Hay Making September 2020

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Country News, week of Tuesday, September 15, 2020 23

Hay Making High moisture hay is the way It’s the year of the tedder rake and inoculant according to hay and silage consultant Ashley Dempster. With positive seasonal conditions ahead he says a tedder rake will be key to dry out hay and prevent mould after rain events. SEE PAGE 27

September 2020 16-page feature

24 Country News week of Tuesday, September 15, 2020

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hay making

Murray Dairy regional extension officer Lisa Birrell inspects hay in a shed at Tatura.

Image courtesy of Dairy Australia. Picture: Hilary Walker

Positive outlook for hay season

By Jamie Salter

ff the back of O promising seasonal weather, the fodder

season for the Murray region is realising great results, with silage making well under way and other crops going into final growth stages before haymaking.

Solid winter rainfall, easing irrigation prices and supplementary water available in NSW are resulting in large yields for silage.

Conditions for chopping and baling have been optimal, with a dryer July meaning later rainfall has drained freely, still allowing good access to paddocks.

Murray Dairy strategic project manager Amy Fay said farmers were reporting that quality remained, and was best achieved by having a clear goal and clearly

communicating with contractors. ‘‘Many farmers are ensiling winter cereals in addition to pasture,’’ Ms Fay said. ‘‘It is important to remember that particularly in whole crop cereal silage, there is a trade-off between yield and quality depending on the stage of growth the crop is cut, and farmers are encouraged to closely monitor their crops to achieve their desired cutting time. ‘‘In addition, in contrast to pasture, cereal silage expands much more quickly due to its hollow stems and needs to be packed and sealed or wrapped as soon as possible. ‘‘Hay yields look to be as equally promising, but forecasts for a wetter spring may make baling a little more difficult. ‘‘Surrounding dryland and irrigation areas are

providing great opportunities for supplementary hay and silage for dairy farmers, but it will be critical for farmers to ask for quality tests and negotiate prices correspondingly.’’

The latest hay and grain report from Dairy Australia has prices remaining steady in the region, with very little demand. ‘‘Crops in the area are doing well with the warm days,’’ the report states. ‘‘Many growers put out a second application of urea before the last rain. ‘‘Advanced crops are being made into silage, however, most farmers are still four weeks away from cutting hay.’’

Cereal hay is fetching $190 to $220/tonne, while lucerne hay is being sold for $450 to $500/tonne and pasture hay for $250 to $330/tonne.

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Country News, week of Tuesday, September 15, 2020 25

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hay making

Back-up service crucial

By Rodney Woods hile different models W of machinery don’t change too much, it is the

customer service the staff at Echuca CIH provides that makes Nathalia contractor Brett Vallender keep on going back.

After more than 10 years as a client of the Echuca business, Mr Vallender, who also runs the company Fodder Sales, said he was purchasing the back-up service rather than the machines. ‘‘All balers are pretty similar,’’ he said. ‘‘But I’m buying for the back-up service and that’s what Echuca CIH gives me. ‘‘If I have an issue with a baler, they can sort it out over the phone or send someone out to me pretty quickly.

‘‘The best part about it is everyone knows you. ‘‘They do a lot more for their customers than others I have dealt with before. ‘‘They always look after me — that’s why I always keep on going back.’’

As part of the contracting business, Mr Vallender visits farms from Donald to Benalla, and uses Krone and Case machinery to get the work done. ‘‘The CASE 8585 big square baler was the first machinery I purchased off them (Echuca CIH),’’ he said. ‘‘I’ve had the Krone 1290HDP baler for the last six years on the CASE 235 Magnum. ‘‘This year, I bought the CASE 380 Magnum to run the (Krone) 1290HDPII, which is a bigger baler.’’

Mr Vallender said getting

Nathalia contractor Brett Vallender stands in front of the Krone 1290HDPII baler, which he has recently added to his machinery fleet. the colour right was key to making a quality crop. ‘‘You obviously want to retain the colour, and if it’s

going to export it needs to be below 14 per cent moisture content,’’ he said. ‘‘We generally don’t bale

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above 18 per cent moisture content.’’

Mr Vallender is expecting to produce between 20,000

and 25,000 straw bales and another 20,000 bales of hay this season with the two balers he uses.

