Hay is grass, beans, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal feed, especially for grazing animals such as cows, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to smaller animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs. Pigs can be fed straw, but they do not digest it as efficiently as a fully herbivorous animal.
Hay can be used as animal food when or where there is not enough pasture or grassland to graze animals, when grazing is not available due to weather (as during winter) or when lush grassland by itself is too rich for the health of the animal. It is also fed at times when animals can not access pasture, such as when animals are kept in cages or cages.
Video Hay
Composition
Plants commonly used for straw include mixtures of grasses such as ryegrass ( Lolium species), timothy, brome, fescue, Bermuda grass, garden grass, and other species, depending on the region. Hay may also include beans, such as alfalfa (lucerne) and cloves (red, white and underground). The legumes in the straw are ideally cut before blossoming. Other pasture fields are also sometimes part of the mix, although the plant is not always desirable because certain forbs are toxic to some animals.
Oats, barley, and wheat plant ingredients are sometimes cut green and made into straw for pet food; but they are more often used in the form of straw, a by-product harvest where stems and dead leaves are released after the seeds have been harvested and flattened. Straw is used primarily for animal beds. Although straw is also used as animal feed, especially as a source of dietary fiber, it has lower nutritional value than straw.
These are the leaves and seeds in the straw that determine its quality. Farmers try harvesting straw at the point when the head of the seed is not mature enough and leaves the maximum when the grass is trimmed in the fields. The cut material is left to dry so that most of the moisture is removed but the leafy material is still strong enough to be extracted from the ground by the machine and processed into storage in bales, piles or holes.
Hay is very sensitive to weather conditions, especially when harvested. Under conditions of drought, the production of seeds and leaves is inhibited, making straw that has a high dry stalk ratio that has very low nutritional value. If the weather gets too wet, the cut hay can damage on the pitch before it can be released. Thus the greatest challenge and risk for farmers in producing straw plants is the weather, especially the weather of certain weeks when the plants are at the best age/maturity for straw. Lucky breaks in the weather often drive straw tasks (such as cutting, tying and binding) to the top priority on the to-do list. This is reflected in the idiom to make straw when the sun shines . The straw that is too wet when cutting can cause decay and mold after being tied up, creating potential toxins formed in the feed, which can make the animal sick.
After harvest, straw should also be stored by preventing it from getting wet. Fungus and decay reduce nutritional value and can cause disease in animals. Symbiotic fungus in fescue can cause disease in horses and cattle.
Successful harvest of maximum high-quality straw yields is entirely dependent on accidental crop, field, and weather events. When this happens, there may be periods of intense activity in the hay fields while the crops until weather conditions become unfavorable.
Maps Hay
Feeding straw
Straw or grass is the basis of diet for all grazing animals and can provide as much as 100% of the feed needed for animals. Hay is usually fed to animals where it is possible for animals to graze on the grass in the pasture, especially in winter or times when drought or other conditions make grasslands unavailable. Grass-fed animals vary in the kind of grass that is suitable for consumption, the way they consume straw, and how they digest it. Therefore, various types of animals require straw that is composed of the same plants as what they will eat when grazing, and also, plants that are toxic to animals in the meadows are also toxic if they are dried into straw.
Most animals are fed straw twice a day, morning and afternoon. However, this schedule is more for human comfort, as most of the grazing animals in the meadow naturally consume fodder in various foods throughout the day. Some animals, especially those raised for meat, may be given enough grass that they can only eat all day long. Other animals, especially those ridden or driven as working animals, are only free to eat when not working, and may be given a more limited amount of straw to prevent them from becoming overweight. The exact amount of straw and the type of straw required varies between different species. Some animals are also fed concentrated feed such as wheat or vitamin supplements other than straw. In most cases, the grass or grass feed should form 50% or more of the diet by weight.
One of the most significant differences in hay digestion is between ruminants, such as cattle and sheep; and nonaginan, hindgut fermentors, such as horses. Both types of animals can digest cellulose in grass and straw, but do so with different mechanisms. Due to the four-cow belly's stomach, they are often able to break older forages and are more tolerant of fungi and dietary changes. Single and cubicle stomach or "hindgut" horses use bacterial processes to break down cellulose that is more sensitive to changes in feed and the presence of other fungi or toxins, requiring horses to be given more consistent straw and quality.
