Harvesting and Handling High-Quality Baleage

Jun 13, 2017

By Tim Harrigan

In order to achieve this, many growers are now harvesting and storing alfalfa or grass silage as baleage (50 - 60 percent moisture baled hay). Some advantages include: less drying timing, smaller investment in machinery and storage and in many cases the same baler can be used for both dry and high moisture forage. Depending on quality, baleage can be stored and fed.

However, careful and timely management is required to produce a high-quality baled silage from field-to-feed-bunk. Field operations need to be coordinated in such a way that the wrapped bales contain a consistent forage moisture. Variation in forage yield and species mixture, as well as field topography, are just a few of the things that can cause moisture variation during harvest. When more hay has been cut than can be baled and wrapped in the 50 - 60 percent moisture window - inconsistent feed intake, fluctuations in daily milk yield and a range of health problems can occur.

Baling when forage moisture is too high can lead to low quality silage, often as a result of clostridia fermentation. Baling when the forage is too dry makes it very difficult to exclude oxygen and results in a lower quality crop that has delayed fermentation, a higher pH and lower lactic acid production.

New research on best management practices for producing baled silage will be presented at the upcoming Michigan State University Agriculture Innovation Day, Aug. 24, 2017, at the Lake City Research Center, where participants will be able to see up close how moisture levels affect the forage quality.

As an example, consider two 1,200-pound bales being fed to a group of 40 cows on consecutive days. One bale is at 60 percent dry matter (DM) (40 percent moisture) and the other is at 40 percent DM (60 percent moisture). The first day the bale at 60 percent DM will supply each cow with 18 pounds DM and 2.88 pounds crude protein (CP). The next day, the bale at 40 percent DM will provide each cow only with 12 pounds DM and 1.92 pounds CP. Additionally, wide differences in moisture can lead to poor silage fermentation, digestive upsets and loss of milk yield or productivity.

The results of a baleage quality and management study on five dairy farms feeding grain and alfalfa bale silage was reported by Place and Heinrichs (1997). Grain made up 48-56 percent of the total DM intake. Beginning in November, each of the farmers sampled every bale fed over a four-month period. The average DM of all bales was 46.6 percent, but individual bale DM ranged from essentially fresh cut forage (23 percent DM), to that suitable for dry hay (86 percent DM). Forage quality was also highly variable. Crude protein averaged 14.6 percent (DM basis) but ranged from 10.8 - 21.5 percent. Similar widely varying measures of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and net energy of lactation (NEL) were reported.

DM variability from farm-to-farm was also high and ranged from an average of about 39 percent on one farm to 57 percent on another. On a farm where bales were fed sequentially as they came out of storage, the bale DM percentages were 72-65-57-37-65. The nutrient value was also highly variable. Clearly, providing a consistent ration would be a huge challenge in these conditions. In general, the farms with the most consistent baleage analysis had the higher milk production per cow and more stable production on a day-to-day basis.

Some management guidelines for producing high quality bale silage include:

Wrapping at 50-60 percent moisture.
Only mow and harvest a crop area that can be handled in the time it will to dry from about 50 - 60 percent moisture.
Number and date each bale and store the bales by field and cutting.
Keep forage species and soil fertility consistent across fields.
When balancing rations, strive for a representative, composite forage sample.
Try to incorporate other forages in the ration, so that balage is not the only forage fed.

Source: msu.edu

Video: Why Seed Analysts are Thriving Under Seeds Canada

Last month in Edmonton, Alta., industry leaders and stakeholders gathered to discuss the evolving landscape of the seed industry at Seeds Canada’s annual conference. Among them was Sarah Foster, president of 2020 Seed Labs and the new vice-president of Seeds Canada.

Foster, who has been on the board of Seeds Canada for over a year, has witnessed firsthand the challenges and opportunities that come with the formation of the organization. Seeds Canada was established just over three years ago through the merger of multiple seed industry groups, including the Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC). Since then, the organization has been working to define its priorities and solidify its role in the industry.

“The challenge has been allowing the dust to settle after the merger,” Foster explained. “We’ve been focused on identifying what our priorities should be and ensuring that our members, especially the seed analysts, are getting what they need to continue their professional work.”

One of the recent highlights was a pre-conference event where the three major seed labs in Alberta — 20/20 Seed Labs, SGS Canada and Seed Check — opened their doors to members. The event saw a record number of seed analysts and business professionals in attendance. Foster emphasized the importance of this transparency, stating, “It’s crucial for people to see what goes on behind the scenes. We’re an open book now, and that openness helps build trust and understanding within the industry.”

The event also featured an environmental scan and a series of discussions that fostered strong communication among attendees. According to Foster, the dialogue was both encouraging and inspiring.

“A lot of people were really inspired by the fact that Seeds Canada is moving ahead with its agenda. The seed analysts, who have always worked diligently in the background, are now being recognized more prominently,” she said.

Before the merger, seed analysts were represented by CSAAC. Now, as part of Seeds Canada, they are finding their place within the larger organization. Foster believes that the integration has been successful, noting, “I think we’re thriving. You only need to look south of the border, where similar consolidations are happening.”

As Seeds Canada continues to evolve, Foster remains optimistic about the future. “I want to be totally transparent with anyone who is a seed analyst — I’ve got your back. We’re moving in a positive direction, and we’ll do everything we can to meet the needs of our members,” she said.