We have had two years of extreme drought conditions which has everyone’s hay lots bare or very low. Following an excellent rain the 2nd week of September, some fields did recover enough to get a last final cutting. Although it may not be high in yields, whatever we get is much appreciated. Now the next step is getting the hay cured with the cool temperatures and avoiding baling hay with a high moisture content. Moisture content for round baled hay should not be more than 18%, for square bales 20% is the recommended number. Unlike most falls, we have not really had a problem finding a window of 4 or 6 days required to get hay cured and down to the proper moisture content. However, it still pays to be patient and let the hay get cured down to avoid spoilage or possible fires.
The temperature of hay will increase the first few weeks after baling. This is mostly due to microbial activity and some plant respiration. At a moisture content of greater than 20% up to 35%, mold production becomes a great concern because it consumes nutrients in the hay and reduces its nutritional value. Mold also creates heat from respiration and produces toxins that make the hay less palatable. While mold-related heat up to about 120 degrees F does not damage the hay’s nutritional value, higher temperatures can. Protein breakdown begins at temperatures above 120 degrees F and browning begins at about 140 degrees F. This browning reaction (caramelization) can further increase temperature and take forage nearly to the point of combustion. These high temperatures also bind up much of the protein in the forage, making it unavailable to the animal. Hay temperatures less than 120 degrees F are considered safe; between 120 degrees F and 140 degrees F, monitor closely; between 140 degrees and 180 degrees F hay is likely to spontaneously combust.
With the ongoing dry conditions, getting your fall hay cutting cured may not be as serious of an issue as previous years, but it is still important to be careful. Doing all you can to get your hay dried out including using a mower/conditioner and hay tedder can help speed the drying process. Making baleage rather than dry bales certainly helps by allowing you to bale higher moisture forage, but it does require specialized equipment. There are also treatment options using propionic acid and anhydrous ammonia as preservatives that allow you to bale hay up to 30% moisture. However, you must be set up to use these preservatives and there is some risk when using them. Certainly, anytime you think you may have some hay that has the potential to be a little high in moisture, do not put it in the barn. It is best to leave it in the field separated as long as you can before putting it in a haystack. Rarely do individual bales catch fire, but when stacked tightly in a trap or barn, the chances do go up for high moisture hay.
With the shortage of forage this year, no one can afford to lose any hay either through spoilage or the worst possible scenario, fire. A couple of good things about baling in the late fall are that your hay will cure out with the prettiest color of any other time of the year. It is also a lot nicer baling when it is in the 70’s versus 105 or 110 degrees.
Most of the information for this article came from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension publication Hay Production in Texas, if you would like a copy, come by, or give us a call.