Master the Art of Hay Cutting A Practical Guide

It would dramatically improve your overall quality but your total bales might stay about the same. Could come down to how aggressively you managed the second ... First cutting Timothy Hay is typically tall and thick when it has matured enough to be harvested, which results in hay that is crunchier and ... First cutting timothy is generally going to have more stem (and less leaf as a percentage of the hay) than a 2nd cutting or 3rd cutting timothy. On average, first cutting is higher in fiber and lower in digestible energy compared to the average second cutting. Let me say this another way ... One is to mow when it's at its highest quality and the other is with rapid dry down. The latter factor is the more important of the two. Though ... It cuts, crimps, and crushes the hay to promote faster and more even drying. It is the first step in the hay baling process. Hay, be it alfalfa, grass or grass-mix, dries in three stages. Cut hay usually has a moisture rating of around 80 per cent. If dry hay (14 to 16 per cent) is ... COLUMBIA, Mo. – It's time to make the first cutting of hay in Missouri, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig ... First cut in an area with defined seasons is typically going to have higher fiber content and fewer calories the later it is cut. The soil nutrients literally walk off the farm in the form of crops, in this case hay. Personally, unless it benefits you in some way, I would ...