26 Country News week of Tuesday, September 15, 2020

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hay making

Avoid long wilting times nsuring quick wilting this E year for your silage will be important because of the

Mowing with a mower conditioner and/or using a tedder will speed up the rate of wilting substantially and also help to beat any pending rain.

Plant leaves contain thousands of holes (stomata) per square centimetre through which moistures moves in and out during respiration.

These stomata close within one to two hours of mowing.

The warmer the weather, the faster they close.

Once this occurs, the rate of wilting is substantially reduced and although wilting still occurs, it becomes extended.

Mower conditioners have a wide range of conditioning techniques.

The tined and flail types are most suited to pastures, young lucerne, clovers and vegetative cereal crops.

The roller types, on the other hand, are more suited to the more stemmy crops, such as cereals cut with a seed head, mature lucerne and summer forages, such as sorghum.

The operator’s experience, the speed of the operation, the correct clearance settings and maintenance of the equipment,

likelihood of a wetter-thanaverage spring.

Rain on curing silage can lead to a decline in quality and quantity harvested.

The aim is to harvest and store chopped stack silage about 30 to 35 per cent dry matter and baled silage about 40 to 50 per cent dry matter.

If wetter, the silage will undergo a less suitable fermentation and will be of lower quality and will lose dry matter and palatability.

Very low losses in quality (energy and protein) and dry matter occur if the wilted crop is in the pit or bale within 24 to 48 hours after mowing.

Losses increase substantially after this, and an extended wilting period increases the risk of the next shower of rain resulting in even higher impacts on quality.

Ideally, pastures should be cut at or near when they should be grazed.

This encourages quicker regrowth, promotes tillering and maintains pressure on the remaining grazing area.

Agriculture Victoria has provided tips for successful silage harvest as a wet spring is forecast for the region. width of swathe etc. can also markedly affect the rate of wilting.

Using a tedder to spread the forage as thinly as possible straight after mowing, while the stomata are still open, will greatly increase the rate of moisture loss by 50 to 80 per cent.

The tedding action will leave the plants in a fluffed-up state, which will allow airflow to remove evaporating moisture and encourage further wilting.

Some bruising of leaves and stems will also occur at the same time, promoting faster wilting.

Be careful when harvesting on wet soils as mud and manure are

sources of undesirable bacteria, which may be incorporated into the forage in the silage stack or bale.

These bacteria are highly likely to cause a poor fermentation. This will result in relatively high losses of dry matter and nutritive value of the silage, and reduce palatability.

There are several additives, which may aid the fermentation process.

For slightly over-wet forage still high in sugars, fermentation stimulating bacterial inoculants are suitable, as are products containing sulphur compounds and amylase.

For forage that has been on the ground for many days and is probably very low in sugars, buffered acid salts are the best option, although expensive due to the high application rate needed.

Additives are not a magical solution and effectiveness will depend on the degree of wilting and how much and how well the additive is incorporated.

— Sarah Clack, Agriculture Victoria dairy extension officer ➤ For more information on tips for a successful silage harvest, visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au

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Country News, week of Tuesday, September 15, 2020 27

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hay making

(LEFT) Hay and silage consultant Ashley Dempster says this is the year of the tedder rake and the inoculant.

(ABOVE) Mr Dempster stands in his Karalee oat crop.

Inoculant helps boost feed value

By Jamie Salter s cropping farmers are A beginning to make highmoisture hay, industry

representatives say using an inoculant is the key to achieving a high-quality product.

An inoculant acts to stop hay from heating and prevents haystack fires — enabling hay to be baled at a higher quality.

Grevillia Ag business development manager Rohan Ingram said using a dedicated hay inoculant allowed farmers and contractors to bale at moisture levels up to 25 per cent. ‘‘Farmers can bale sooner, at a higher moisture level, achieving a higher feed value in the hay,’’ Mr Ingram said. ‘‘When you’re baling at higher moisture levels, you’re getting a

better-quality product and you don’t have to let the hay cure out for as long after the hay is cut. ‘‘The feedback from farmers is that it has helped them fine-tune their program to get hay in the bale earlier, helping beat rain events and to achieve betterquality feed value.’’

