How much is a ton of haylage worth?

The result is 1.156, so the haylage is actually worth 15.6 percent more than the auction hay, which puts the value at $72.08 per ton as fed (1.156 x $62.35 = $72.08).

How long do you leave haylage before baling?

Once haylage is baled it needs to be wrapped within 4-6 hours to avoid unnecessary degradation. It is key that the seal achieved when wrapping is airtight (typically 6-8 layers of plastic) – if air can penetrate the bale, mould will be able to grow.

Is haylage a forage?

Haylage is forage chopped using a silage chopper and packed in a bunk, silo, or bag. Some producers may chop right after the mower or allow for some minimal drying prior to chopping to reach a moisture content of 60-70 percent. This is sometimes referred to as the wilt stage and also may be referred to as silage.

How long does haylage take to cure?

Proper dry matter content for chopping haylage can often be achieved within 24 hours or less as compared with 3 to 5 days for dry hay. Proper dry matter content for silage ranges from 30 to 50% (50 to 70% moisture) depending on the structure used.

How much is hay worth per acre?

He says it costs about $297 per acre to seed and prepare hay ground. “You are going to get more than three years out of that, but if we use three years, that’s about $100 per acre per year,” Brown says. “If you are getting $125 per ton for quality hay, you are going to see a profit of $51 per ton, or $204 per acre.

What is alfalfa silage worth?

Using the same values from above, we can determine the proper value for alfalfa silage as follows: Dry Matter Price = As Fed Price/Dry Matter % Dry Matter Price = $165/0.89 = $185/ton for baled alfalfa on a dry matter basis.

Can haylage be too dry?

If the haylage was too dry when wrapped it may still have high sugar levels in it (as the fermentation process converts those sugars into fatty acids), or you may have had the wrong type of bacteria multiplying.

Can you feed hay straight off the field?

So how soon can you feed new hay? If the hay is cut and bailed in perfect conditions with less than 12% moisture in the bale, it should be safe to feed straight away. But due to how hard this is to get accurate; it is recommended to wait 2-8 weeks before feeding.

Is haylage the same as silage?

Today the most common definition is that haylage is drier than silage, and some haylage is so dry it is hay wrapped in plastic. In the feeding experiments presented on this website forage with dry matter (DM) concentrations between 50-70% are called haylage and between 35-50% are called silage.

How do you feed haylage?

As a general guide, haylage should be fed at a rate of 1¼ times more than hay, but this can depend on the DM content of the haylage. Due to its high moisture content, haylage needs to be wrapped to prevent spoilage, by creating an anaerobic environment.

Is haylage better than silage?

‘Feed quality indifference’ When asked about a possible difference in feed quality between silage and haylage, Mahon replied: “There is no difference. “If a grass sward was grazed and closed in April, and cut in late-May, haylage can be just as good as silage in terms of feeding quality,” Mahon said.

Is it cheaper to buy hay or make it?

In most environments where forage production is based on natural rainfall, you can almost always buy hay cheaper than you can produce it. Most farmers and ranchers initially don’t believe this. When full cost of production is accounted for, hay generally costs between $70 and $140/ton to produce.