From Field to Feed: Six Things to Think About When Storing Hay

As swathers, haybines and balers hit the fields, storing forages is on the minds of many beef cattle producers. Proper hay storage is essential to preserve these resources produced in the summer months and provide high-quality winter feed for livestock when grazing is not feasible or accessible.  

Preparation done ahead of time can help to avoid quality and quantity loses when harvested forages are exposed to the weather. A six-foot diameter round bale stored uncovered can be expected to have spoilage in a four-inch layer around the outside of the bale, which represents 20% of the bale volume. 

Given that feed is the major input cost in cattle production, producers must evaluate the cost of production for all stored hay systems to determine the one that best fits their operation and goals.  

Six considerations to enhance stored hay quality:

1. Minimize storage losses due to heating and mould growth by baling at moisture levels between 15% and 18%. 

2. Increased bale density enhances the ability of round bales to shed water. Even, uniform windrows make formation of consistently shaped and dense bales easier. 

3. The external layer of a bale represents a substantial loss of yield and quality due to weathering. Bale size impacts the proportion of hay in the surface layer with larger bales having less percentage of their total feed exposed.  

4. Choose well-drained storage sites: regardless of the method of storage, bales will pull moisture up from the ground through a “wicking” action. Therefore, choosing well-drained sites for storage locations can help prevent this.