Manufactured in Australia, the Si-Lac hay inoculant has been developed for farmers to use as

insurance against haystack fires.

Hay and silage consultant Ashley Dempster agreed this was the year of the tedder rake and the inoculant for silage or highmoisture hay. ‘‘The tedder rake lifts the hay off the ground and skins the stem of the plant and lays it out flat,’’ Mr Dempster said. ‘‘It is the best mechanical method to dry out hay or silage,

and teddering is really good after a rain event to help dry it out and stop it from going mouldy.’’

Mr Dempster said NSW Local Land Services’ recent webinar series provided vital information for farmers on high-moisture hay.

The webinars featured NSW Department of Primary Industries expert John Piltz. ➤ To view the recording of the webinars, visit the Local Land Services YouTube channel.

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28 Country News week of Tuesday, September 15, 2020

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hay making

Reduce losses, improve quality aking good-quality Mhay in a year where

above-average rainfall is predicted for most of Victoria during spring will be a challenge, but if you stick to some key principles it is still feasible.

The quality of hay is directly related to the stage of growth at cutting, the amount of leaf retention, diligent use of the right equipment at the right time and avoiding bad weather.

Cutting as early as possible in the season, weather permitting, will produce the highest quality hay.

It is inevitable that some quality will be lost during the curing and harvesting process.

So what can be done about reducing the losses and improving hay quality?

Once the decision to cut has been made, increasing

‘

It is inevitable that some quality will be lost during the curing and harvesting process.

So what can be done about reducing the losses and improving hay quality?

the rate of drying of the entire crop, particularly the stems, is the key to reducing losses and avoiding the risk of rain damage.

Growing plants contain about 75 to 80 per cent water at the time of harvest.

When the plant is cut, it continues to respire or breathe until water content is reduced to about 40 per cent, i.e. 60 per cent dry matter.

Some loss of dry matter and quality has occurred.

Below 40 per cent moisture, the leaves dry at a

’

much faster rate than stems because they are very thin and have a large surface area to mass ratio.

However, stem drying occurs slowly due to the cell make-up and surface wax layer.

By the time the stem reaches appropriate moisture content for baling, the leaves may be too dry and therefore easily shattered.

Wait for any dew to lift before mowing — there could be one to three

Agriculture Victoria has provided tips for growing quality hay this season.

tonnes of moisture trapped between the plants if they are mowed with dew on

them, moisture which must be dried off before the plants start to cure.

Mowing in the rain would have a similar effect.

■ Continued on page 29

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Country News, week of Tuesday, September 15, 2020 29

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hay making ■ From page 28

Use a mowerconditioner or conditioner

‘

Tedding will reduce the curing time of hay by about 30 to 40 per cent, if used within a few hours after mowing.

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The most common method of enhancing stem drying is by mechanical conditioning, which uses a set of inter-meshing counter-rotating rollers.

These are designed to crush, bend or break stems, allowing moisture to escape more easily.

Conditioners also reduce leaf shatter during raking and baling, as the leaves tend to dry at around the same rate as the stems.

Proper roller clearance adjustment is important, especially for roller-type conditioners.

Don’t have them set too wide.

The roller spacings used for thick-stemmed crops are often not adequate for finerstemmed crops.

The flail or tined-type mower conditioners are more suited to pastures than the roller type.

They do a better job of the crimping and abrading, and tend to leave the windrows ‘‘fluffier’’, which is more conducive to quicker drying.

In both cases, leaving the swathe boards out as wide as possible, to leave wider windrows, will greatly increase the drying rate.

Tedding straight after mowing A technique recommended for silage, tedding (spreading) will also reduce the curing time of hay by about 30 to 40 per cent, if used within a few hours after mowing.

Some farmers use the tedder the day after mowing, but the curing rate would benefit greatly if done soon after mowing.

Some farmers worry about hay bleaching when using these machines, however tedding will allow far more even and quicker drying, so bleaching should be minimal.

In any case, bleaching does not greatly affect hay quality, although it does reduce the carotene levels.

The reduced risk of rain and its effect on reducing quality is reason enough to consider using a tedder, especially if rain is expected.

Raking

Raking is used to enhance uniform drying. The most common type of rake rolls and fluffs the windrow, bringing the bottom layer to the top.

