In the News - June 2008
Homespun advice from a veteran county agent
Shade trees make poor hay barns
BENTONVILLE, Ark. - "Large delta families went out of style when the
mechanical cotton picker was invented," or at least that was dad's opinion. The
same, I'm sure, could hold true for the introduction of the round hay baler.
On arriving in the Ozarks 40 years ago, some of my first friends were local
farm boys who cut their teeth as proud members of a hay crew. Two summer
partners with an old flat-bed truck made a summer business team with the
important role of physically moving bales from the field to the barn. Good hay
stored was also good hay available to feed.
The round baler not only dissolved these young business partnerships, but a
case can be made that it served to dissolve tons of hay volume and quality.
Outside storage became an option and, if not for the availability of outdated
poultry houses, I'm not sure many round bales would ever see the inside of a
barn today.
A number of research and on-farm studies document significant losses of hay
volume and quality because of outside storage. When input costs were less
expensive, this loss was apparently considered as acceptable.
As one local producer constantly reminds me, "I'm not in this for the fun!"
His point is that higher cost of fertilizer, diesel, equipment and other
essentials simply leaves minimal room for loss of hay volume or quality.
The outside 6-inch layer of a round bale, which is the point of initial loss,
makes up about one-third of the total volume. The use of net wrap has served to
help this situation, somewhat. However, when bales are stored where moisture can
be absorbed, losses will occur. Any point where a bale touches the ground or
other bales serves as a moisture absorption point that leads to loss of volume
and quality.
Sky-rocketing production costs have directed more attention to the importance
of producing and protecting this increasingly valuable crop. In addition, a case
can be made to equate the value of hay energy to the value of energy based on
the current corn market. Hopefully, these things in combination will cause more
producers and customers to step back for a more critical look at that round bale
to assess its true value.
A nice shade tree offers a great respite from the hot job of making hay.
However, when it comes to storing hay, if it has to be stored outside, the
moisture retention and poor drying conditions beneath a tree cause it to be the
very last spot you want to pick. Til' next week!
For more information on forages and hay, contact your county extension agent.
For online hay publications, go to www.uaex.edu, select the
Search link and type in "hay." The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the
U of A Division of Agriculture.
June 20, 2008
By: Robert Seay
Benton County Extension Agent Staff Chair
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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