The Effect of Harvesting and Storage Methods on Chemical Composition and in Vitro Digestibility of First Cutting Alfalfa Hay

The importance of alfalfa hay in dairy cattle feeding is generally acknowledged. The reasons why alfalfa is used so extensively in dairy cattle rations are due to its high protein content, high acceptability by cattle, its wide ·area of adaptation, and high yields. A popular way of handling the forage is to put it up as hay. South Dakota produced 3,261,000 tons of alfalfa hay in 1968. There were 73 million tons of alfalfa hay produced in the United States during 1968 (10) making it a crop of major importance. Farming practices have changed considerably the last ten years. Among these changes has been the replacement of machinery for labor because of the difficulty of securing farm workers. Farm operators have attempted to reduce the labor involved in the haying operation by stacking the hay loose or as bales in the field, to be hauled to the farmstead later for feeding. Stack frames, stack movers, bale collectors, and mechanical bale stackers have all reduced the man hours of labor required to harvest hay. With the increased use of these mechanical devices to reduce labor, increasing amounts of alfalfa hay are being stored out of doors and exposed to the weather rather than being protected in the hay loft of the stanchion barn. It appeared beneficial to examine the losses in alfalfa hay that was stored exposed to the weather. The economy of storing alfalfa hay under a temporary or permanent type cover may be advantageous to conserve more nutrients in the hay and still take advantage of the labor-saving methods of handling hay. The objectives of this study were to determine the cost of making hay by various methods, to determine the change in chemical composition of the hay as affected by methods of harvesting and storage, and to determine the influence of harvesting and storage methods on nutrient utilization

Management Guide for Planning a Farm or Ranch Business

This guidebook contains reference material for planning a farm business. Farm business planning for better family living, high profit farm plans, budgeting for more profit, management strategies in beef production, a partial budget for planned changes, and reference tables for crops, livestock, labor, machinery, labor, loans, and social security and income tax are included

Land Rental Arrangements for Minnesota: 1991

This archival publication may not reflect current scientific knowledge or recommendations. Current information available from the University of Minnesota Extension: https://www.extension.umn.edu

Buying/Selling Farm Land

This archival publication may not reflect current scientific knowledge or recommendations. Current information available from the University of Minnesota Extension: https://www.extension.umn.edu