Hay Cutting Made Easy A Comprehensive Guide for Success

Avoiding rain damage is a goal in haymaking but delayed cutting must be balanced against the lower feeding value of late cut hay. Heating damage. Brown hay ... It is cut and baled when it has the most nutritional value, and is fed to livestock. Straw is also made from the stems and leaves of plants, but is cut after of ... Most single-cut hay, harvested only once in midsummer, will have lower protein, digestibility and general nutritional value than hay harvested ... It is a myth that second cutting hay always provides the hay quality that is best for feeding horses. First cut in an area with defined seasons is typically going to have higher fiber content and fewer calories the later it is cut. Here are six reasons to cut hay early. These reasons are based on a Tennessee study comparing three fescue hays cut May 3, May 14 and May 25. When/how many times a farmer cuts hay depends entirely on the growing season and weather; one 'cut' is not necessarily better than the ... The best time to do any cutting is when grasses have reached what is called the “late boot stage”. This stage is typically reached after 6 to 8 weeks of growth ... Hay buyers should pay attention to both grass species and timing of first cut, as these factors can affect the concentration of nonstructural carbohydrates ( ... Go for the first cut when you think it will make the best and most suitable hay, and count any second cut for hay as a bonus crop.