to less than 20% Big difference between wet and dried DGs  Dried: Energy expense = added cost  Storage needed  Wet: Transportation expense = added cost  Storage needed  Perishable product  High feed-out rate Fairly comparable to corn gluten feed  Probably will need to limit to less than 20% Big difference between wet and dried DGs  Dried: Energy expense = added cost  Storage needed  Wet: Transportation expense = added cost  Storage needed  Perishable product  High feed-out rate

Stretching Hay with By-Products In general, by-products are great ways to stretch short hay stocks.  1 lb of feed replaces about 1.5 to 2 lbs of hay Again, feeding (Supplements, TMRs, or Hay) is almost always more expensive than grazing. In general, by-products are great ways to stretch short hay stocks.  1 lb of feed replaces about 1.5 to 2 lbs of hay Again, feeding (Supplements, TMRs, or Hay) is almost always more expensive than grazing.

QUESTIONS?