The rolling action exposes more of the stems while protecting the leafy portion of the plant.

Hay should be raked at moisture content above

30 per cent, to minimise leaf shatter.

Leaf loss can be further reduced by raking during early morning or late evening after the leaves absorb moisture from the air.

As much as 15 per cent dry matter can be lost if legumes, such as lucerne, are raked at the wrong time, however, pasture losses tend to be less.

When to bale

Optimum moisture content for baling hay for conserved feed depends on bale size and density.

For small rectangular bales, the moisture content should be no higher than 18 per cent.

The upper limit for large round bales should be 14 to 16 per cent and large square bales 12 to 14 per cent.

More than 80 per cent of hay fires have been in large square bales, which have often been baled at the correct moisture content, but their high density does not allow for breathing, hence there is no room for error with these large, very densely packed bales.

— David Shambrook, Agriculture Victoria dairy extension officer ➤ For more information on growing quality hay, visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au

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30 Country News week of Tuesday, September 15, 2020

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hay making

Hard work pays off for family

By Rodney Woods etworking and the purchase of new N machinery were reasons for Corowa’s Scott Collins receiving the

best cereal hay visual test award for his barley crop as part of Feed Central’s 2019-20 National Hay Quality Awards.

Mr Collins, who runs the cropping farm and transport business with his family, said it was pleasing to be recognised. ‘‘It’s pleasing to see our hard work is paying off,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s good to be recognised as it shows we must be doing something right.’’

Mr Collins said the barley crop that won him the awards would not have even been cut for hay if the season had not dictated it. ‘‘That crop was a seasonal decision to make that,’’ he said. ‘‘The oaten hay we make this year will be more in our cropping program and not season-related.’’

Mr Collins said networking during the years had allowed the family to improve its own haymaking operation. ‘‘Probably years of hay carting and talking to people how they do different things and then taking bits of everyone and putting it into our operation (has helped),’’ he said.

Scott Collins, from Corowa, stands next to one of the seven trucks that are part of the fleet of the family transport business.

High Performance Mowing

‘‘Another thing we did differently was we bought our own mower conditioner to allow us to cut hay on time and to not miss the optimum window of cutting. ‘‘We use a contractor for our baling, and the other thing (to achieve a high standard crop) is to have a contractor with excellent knowledge of what he’s doing and excellent experience.’’

Mr Collins said this year’s season was looking much more positive. ‘‘It’s really good at the moment,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s as good as its ever looked. ‘‘We’ll just run with our normal program even with demand for hay down. ‘‘The biggest challenge will come at harvest time. ‘‘You can do all the hard work during the year, but once you have cut the hay, you are in the fate of the weather. ‘‘Once you cut it, our control is lost and the weather has a big part in it.’’

Despite travelling over several borders with the transport business, which transports hay, grain, fertilisers and livestock, Mr Collins said now was as good a time as any to be working in agriculture. ‘‘We run single, B-double and road train combinations across South Australia, NSW, Victoria and Queensland,’’ he said. ‘‘It (the border closures) hasn’t been too bad. ‘‘One point to make is we are in the agriculture industry. ‘‘It’s one of the better times to be in agriculture with this world crisis.’’

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Country News, week of Tuesday, September 15, 2020 31

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hay making

New baler ‘real pleasure to drive’

By Rodney Woods ew Holland Agriculture has N raised the bar on productivity and comfort, after

releasing a new baler that it says is the most efficient large square baler in its segment.

New Holland brand president Carlo Lambro said the new BigBaler 1290 High Density was built at the company’s Centre of Harvesting Excellence in Belgium. ‘‘The new model is the culmination of more than 30 years of baling excellence,’’ Mr Lambro said. ‘‘It enriches New Holland’s hay and forage offering, and once again raises the standard on the performance we offer our customers.’’

Those in the Goulburn and Murray valleys can purchase the new baler from the Rural Group, which has dealerships in Cobram, Echuca and Shepparton. ‘‘The new high density baler features a modern design,’’ Rural Group dealer principal Chris Pettigrove said. ‘‘It is the smoothest and quietest baler I’ve seen, which combines with the incredible serviceability and cleanliness in operation. ‘‘The new technically advanced gearbox provides smooth start-up and operation. ‘‘This is a baler that will be a real pleasure to drive and service.’’

