Making High Quality Baleage
Baling and wrapping high moisture forage has become a popular way to conserve spring forage crops.
The advantages include less drying time needed before baling, harvesting at an earlier stage of maturity to capture high nutrient value, and reduced storage losses. There are several key components of the baleage making process that help ensure a high-quality product is produced, and I’d like to discuss three particular items related to baleage production.
The first item is the amount of ash in the forage. Ash is basically mineral content, and high ash levels can come from soil being incorporated into the bale as the forage is raked into windrows. Soil contamination can lead to clostridial bacteria contamination, which may result in poorly fermented forage, especially if the forage is above target moisture levels. Producers should pay attention to rake settings and avoid soil contamination, especially with winter annual cover crops such as rye, wheat, or triticale.
The second big issue is forage moisture content. Haylage wrapped too wet is a candidate for clostridial fermentation and the associated toxicities that come along with that issue, especially if the forage is heavily contaminated with soil. Butyric acid is a potential problem with very wet haylage and results in lowered feed intake and potential toxicity issues. Too dry, and the forage does not ferment and has a greater potential for molding if exposed to oxygen.
Target moisture for haylage is 45 to 60 percent moisture at baling. A review of the moisture content from forage quality samples of haylage I have received in my office for the years 2020 – 2023 showed 29% of the summer annual haylage samples were within the recommended moisture range. Winter annuals had 36% of the samples within the recommended moisture range..
Most of the samples for both forage types were wetter than recommended, but a wide range of moisture content was noted. For example, the moisture content for winter annuals ranged from 39 to 74%. These results are from a small sample size but indicate producers may need to pay closer attention to moisture content at baling time.
Moisture can be estimated by microwave drying or using moisture testing equipment. Both take some time but knowing forage moisture content when baling is critical to the success of having a high quality, well-fermented product.
The final point is to exclude oxygen. Be sure to make tight bales. Bales should be wrapped with 6 to 8 mil of plastic. Consistent bale diameter is also critical as it prevents localized air pockets in tube-wrapped haylage. Bales should be wrapped within 12 hours of baling. Paying attention to these items will help ensure oxygen exclusion which leads to proper fermentation and forage preservation.
Harvesting at the right stage of forage maturity, baling at the correct moisture, and excluding oxygen with tight bales and adequate plastic wrapping are keys to successful baleage production. Before feeding, have the forage analyzed for nutrients and fermentation characteristics. This can help avoid feeding issues and provide producers with information to help them conserve high quality feed.
If you have questions on haylage production, sampling, or feeding, please contact me by e-mail at schmitze@missouri.edu or by calling the Pettis County Extension Center at (660) 827-0591.
Source: Making High Quality BaleageMore From Mix 92.3
