With ever increasing volatility in forage prices (and winter weather), many producers are investigating different ways to insure their supply of quality forage at affordable prices. One avenue many cattlemen are looking at is bagged forage.
Though many producers may feel that any sort of bagged forage or haylage has limited application outside of a dairy, Eldon Cole, an MU Livestock Specialist and the County Program Director in Lawrence County, Mo., believes that beef producers have a lot to gain by using haylage in their programs. Eldon said he is seeing an increase in the number of beef producers, especially backgrounders, who are embracing bagged forage as a cost effective way to put weight on their calves.
Of course, there are downsides to using bagged forage. Glenn Obermann, of rural Monett, Mo., utilized rye haylage when he had a dairy, and he still appreciates its value for his calves. Making haylage requires buying or leasing specialized equipment. Gary and Eldon said that bagged forage turns out best when it is cut early, and that usually means it is the first use of equipment for the season. No matter how much maintenance and inspection is done, there are often breakdowns. Though forced downtime is always aggravating during a busy season, bagging quality forage is very dependent on moisture percentage, so time is even more valuable. Luckily, by following a few simple guidelines, growers can overcome the difficulties of bagging forage to bank quality palatable feed for their herds.
Both men offered several tips for how to bag the best forage possible, and how to preserve that feed source until the herd needs it. The first step is harvesting the forage at the appropriate time. For Gary and his rye haylage, the right time is when the rye is in the boot stage when the protein is highest. Eldon said that another benefit of haylage is the quality of legumes that a producer can preserve. Traditional legume hay is often more stems than leaves, but by bagging, the leaves and their nutrients stay with the stems.
Secondly, the forage needs to be bagged when it is between 50-60 percent. If it is too wet or too dry, the crop is likely to spoil. Eldon recommended that producers buy haylage from a reliable source and to get the product tested before buying. He said it is important to pay attention to the dry matter basis of the bagged forage. Though sometimes haylage seems expensive compared to normal hay bales, when they are compared side by side, haylage is often a better value.
Next, when the haylage is bagged, Gary recommended that it is wrapped tightly within six hours after baling. He likes to use white plastic with wraps 2.5 inches apart and seven wraps thick to keep the air out. The last big trick to keeping bagged forage is in how it is stored. Eldon recommended keeping the bales on gravel or using herbicides to keep the weeds down and keep the rodents away. Gary added that baled forage should be kept at least 100 feet from hedgerows, and also recommends that bales be kept on a hill or grade to keep moisture away and make it easy to access in any weather.
With a little common sense and practice, bagged forage can give a producer high quality highly palatable forage throughout the winter without the costly construction of silos.