The New Holland BigBaler 1290 High Density produces bales of up to 22 per cent higher density than

New Holland has released a new baler, which can be purchased from the Rural Group dealerships in Cobram, Echuca and Shepparton. conventional large square balers, significantly increasing transport and bale handling efficiency.

The new MaxiSweep pick-up helps feed in crop at higher rates, resulting in increased capacity and performance, and the BigBaler also introduces the unique SmartShift gearbox, winner of an

Agritechnica silver medal, that delivers a soft start-up resulting in greater comfort for the operator and overload protection for the tractor’s driveline.

The unique patented LoopMaster knotting technology ensures best-in-class solid binding and protects the environment and

the forage by eliminating twine offcuts, while the short drawbar concept ensures excellent visibility for the operator and manoeuvrability.

Comfort is further enhanced with a new intuitive user interface using the large IntelliView IV touchscreen display and it also comes with a

range of automated features, such as the IntelliCruise technology system, which automatically adjusts tractor speed. ➤ For more information, and to see New Holland BigBaler 1290 High Density in action, contact Damien Trencher from Rural Group on 0428 822 788.

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hay making

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The other front is a 16-foot mower conditions front. What sets it apart from the rest are its five steel roller that condition the stalk and crimp every inch and a half for a much quicker drying time. Both machines also have auto steer.

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ictorian hay shed construction has Vsurged off the back of a record 2019

fodder harvest.

Sales of hay sheds are on track to double this season according to shed manufacturer Entegra, which by April had already sold 65 per cent of the total number of hay sheds it sold in 2019.

Hay shed construction is the fastest growing business category for the company, which manufactures all types of agricultural and industry sheds. ‘‘A lot of farmers had so much hay at the end of harvest that it was stacked up to 10 bales high in the paddocks,’’ Entegra general manager Laurie McCalman said. ‘‘This has been an incredible turnaround in a region which had gone through severe drought and then a flood during the 2018 harvest. ‘‘This past season, record prices encouraged hay production and now it is flowing through to on-farm investment.’’

Pre-engineered structural hay sheds which can store from 1000 to 2500 bales have proved a hit, according to Mr McCalman. ‘‘Farmers want their sheds installed faster; and thanks to the introduction of the kits, this has been possible,’’ he said.

Customised hay sheds have also been popular with growers.

Mr McCalman said some sheds up to 7.5 m high were constructed because farmers had the machinery to stack bales at that level and it was also cost-effective. ‘‘For example, if you increase the height of a 2500 bale shed from 6 m to 7.5 m you

Expectations of a bumper crop have seen a surge in hay shed construction. can store at least an additional 300 bales of hay,’’ he said. ‘‘So, we’ve just introduced the 2800-bale hay shed for this season.’’

Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) chief executive officer John McKew said the rise in hay shed sales was good news for the industry. ‘‘A well-constructed shed adds value to stored fodder and this provides a quality and consistent product for our customers,’’ he said.

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hay making

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Wheaten hay covered with Hay Caps being stacked at Finley.

Hay! That’s a really great idea

By Rodney Woods

W

ith the prospect of a good season and depleted stock levels, many farmers will take the opportunity to conserve hay.

It was seasons like this that led experienced hay producer Phil Snowden to dream up Tocumwal business Hay Caps. ‘‘So much hay was wasted in years like this when it was baled and stacked but left uncovered,’’ Mr Snowden said. ‘‘For every 75 mm rain that falls on an 8 x 4 x 3 bale of hay, over 200 litres goes into the top bale. ‘‘That’s a 44-gallon drum of water and it ruins the hay. ‘‘So if you are going to bale hay then that investment needs to be protected and Hay Caps are a very economical option if you don’t have permanent storage.’’