Different animals also use straw in different ways: livestock evolved to eat relatively large amounts of HMT at one meal, and then, because of the process of contemplation, taking enough time for their stomach to digest food, often achieved when the animals lay down, rest. So the quantity of straw is important for livestock, which can effectively digest low quality straw if fed in sufficient quantities. Lambs will eat between two and four percent of their body weight per day in dried feed, such as straw, and are highly efficient to get the most nutrients possible from three to five pounds of straw per day or other fodder. They need three to four hours per day to eat enough straw to meet their nutritional needs.
Unlike ruminants, horses digest food in small portions throughout the day, and can only use about 2.5% of their body weight in the feed within 24 hours. They evolved to keep moving while grazing, (covering up to 50 miles (80 km) per day in the wild) and their stomachs digest food fast enough. Thus, they extract more nutrients from less amount of feed. However, when horses are fed low-quality straw, they may develop an unhealthy "dry stomach", obesity due to excessive consumption of "empty" calories. If their kind of feed changes dramatically, or if they are fed a moldy straw or straw that contains poisonous plants, they can become ill; colic is the leading cause of death in horses. Contaminated waste can also cause respiratory problems in horses. Straw can be soaked in water, sprinkled with water or steamed to reduce dust.
Creating and transporting straw
Production of straw and harvest, colloquially known as "making straw," "haymaking," or "doing straw," involves a few steps: cutting, drying or "healing," sweeping, processing, and storing. Hayfields should not be reseeded annually in the way of grain crops, but regular fertilization is usually desirable, and keeping the grounds every few years helps improve yield.
The methods and terminology for describing straw-making steps have varied considerably throughout history, and many regional variations still exist today. However, whether done by hand or with modern mechanical equipment, tall grasses and legumes at appropriate maturation stages should be cut, then allowed to dry (preferably with the sun), then compressed into long, narrow stacks known as windrows. Furthermore, the preserved straw is collected in several forms (usually by some type of baling process) and placed for storage to a haystack or into a barn or warehouse to protect it from moisture and decay.
During the growing season, ie spring and early summer in temperate regions, grass grows rapidly. This is the greatest nutritional value when all the leaves are fully developed and the seed or flower head is only slightly less than full maturity. When the maximum growth in the pasture or field, if judged correctly, it is cut. Dry grass that is cut too fast will not be easy to cure because high water content, plus will result in lower yield per acre than longer and more mature grasses. But the straw that is slashed too slow is lower, lower in resale value and has lost some of its nutrients. Usually there is about a two-week "window" of time where the grass is at the ideal stage for harvesting straw. The time to cut alfalfa hay is ideally done when the plant reaches its maximum height and produces flower buds or just begins to bloom, cut during or after full blooming results of lower nutritional value of straw.
The straw can be flattened into rows as it is cut, then rotated periodically to dry, especially if a modern swather is used. Or, especially with older equipment or methods, the straw is cut and left stretched in the field until it is dry, then rearranged into rows to be processed into bales thereafter. During the drying period, which can take several days, this process is usually accelerated by turning a piece of straw with a roll of straw or spreading it with a tedder. If it rains when the straw dries, turning the windrow can also make it dry faster. However, flipping over the straw too often or too roughly can also cause the leaf material to dry to fall out, reducing the nutrients available to animals. Drying can also be accelerated by mechanical processes, such as the use of a straw conditioner, or by using chemicals that are sprayed onto straw to speed up the evaporation of moisture, although this is a more expensive technique, not generally used except in areas where there is a combination of modern technology, high prices for straw, and too much rain for hay to dry properly.
After the straw is cut, dried and rolled into windrows, usually collected into bales or bundles, then transported to a central location for storage. In some places, depending on geography, region, climate, and culture, the straw is collected loosely and stacked unattached first.
The straw should be dried completely when strapped and stored in dry storage. If straw is tied temporarily too wet or becomes wet while in storage, there is a significant risk of spontaneous combustion. The straw stored outside should be stacked in such a way that the moisture contact is minimal. Some piles are arranged in such a way that the straw itself "spills" water when it falls. Other stacking methods use the first layer or hay bales as cover to protect the rest. To really keep the moisture out, the haystack outside can also be covered with tarps, and many round bales are partially wrapped in plastic as part of the baling process. Hay is also stored under the roof when resources allow. It is often placed in a warehouse, or stacked in a shed. On the other hand, care should also be taken that the straw is never exposed to a possible source of heat or fire, such as dry hay and the resulting dust is highly flammable.
