How to Make Hay & Silage for Goats, Cattle & More

Hay making and silage production are essential processes in transforming perishable forage into safe, storable feed for livestock. While hay is dried grass used for extended digestion and economical feeding during droughts, silage involves the fermentation of chopped plants for winter feed. This article delves into the processes involved in making hay and silage, factors affecting their quality, and the cultivation of special-purpose fodder crops.

Hay Making

Hay is essentially grass that has been mowed and dried. Hay making is the process of transforming green, perishable forage into a product that can be safely stored and transported without the risk of spoilage while minimizing nutrient loss. This involves reducing the moisture content by drying the forage in the sun.

Hay is a source of fiber that enables food to remain in the rumen for an extended period of time, allowing for effective digestion and facilitating the process of peristalsis that moves food through the digestive tract.

When cut at the right stage and made properly, hay is one of the most economical food options for livestock farmers during a drought.

The Procedure of Making Hay:

To create hay, the cut grass is left in the field for approximately four days (depending on weather conditions) before being turned over with a swathe-turner or tedder. The grass is allowed to dry partially, with the drying process achieved either through sun exposure or artificial heating.

Overdrying can cause a decrease in carotene content and a deterioration in taste, resulting in lower-quality hay. On the other hand, very damp hay can become moldy and less palatable, and can even generate enough heat to combust.

To prevent molding, 13 kg of sodium chloride per metric ton of hay should be sprinkled throughout the stack. It's essential to avoid detaching leaves from stems as this lowers the quality of the hay, with leaves carrying most of the nutrients.

After partial drying, the grass is baled or stacked as loose grass on tripods and stored in a leak-proof shed.

Note:

The key to quality hay is to cut the grass at an early stage when it is abundant and nutritious. As a general rule, this is during the early flowering stage. Grass that has flowered has less protein and high crude fiber content.

The quality of hay is affected by various factors, including the stages of maturity, leafiness, color, foreign matter, how well the grass is turned and dried, storage, and the species of grasses and legumes used.

Standing Hay:

Standing hay is dry, ungrazed herbage of low nutrient value that is typically available for grazing during the dry season. It is commonly found in regions where the dry season begins suddenly and rapidly desiccates the herbage. This situation is frequently encountered in dryland areas utilized for beef cattle production.

Due to the unfavorable climate and soil conditions in these regions, dry herbage is deemed the most cost-effective means of preserving feed for beef cattle.

Silage Making

Silage refers to forage plants, including corn (maize), legumes, and grasses, that are chopped and stored in tower silos, pits, or trenches for use as animal feed. As with hay, forage should be harvested in early maturity because protein content decreases and fiber content increases as the crop matures.

The process of fermentation converts herbage, typically cut before flowering, into succulent feed, which is used as winter feed in mid-latitude areas.

In East Africa, silage is fed to livestock during the dry season, with Kenya mainly producing it in the highlands and neighboring areas, while in Uganda, it is limited to agricultural and veterinary training institutions and the Kabanyoro University Farm.

Both hay and silage making are expensive and labor-intensive, and only feasible for farms where the returns justify the expenses incurred.

Sources of Silage:

Silage is produced from various plant materials, such as young maize and sorghum plants, sweet potato vines, lucerne, clover, young sunflower plants, and young grasses, such as elephant grass and Guatemala grass.

Almost any succulent green material can be used to make silage. To create a well-balanced silage, a high-protein food, like legumes and young grass, should be mixed with starchy foods, such as sweet potato vines, in a 3:1 ratio.

It is important to harvest plant material to be ensiled at the right time; young grasses should be cut when they are about to flower, while legumes should be used when they are podding, as their protein content is highest at that stage.

Generally, silage is made from grass crops, including maize, sorghum, or other cereals, using the entire green plant, not just the grain.

The Method of Ensiling:

Ensiling is a preservation technique for forage, where the mass is acidified in an anaerobic environment. The process involves harvesting the crop (30-35%DM), chopping it, loading it into a silo, compacting it, sealing it to exclude air, and finally storing and feeding it out (unloading for animal consumption).

If a forage harvester is not used, the material must be chopped into small pieces and stored in an air-tight chamber such as a tower silo, silage pit (silage trench), or silage clamp (stack silo).

The storage chamber is filled with a layer of half a meter to one meter of material, which is then compressed to exclude air. A tractor can be used to compress the material in a pit or clamp by running over it several times.

