Making Quality Hay

Good hay is made in the field long before it reaches the barn. Cutting time, drying speed and baling moisture decide how much feed value your animals get from every bale.

Key points

Cut at the stage that fits your crop and your animals, and watch the weather.
Condition and spread hay to dry it faster, and rake at the right moisture.
Test moisture before baling.
Handle bales gently and store them off the ground.
Use forage tests to match hay to livestock.

What makes hay good quality?

Quality hay is leafy, fine-stemmed, clean, free of mold and weeds, and has a fresh smell and good color. Animals eat it readily and waste little. Feed value is what the hay delivers in energy and protein, and the only way to know it for sure is to send a sample to a lab.

Much of what drives quality is out of your control, like rainfall. But cutting stage, drying speed, handling and storage are decisions you make, and each one adds or subtracts feed value.

When should you cut your hay?

The stage of the plant at cutting has a large effect on quality. Young plants are generally more digestible but yield less, and older plants yield more but have tougher stems. The right stage depends on the species and what you are feeding, so ask your county extension office for the schedule used in your area.

Also watch the forecast. A good stage with a bad weather window can still give you poor hay. Many producers cut only when they see several days of settled weather ahead, and they accept that the calendar sometimes has to wait.

A neighbor with a cattle herd may cut a bit later for dry cows and earlier for growing calves, because different animals need different feed. Decide who the hay is for before you pick a date.

How can your equipment help the hay dry faster?

Mower conditioners crimp stems so moisture can leave faster. Cutting wide swaths lets the sun reach more of the crop. Tedders spread cut hay and rakes gather it into windrows at the right time. Each machine has its own best setting, so follow the manual.

On a 30-acre field, these choices make a real difference to how long hay sits on the ground. On a small homestead plot, a simple mower and rake may be enough, as long as you watch the weather.

Cut with a sharp, well-set mower
Condition stems for faster drying where it suits the crop
Spread the swath wide in heavy crop
Ted only when it helps and the leaves can take it
Rake at the right moisture to avoid leaf shatter

How do you know when it is ready to bale?

Test moisture instead of trusting your eyes. Probes, baler sensors and drying tests can all help. Different bale types tolerate different moisture levels, so use the ranges your extension service recommends.

If the hay is too damp, wait. If it is too dry, you will lose leaves. Baling in the late afternoon after dew has burned off, and before the evening dew settles, often gives better conditions.

Keep a small notebook in the cab with the field, cutting date, rain events and moisture readings. After a couple of seasons you will see patterns you cannot see from memory.

How do baling and handling affect quality?

Bale density affects both storage and feeding. A loose bale holds air and sheds poorly, and an overly dense bale can heat if the hay is damp. Check your baler's settings in the manual and watch for uneven bale shape, which usually points to uneven windrows.

Handle bales gently. Dropping and dragging them breaks leaves off and tears wrap. Move them out of the field soon after baling, and avoid leaving them on wet ground.

How should you test and sell or feed your hay?

A forage lab test gives you real numbers on protein and energy, which lets you match hay to animals. Your extension office can show you how to take a sample from several bales and where to send it. If you sell hay, buyers often ask for tests.

Even without a test, label and separate lots by cutting, field and date so you do not mix good and poor hay. Feed the poorer lots to animals with lower needs.

If you buy hay, apply the same thinking. Ask the seller for test results, look at bale color and smell, and open a few bales instead of judging by the outside.

What mistakes lower hay quality most?

Cutting too late, letting hay get rained on, raking too dry, baling too wet and storing outside on the ground are the most common. Dull mower blades and dirty windrows add to the problem.

Pick one weak point each year and fix it. Over a few seasons, the hay improves, and so does the feeding.

Talk to a neighbor who always makes good hay and ask what they do differently. It is usually a handful of small habits rather than one big secret.

When to get help: Ask your county extension office about cutting stage, moisture ranges and forage testing. Your dealer service department can help with equipment setup, and your insurance agent can advise on barn fire coverage.

Sources and further reading

Organization homepages are linked so you can search them for current guidance on this topic.

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