Initial method
Early farmers realized that growing fields produce more feed in spring than can be consumed by animals, and that cutting grass in summer, allowing it to drain and store it during winter gives their pets with better quality nutrition than just allowing them to dig snow in the winter to find dry grass. Therefore, some fields are "closed" for straw.
Until the end of the 19th century, grasses and nuts did not often grow together because the plants were rotated. However, in the 20th century, good forage management techniques showed that a highly productive pasture is a mixture of grass and legumes, so a compromise is made when it is time to cut. Later, some farmers plant crops, such as straight alfalfa (lucerne), for special purpose straw as given to dairy cows.
Many straws were initially cut by the sickle by a team of workers, dried in the field and accumulated on a cart. Then, the straw will be done with a horse-drawn tool like a lawn mower. With the invention of agricultural machinery such as tractors and balers, most of the straw production became mechanized in the 1930s.
After the straw is cut and dried, the straw is crawled or rowed by snapping it into a linear pile by hand or with a horse-drawn device. Changing straw, when necessary, was initially done by hand with a fork or rake. After dry straws are rowed, pitch forks are used to stack them, initially into a horse-drawn cart or wagon, then to a tractor-pulled truck or trailer, which sweeps can be used instead of a pitch fork.
Loose straw is brought to an area intended for storage - usually a slightly elevated area for drainage - and built on a haystack. The pile is made as waterproof as it is built (the task is skilled) and the straw will compress under its own weight and heal with the heat release from the residual moisture in the straw and from the compression power. The stack is fenced off from the rest of the paddock on the rick yard, and is often pounded or fenced in to keep it dry. When needed, the straw slices will be cut using a hay knife and given to the animals every day.
On some farms, the loose straw is stored in a barrack, a barn, or a barn, usually in such a way that it can compress and heal. Hay can be stored in a specially designed warehouse with little internal structure to allow more room for the straw attic. Alternatively, the cow upper floor or horse stables are used, with hatches on the floor to allow the straw to be thrown onto the straw shelves below.
Depending on the area, the term "hay rick" may refer to a machine for cutting hay, a haystack or a cart used to collect straw.
Hay baling started with the first straw discovery around 1850. Hay was tied for easier handling and to reduce the space needed for storage and delivery. The first bales weigh about 300 lb. The original machine is a vertical design similar to that photographed by Greene Co. Historical Society. They use a horse-driven screw screw mechanism or a down load to press the straw. The first patent went to HL Emery for a powered horse, a straw screw operated in 1853. Another model was reported in early 1843 that was built by PK Dederick's Sons of Albany, NY, or Samuel Hewitt of Switzerland County, Ohio. Then the horizontal engine is made. One was the "Perpetual Press" created by PK Dederick of Albany, NY, in 1872. They could be powered by a steam engine around 1882.
Greene County (NY) Historical Society reports: "The harvest of hay for urban markets was a major factor in Greene County's early economics and straw stress was critical to this process.In 1900, there were 130,000 horses in Manhattan, each eating fifteen to two twenty pounds of straw every day.This produces 400,000 tons of straw, mostly from Greene County delivered to the city at the turn of the 20th century. Around 15 pressures exist in the Coxsackie - New Baltimore region. "They will be the only ones on display in eastern New York and New England.
From 1865 to 1914, the most heaped straw was outside the door and covered with a tarp. The straw baler continued to arrive in 1914.
Modern mechanical techniques
Modern mechanical grass production today is usually done by a number of machines. While a small operation uses a tractor to pull a variety of equipment for cutting and sweeping, a larger operation using a special machine such as a cutting machine or a flock, designed to cut the dry grass and arrange it into a roll in one step. The baler is usually pulled by the tractor, with larger balers needing a stronger tractor.
The mobile baler, the collecting engine and the hay bales in one process, was first developed around 1940. The first baler produces a fairly small rectangular bale for one's lifting, usually between 70 and 100 pounds (32 and 45 kg) respectively. Size and shape allows people to take bales, piled them in vehicles to be transported to storage areas, then build a haystack by hand. However, to save labor and improve security, loaders and stackers are also being developed to regulate the transport of small bales from the field to the haystack. Then in the 20th century, baler was developed capable of producing large bales that weigh up to 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg).
Straw conditioning has become popular. The basic idea is that it decreases the drying time, especially in humid climates or if the rain interferes with straw. Typically, saline solution is sprayed on hay (usually alfalfa) which helps to dry the straw. Conditioning can also refer to the rollers in the flock that alfalfa creases to help squeeze the moisture.