The temperature should be monitored, and after about two days, the ideal temperature of 37.8°C is reached.

To aid in the breakdown of organic matter, fermentable water-soluble carbohydrates, such as molasses, can be added and water at a rate of 9 liters of molasses in 18 liters of water per ton of silage.

More plant material can be added and compressed as needed, depending on the temperature of the material already prepared.

When temperatures are low, more grass is added, and when they are high, water is added to lower them.

The silage chamber is sealed as soon as it is full to exclude water and excess air, which can be done by coating the chambers with a 2.5 cm layer of soil or with a plastic sheet in the case of a pit or clamp method.

Examples of silage chambers include: tower silos, silage pits, and silage clamps

1. Tower silos: These are long-fed hoppers with inner glass or asphalt lining to prevent silage from sticking.
2. Silage pits: They are usually 15 meters long by 6 meters wide or 7 meters by 4 meters. Well-drained sites are preferred. If it is on a slope, a bund is constructed above it so that flowing water may not get into the pit.
3. Silage clamps: They are constructed by erecting two facing walls of concrete so that the silage is in the middle. The floor is also made of concrete. In wet areas, the tops of silage clamps are shaped in such a way that water can drain off easily, and the walls slope in.

The Process of Fermentation in Silage Chambers:

The process of anaerobic fermentation in silage begins around 48 hours after filling the silo, resulting in the conversion of sugars to acids. After approximately two weeks, fermentation is mostly finished.

Before the onset of anaerobic fermentation, there is an aerobic phase during which the oxygen present is used up. Well-prepared ensiled material experiences anaerobic fermentation, facilitated by Lactobacilli bacteria, resulting in the production of organic acids, particularly lactic acid.

Lactic acid contributes to the pleasant taste of silage and prevents it from spoiling. Therefore, the goal is to encourage fermentation by lactic acid bacteria, which requires a pH between 3.8 and 4.3, moderate aeration, and a temperature of around 37.8°C.

Lower temperatures are often due to insufficient fermentable water-soluble carbohydrates and excessive consolidation, leading to the conversion of lactic acid to butyric acid by Clostridia bacteria, as well as the breakdown of proteins and amino acids.

Butyric acid is responsible for the unpleasant odor, bitterness, and decreased palatability of silage for livestock, and it can also taint milk and meat.

Low temperatures can be avoided by:

1. Partial wilting of the material in the field.
2. Addition of fermentable water-soluble carbohydrates, for example, molasses, especially when very young grass or crops of naturally low water-soluble carbohydrate content like Lucerne are used.
3. Filling the silage chamber rapidly and continuously, but compressing plant materials lightly.
4. Covering the silo immediately after final packing to exclude air as much as possible.

On the other hand, when temperatures are over 37.8°C, more green material should be added; otherwise, the silage will rot, and a lactic acid type of fermentation will not take place.

Factors That Affect The Quality of Silage

1. The type of grass and variety.
2. The stage of growth of the species is ensiled.
3. The grass sugar content and chop length.
4. Contamination.
5. DM at ensiling.
6. Precautions against rain.
7. Type and amount of additives used.
8. The pH of the material ensiled. A pH value of about 4 is the most ideal.
9. The water content of the material. Excess amounts lead to quick deterioration.
10. The degree to which the temperature of the forage rises during ensiling.

Fodder Crops in Hay and Silage Making

These crops are primarily grown as animal feed. Lucerne, maize, cowpeas, grasses, oat, pearl millet, and river tamarind are among the examples.

Special-Purpose Fodder Crops:

These crops are cultivated to address the challenges of dry seasons and unpredictable crop yields. They are typically stored as hay or silage and may consist of pure grass or a mix of grass and legumes. When referring to livestock feed, "fodder" means a large quantity of vegetables.

Suitable crops for this purpose include maize, sorghum, elephant grass, Alfalfa grass, and various types of panicum.