Mr Snowden said the other thing to consider was the moisture that would come

up from the soil into the hay after the stack was built. ‘‘When you are looking to store your hay, simple preparation of your site and using a ground sheet are easy ways to provide moisture protection for the bottom bales,’’ he said. ‘‘Some examples of these are used grain bags or silage plastic, but the easiest of the lot is single-bale-width black recycled plastic rolls available from Hay Cap. ‘‘If you are going to use grounds sheets of any sort under hay, it must be narrower than the bale. ‘‘If you can see it sticking out from under the bale — it is too wide and the water running off the Hay Caps will fall onto the ground cover and seep in under the hay.’’ ➤ For more information, phone 1800 429 227 or visit: www.haycap.com.au

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34 Country News week of Tuesday, September 15, 2020

www.countrynews.com.au

hay making

Consider your feeding options ummer is four moths away S and maintaining good nutrition for your livestock is

essential, especially in hot weather.

Heat reduces an animal’s appetite and can also change the way cows process nutrients.

Although forage is not a highproteinic feed, the quality and amount of fibre fed remain critical as it maintains rumen stability and retains nutrient density without producing excessive metabolic heat.

However, hay and silage bales are a precious resource, especially in drought, but three factors can make a big difference on your bottom line.

Reduce wastage Hay wastage depends on harvesting and storage techniques, but more importantly on the way it is fed out.

More than 40 per cent of your

hay could be wasted because of losses associated with your feeding method.

One popular feeding method is manually unrolling a round or square bale on the ground in a thick matt.

Another system, bale processing, is to chop the forage and feed out in large, thick windrows, resulting in huge losses because the hay is quickly blown away or trampled because it is fed in one location.

Alternatively, the mounted or trailed chainless bale feeders from Hustler Equipment are designed to maximise every kilo of feed, gently teasing it apart, making it more palatable and allowing you to feed out an exact amount in a long, thin windrow, reducing nutritional loss and waste.

Preserve goodness Most operations put a lot of time, money and effort into harvesting and storing the highest-

Hustler Equipment Australia has provided cost-effective tips for feeding livestock during summer. quality hay possible.

Doesn’t it seem like you should carefully consider how you feed it out?

To maximise nutritional uptake, it is essential to fluff the hay out, so the nutrients retained in the leaves or grain are not destroyed and lost.

Though being cost-effective is a key concern, it is far from the only worry.

For most livestock farmers, the main reason for allowing unlimited access to hay is the time and convenience.

A study conducted by Dennis Hancock, from the University of Georgia, compared the time expended feeding hay and showed that using a chainless bale feeder was even faster than a traditional hay unroller or even a hay ring.

Manage your pasture The benefits of using a chainless bale feeder is not all about hay savings.

Did you know that for every 400 kg bale fed in your pasture, your cows will return $15 to $25 in nutrients to the soil in the form of fertiliser?

Regular pasture reseeding increases pasture productivity, but it is a huge time and money investment.

Ideally, feeding in a new part of the pasture every day in a long windrow gives animals equal access to feed while the unconsumed hay drops seeds into the ground.

Your whole pasture can be reseeded quickly and inexpensively, and can reduce soil compaction by keeping the animals spread out. — Hustler Equipment Australia

Country News, week of Tuesday, September 15, 2020 35

www.countrynews.com.au

hay making

Advice to help prevent hay fires

By Rodney Woods espite farmers’ best efforts, D sometimes hay is baled too wet, which creates a significant

fire risk.

Agriculture Victoria northern dairy manager Brett Davidson said reasons behind this could include poor curing weather, nodes and seed heads still wrapped in the flag leaf sheath not being cured enough, or incorrectly calibrated or improperly used moisture meters. ‘‘As a result, there is potential the forage being baled could be two to five per cent higher in moisture than it should be for the type of bale being made,’’ Mr Davidson said.

He said large rectangular bales needed to be two per cent drier (12 to 14 per cent moisture) than large round bales (14 to 16 per cent), which themselves needed to be two per cent drier than small square bales (16 to 18 per cent). ‘‘This is due to their high density or large volume to surface area for the large rectangular and round bales,’’ he said. ‘‘Leaving wide windrows behind a mower-conditioner, tedding immediately after mowing (tedders will substantially speed up curing), and using a form of hay preservative will all increase the curing rate of hay. ‘‘While these options add to the cost of hay making, it will be well worth the additional expense for high-quality forage.

Agriculture Victoria has provided farmers with tips to help prevent hay fires. ‘‘Occasionally, however, some of the hay will end up in the stack that has not been cured well enough. ‘‘It is vitally important to regularly monitor the stack from

week one after baling, for signs of heating.’’