Fertilization and weed control
Modern hay production often depends on artificial fertilizers and herbicides. Traditionally, manure has been used in hayfields, but modern chemical fertilizers are used today. The straw that must be certified weed-free for use in wilderness areas should often be sprayed with chemical herbicides to keep unwanted weeds from the fields, and sometimes even uncertified straw is sprayed to limit toxic weed production. However, the forms of organic fertilization and weed control are needed to be grown for consumption by animals whose flesh will eventually be certified organic. For that, compost and rotation of the soil can increase soil fertility, and regular cutting of rice fields during the straw growth phase will often reduce the prevalence of unwanted weeds. In recent years, some manufacturers have experimented with manure mud to plant straw. This is not a certified organic method and there is no warning label mandated by the EPA. One concern with the straw growing in human waste is that the straw can pick up heavy metals, which are then consumed by animals. Molybdenum poisoning is a particular concern in ruminant animals such as cattle and goats, and there are animal deaths. Another concern is with a herbicide known as aminopyralid, which can pass through the digestive tract in animals, making the poison produced toxic to many plants and thus not suitable as fertilizer for food crops. Aminopirids and associated herbicides can survive in the environment for several years.
Baling
Small bales
Small bales are still produced today. While balers for small bales are still being produced, as well as loaders and stackers, there are some farms that still use equipment manufactured more than 50 years ago, continuing to be properly repaired. The little bale remains part of the knowledge and tradition of the whole ranch with "straw racing" competitions still held to have fun in many rodeos and fairs.
Small square blocks are stacked in alternate modes sometimes called "rick" or "hayrick". Rain tends to wash nutrients from straw and can cause decay or fungi. The straw on a small square bales is very susceptible to this, and is therefore often kept in hayshed or protected by tarps. If this is not done, the top two layers of the pile are often lost rot and mold, and if the stack is not set in the right straw, the moisture can sink deeper into the pile. The rounded and tighter formations of small (and large) round bales make them less susceptible to decay, since water is less likely to penetrate into the bale. The addition of a clean wrap, which is not used on square bales, offers greater weather resistance.
People who maintain small amounts of animals may prefer small bales that can be handled by one person without a machine. There is also the risk that the bales of hay can be moldy, or contain decaying carcasses from small creatures that are accidentally killed by propeller equipment and sweep into the bale, which can produce poison like a botulism. Both can kill non-ruminant herbivores, such as horses, and when this happens, all contaminated bale are generally discarded, other reasons some people continue to support the market for small bales.
Large bales
Farmers who need to make large amounts of hay tend to choose ballers that produce much larger bales, maximizing the amount of protected straw from the elements. Large bales come in two types, round and square. Large square blocks, which can weigh up to 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds), can be stacked and easier to transport by truck. Large round beams, which typically weigh 300 to 400 kilograms (660-880 pounds), are more moisture resistant, and pack more dense straw (especially in the middle). Round beams are quickly fed with mechanical equipment.
The volume ratio to surface area allows for many farmers in dry areas to leave large bales outside until they are consumed. Farmers in wet areas and those with temperate climates of heavy snow can accumulate bales under warehouses or tarps, but can also use lightweight but durable plastic wrap that partially encloses the remaining bales outside. Wrap the humidity repels, but leave the end of the bale exposed so that the straw itself can "breathe" and not begin to ferment. However, when it is possible to keep round bales under the warehouse, they last longer and less hay is lost rotting and damp.
Haylage
For animals that eat silage, bale wrap can be used to completely close round bale and trigger the fermentation process. This is a technique used as a money-saving process by producers who do not have access to silos, and to produce silage transported to other locations. However, silos are still the preferred method for making silage. In a very humid climate, it is a legitimate alternative to completely draining straw and when processed properly, the natural fermentation process prevents fungus and rot. Cross-bale bale is also sometimes called "haylage", and is seen more common in Europe than in the United States or Australia. However, the straw stored in this mode must remain sealed in plastic, as any holes or tears can stop the fermentation preservation properties and cause decay.
Haystacks
The haystack is a heap of harvested hay, stacked in various ways, depending on the region of the world, climate, if released or loose, and so on. Hay needs protection from the weather, and is optimally stored inside other buildings or structures, but haystacks are also built in open fields. Fences can be built to coat the haystack and keep animals from wandering to eat it, or animals can eat right from the piles built on the field as part of their winter food.
