When the grass is mature enough and fine weather
predicted, then the hay making process begins with mowing.
Hay making is
the longest established method of conserving grass for feeding
cattle and sheep through the winter and has been an important
function of the farming calendar in the UK for the last six
thousand years. Successful haymaking relies on the crop of
grass being thoroughly dried before it is baled or stored.
The first step in hay making is the mowing
of the grass crop. This usually starts in late June just before
flowering however, many crops are cut during flowering itself
when lots of pollen is being produced. (hence hay fever) Cutting
must be done when the weather is fine and several continuous
dry days are expected. Hay that has been rained on is of poorer
quality and may be unpalatable.
After the crop has been cut it is allowed to dry in the sun.
To facilitate this a tractor with a "hay bob" will
drive over the cut rows to rough up the drying grass. This
helps remove moisture more quickly and makes the baling operation
easier to complete
Conventional
bales are ideal for use in small scale livestock enterprises and
livery yards where little farm machinery is owned. A contractor
will typically cut and bale the hay leaving the crop to be picked
up and stored by hand.
Permanent grassland and pasture
forms the backbone of most livestock farming operations
in the UK and covers nearly a quarter of the total land
area. Permanent grassland often contains a diverse mix of
plants, and provides good growth throughout much of the
growing season.
Big baling a crop of hay is
also an option and because the entire operation is mechanized,
much less labour is required. This can be particularly important
on mixed farms where hay making can clash with harvesting
cereal crops.
Good
hay is an excellent winter fodder, grass has been cut and
left to dry in the sun and with the temperatures we were getting
as of the end of june it was an easy task, with it reaching
well into the high twenty's it made very easily, we then baled
it up into round bales.
If
you would like to enquire on the purchase of hay for horse
feed Click the link above.
These
bales will be left to air for two or three days and then stored
in a good dry shed. We can deliver hay to you if you require
hay for your horse.
Big
bales awaiting collection: Over the last thirty years there has
been a move away from hay to silage as the preferred method of
conserving grass. Silage production offers higher outputs and
is less dependent upon weather for consistency and quality.
The
leaf is the most nutritious part of the grass, providing energy
and protein. To obtain the optimum feed value, it is best to cut
for hay as the principal species of Grass begins to flower –
as after this stage, grass ages, goes to seed and becomes stalky.
Energy and protein levels drop as the fibre content increases,
while cutting during flowering will encourage re-growth of a second
crop of grass, this will be taken as baled silage later in the
year, this will be around the month of September.
Mature meadows represent some of
the country's most important areas for biodiversity, and haymaking
can be of great benefit to the pasture. According to David Proudley,
technical information manager at the Farming and Wildlife Advisory
Group (FWAG), old meadows and pastures, particularly those with
a large variety of plant species, may also be suitable for funding
as a part of agri-environment schemes.
All home countries – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland – have their own versions of such schemes, which come
under the banner of DEFRA's Rural Development Programme (RDP).