Monitoring can include looking for: ■ dampness on the top of bales; ■ steam rising from the haystack;

■ moisture build-up on roofing iron or under tarps of outside stacks; ■ unusual odours (e.g. pipe tobacco, caramel, burning, musty); ■ slumps in the stack; and

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■ corrosion on the underside of a tin roof.

Mr Davidson said unfortunately much of the heating would occur in the stack’s centre, which was difficult to pick up. ‘‘A crowbar pushed into the stack as far as possible is one strategy that can be used to monitor heat,’’ he said. ‘‘After a couple of hours, remove the crowbar and feel how hot it is.’’

A guide for haystack temperatures include: ■ Cooler than 50 C — can handle the bar without discomfort. Check temperature daily; ■ 50 to 60 C — Can handle the bar for a short time. Check temperature twice daily; ■ 60 – 70 C — Can touch bar only briefly. Check temperature every two hours. Move hay from top layers to improve air flow; ■ Hotter than 70 C — Bar too hot to hold. Potential for fire. Avoid walking on top of stack. Put safety precautions in place. Phone 000.

Mr Davidson said an alternative monitoring method could be achieved by using thermal couplings, which can be placed into various areas of the haystack at stacking and monitored simply and regularly. ➤ For more information on hay moisture, visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au

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36 Country News week of Tuesday, September 15, 2020

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hay making

Guard used to enhance quality eople couldn’t believe the way some P of Brad Petschel’s vetch hay looked last year.

But it wasn’t just the colour that attracted attention — the bales were heavier, and the feed tests were better.

‘‘We used a different process and didn’t leave it on the ground as long as we normally would,’’ Mr Petschel said. ‘‘Doing this, we had a higher leaf retention and the hay was higher in protein and vitamins (and therefore had) more nutrients.’’

This crop of vetch hay, a trial that included about five per cent of the Hopetoun hay grower and contractor’s 1000 tonne production, was baled in less than a week.

The rest of this paddock was baled ‘‘conventionally’’ three weeks later.

Mr Petschel has been using the preservative Hay Guard from Tama Australia, coupled with a different method he learnt in the United States. ‘‘I’ve been using it for five years, but the last two years I have been baling hay using this different method with Hay Guard to try and get a much higher-quality product,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m using it now to improve hay production, to limit weather damage on hay and increase yields.’’

Mr Petschel’s Hay Guard trial last harvest involved laying the vetch out in a wide swathe before it was raked and baled. ‘‘The hay wasn’t tedded, as it was a light crop, and it was baled during the day using

‘

. . . we had a higher leaf retention and the hay was higher in protein and vitamins (and therefore had) more nutrients Brad Petschel

’

plant moisture at 14 to 15 per cent,’’ he said. ‘‘If the swathe had been heavy, the process could have involved tedding, within 24 hours, and raking it into a windrow 24 to 48 hours later. ‘‘This would have ensured the swathe dried evenly and it would also limit the risk of mould and yeast infection.’’

Mr Petschel made up to 18,000 tonnes of hay last year, including his own and contracting customers.

Going forward, Mr Petschel will look to use Hay Guard more as a tool to enhance the quality of his fodder. ‘‘It is much easier to plan to bale,’’ he said. ‘‘It is because we aren’t actually relying on dew moisture as much because we have got plant moisture to bale with.’’

■ Continued on page 37

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Country News, week of Tuesday, September 15, 2020 37

www.countrynews.com.au

hay making

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$900 inc GST Limited stock Hopetoun farmer Brad Petschel uses Tama Australia’s Hay Guard product to improve his vetch hay.

■ From page 36 Bales in this Hay Guard trial were about 100 kg heavier — up to 700 kg — with estimated gains of 10 to 20 per cent more hay per hectare. ‘‘It is a lot more efficient in that we don’t waste the plant in the paddock,’’ Mr Petschel said. ‘‘You seem to be able to pick more of it up

because it hasn’t been sitting there to get brittle. ‘‘The plant also sits there (on the ground) and it doesn’t blow away because it has more weight. ‘‘The machines pick it up better, it isn’t dry and crisp. ‘‘It dries evenly, and using Hay Guard it is safe enough to bale.’’

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