Haystacks are also called haycocks in some English dialects. Words are usually styled as solid compounds, but not always. They are also sometimes called stooks, shocks, or ricks.
Loose straw stretch
Loose piles are built to prevent accumulation of moisture and improve drying, or preservation. In some places, this is done by building a pile with a conical or jagged peak. The outside may look gray on the surface after weathering, but the inside of the straw retains a freshly cut trace of the scent and retains a faded green color. They can be covered with straw, or stored in a protective structure. One such structure is a moving roof supported by four posts, historically called the Dutch roof, bar straw, or hat straw. A haystack can also be built on a foundation placed on the ground to reduce decay, in some places made of wood or brush. In other areas, the straw is stacked loosely, built around a central mast, tree, or in an area of ​​three or four poles to add stability to the pile.
One of the haystack techniques seen on British islands initially piling up freshly cut straw into a small mound called chicken legs, straw chests, kyles, hayshocks or haycocks, to facilitate early drying. These are sometimes built on platforms or tripods made up of three poles, used to keep the straw off the ground and let air into the center for better drying. Its shape causes dew and rain water to roll down its sides, allowing the grass to dry inside to heal. The person handling the straw can use straw grass or pitchfork to move or throw the straw in building a haystack and a haystack. The construction of high haystacks is sometimes helped by climbs, ranging from simple poles to devices to build large loose piles called beavers.
Security issues
Farmer lungs (not to be confused with silo-filler disease) are hypersensitivity pneumonitis induced by inhalation of biological dust from dry dust or mold spores or other agricultural products. Exposure to straw can also trigger rhinitis Allergy for people who are hypersensitive to allergens in the air.
Hay baled before it is completely dry can produce enough heat to light a fire. Haystack produces internal heat due to bacterial fermentation. If the straw is piled with wet grass, the heat generated can be sufficient to burn the hay that causes the fire. Farmers should be careful about moisture levels to avoid spontaneous combustion, which is the main cause of straw fires. The heat is generated by the respiration process, which occurs until the moisture content of the drying straw falls below 40%. Hay is considered completely dry when it reaches 20% moisture. Burning problems usually occur within five days to seven days of binding. A bale cooler of 120Ã, Â ° F (49Ã, Â ° C) is in little danger, but bales between 120 and 140Ã, Â ° F (49 and 60Ã, Â ° C) need to be removed from the barn or structure and separated so that they can cool down. If the bale temperature exceeds more than 140Ã, Â ° F (60Ã, Â ° C), it can burn.
Due to its weight, straw can cause a number of injuries to humans, especially with regard to lifting and moving bales, as well as the risks associated with congestion and storage. Dangers include the danger of having a pile of poorly constructed piles, causing a fall to people in piles or injuries to people on the ground being hit by falling bales. Large round straw bales present a special danger to those who handle them, because they can weigh more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) and can not be moved without special equipment. However, because of its cylindrical shape, and thus can roll over easily, they often fall from the pile or roll up the equipment used to overcome it. From 1992 to 1998, 74 agricultural workers in the United States were killed in large round straw accidents, usually when bales were moved from one location to another, such as feeding animals.
Hay is generally one of the safest feeds to give to pet herbivores. However, some precautions are required. The amount should be monitored so that animals are not too fat or too thin. Additional food may be needed for animals that work with high energy requirements. Animals that eat rotting straw can develop a variety of ailments, from coughs associated with dust and fungi, other diseases, the most serious of which may be botulism, which can occur if small animals, such as rodents or snakes, are killed by propeller equipment, then rot inside the bale, causing toxins to form. Some animals are sensitive to certain fungi or fungi that may grow in living plants. For example, endophytic fungus that sometimes grows on fescue can cause abortion in pregnant mare. Some of the plants themselves may be toxic to some animals. For example, Pimelea , native Australian plants, also known as jute grasses, are highly toxic to livestock.
Chemical composition of straw
See also
References
External links
Media related to Hay on Wikimedia Commons
- Text on Wikisource:
- "Hay". New International Encyclopedia . 1905.
- "Hay (fodder)". EncyclopÃÆ'Â|dia Britannica (issue 11). 1911.
- "Hay". Encyclopedia Americana . 1920.
- "Hay". The New Encyclopedia of Collier . 1921.
- Hay Harvesting in 1940 instructional films, Digital Initiative Center, Vermont University Library
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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