Sun's shining--better make hay
This hot, sunny weather that has been hanging around for the past week has been great for getting in the first cutting of hay. My feed supplier, Dennis, finished his haying a couple of days ago. He normally puts all the first cutting into baleage, the plastic wrapped round bales. The weather can be kind of fickle in late May/early June making it hard to dry the grass enough to make dry hay.
Most farmers around here, including Dennis, had their first cutting in much earlier than last year. This means the grass was not too mature and the feed will have a much higher nutritional value and taste better to the cows. This translates into higher milk production from the cows and less wasted feed since the cows will more of the hay.
In about a month I will have my grain salesman take some core samples from the round bales to see how the feed tests. Based on the protein and energy levels of the forage, we will be able to formulate our grain ration to get the best milk production for the least cost. And, hopefully, when the hayfields are mowed again for the second cuttting, Dennis will truck down all the first cut round bales. This way the bales will have finished the fermentation process and be more stable for transporting, and with the fields mowed we won't trample down the uncut hay getting to the bales.
Jonathan, Howmars Farm
Franklin, Vermont
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Posted by Blogger Chris at June 14, 2005 02:52 PM
The process of calculating the nutritional needs of the herd seems quite scientific. I had no idea that there was good and "bad" forage.
What does the fermentation process do for the hay? Do the cows prefer it after it has "cooked". I assumed that they would prefer fresh cut hay?
Thanks for the update!
Chris
A few weeks ago I sent some of you my reminiscing about how we made hay when I was a girl.
This account, received today from Jonathon Howmar's dairy in Vermont, is an interesting contrast between then and now. It's about progress in agriculture, or what now goes into producing your milk, ice cream, and cheese.
Jean
Jonathan Gates reports from Howmars Farm in Franklin, Vermont.