MAKING HAY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21554, 17 January 1940, Page 3

MAKING HAY

THE FEEDING VALUE STAGE OF MATURITY The composition and, therefore, the feeding value of hay varies within fairly wide limits. The most important factors that influence its nutritive value are stage of maturity or ripeness when cut, the proportion of grasses to clovers, the leafiness of the herbage at the time of cutting and the amount of leaf that can be retained in the process of hay making, the land on which it is grown, and its manurial treatment, and the weather conditions at the time of haymaking. Hay harvested under wet and unfavourable climatic conditions is altogether poorer in feeding value than well-harvested hay, owing to the washing out of soluble ingredients. Such hay contains more indigestible fibre. Trials with sheep and store cattle have shown that hay, even when not of first-class quality, is sufficient for maintenance when fed to those classes of stock under usual wintering conditions, that is to say, when the stock have access to winter grazing or are provided with roots or green fodder crops. For the winter feeding of dairy cows, says an Irish authority, it can be shown by calculation that 301 b of very good hay is practically sufficient for maintenance and the production of three gallons of milk, and that cows giving three gallons of milk daily can be successfully fed on first-class hay without the addition of concentrates is borne out by observation of results in practice, while it is not uncommon, he says, for a two-gallon average to be maintained throughout the winter with hay alone or with hay fed in conjunction with roots.