Qualities of Special Fodder Crops:

1. Forage quality: This is the most important in terms of feeding value. 

2. Adaptability: Most temperate species may not do as well as in the tropics.

3. Composition: They must have a high feeding value with low crude fiber and high crude protein.

4. Digestibility: Crops with a high digestibility are more acceptable to livestock.

5. Leafiness

6. Growth form; This is important because erect plants are easier to harvest using mechanical means.

The stage of maturity is the most influential factor since young plants tend to have higher crude protein levels. Nutritive value, the type of species (such as legumes, which are typically richer in crude protein), the level of soil fertility, and the method of harvest and storage are all additional factors that can impact the growth and overall health of fodder crops. Proper management of these factors is crucial in ensuring optimal crop growth and maximum yield.

a). Elephant grass/Napiergrass- (Pennisetum puerperium):

Elephant grass, also known as Napier grass (Pennisetum puerperium), propagates through stem bases and short rhizomes, which root from nodes. It can grow up to 2-6 feet tall, with a stem diameter of up to 3cm in the lower part, and can have up to 20 nodes.

The leaves are 30-120cm long and 1-5 cm wide. It has a terminal panicle that is 10-30 cm long and 1-3 cm wide. It can grow from 0-200m.

Elephant grass is highly valued for its high herbage yields, persistence, competitive vigor, palatability, and good herbage quality.

Required Environment for Elephant Grass:

It grows best under longer photoperiods and requires fertile soils, although it can grow in almost any soil, but with reduced vigor and production. It needs an area that receives rainfall of over 1000mm and cannot tolerate flooding or waterlogging, but it can grow on drained waterlogged soils on elephant camber beds.

Establishment of Elephant Grass:

To establish elephant grass, moderately mature stems with three nodes each are mainly used. The soil is plowed and discarded, and the cuttings are preferably planted based on and down, with the cut part facing upwards.

Cuttings can be stored for up to 20 days. Planting is preferably in rows 50-200 cm apart, with wide rows more suitable for dry areas. The distance between the rows should be 50-100cm.

Phosphorus fertilizer can be used at a rate of 100-200kg of single superphosphate (species) per hectare. Farmyard manure can be applied at plowing, but this grass is a strong competitor.

Planting should be done at the onset of rain or anytime when the rains occur throughout the year.

Management of Elephant Grass:

Napier grass can be managed for silage, grazing, or direct grazing. If managed for grazing, it should not grow beyond 100-120cm in height, and if cutting for silage, it should not exceed 200cm in height.

The interval of culling or grazing ranges from 4-14 or 1-3. Herbage yields are higher under less frequent grazing or cutting, but crude protein decreases with reduced frequency in cutting.

Total Digestible Nutrients increase with reduced cutting frequency.

Cutting and grazing at a fixed height is often difficult because the stool increases in height, though usually slightly from harvest.

The Role of Legumes

Tropical legumes are capable of fixing nitrogen within the range of 110 - 280 kg/ha/year, and as such, the importance of maintaining high levels in grass-legume blends cannot be overstated.

Factors that impact the symbiotic relationship between legumes and Rhizobium include the crop season, rainfall pattern, temperature, soil texture, irrigation water supply, available growing period, and pests and diseases.

Management Effects on Fixation and Transfer:

Nodulation is impacted by defoliation, whether through grazing or cutting. However, under grazing conditions, there is a transfer of nitrate from the legumes to the grass via the animal.

Nonetheless, certain legumes, such as stylosenthes, are resistant to heavy grazing. The cut-and-carry systems are less effective in transferring nitrate from legumes to grass.

Use of Nitrogen Fertilizers on Legume Pastures:

Legume-based pastures offer superior individual animal performance in terms of growth, fattening, reproduction, and wool growth.

Nevertheless, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that animal production is more efficient on pure grass that has been heavily fertilized with nitrogen.

It is important to note that while nitrate pastures with high stocking rates may require less input, legume-based pastures demand significantly higher inputs.

Improvement of Natural Pastures:

There are several methods of improving natural pastures, and they include oversowing. This involves seeding the pastures to provide a cover of plants and enhance the existing vegetation.

Seedlings are done for a variety of reasons, such as adding legumes to improve the protein content and soil fertility, re-establishing plant cover on areas where the bush has been removed, sowing highly palatable species, providing an early return of abandoned/marginal cropland to rangelands, and protecting beans and other disturbed ground from soil erosion.

Several factors have to be considered before embarking on the reseeding, and these include;

a) Climate: - Seeding legumes requires a minimum of 750 mm of rainfall, and for grasses, a minimum of 500 mm of rainfall is required. Seedlings are not economical in areas with less than 500 mm of rainfall.

b) Site: - Conducting trials on multiple sites is recommended.

c) Seedbed preparation: - To prepare the seedbed, remove all species by burning or mechanically removing hive patches. Use the machinery to break up hard soil and plant seeds by hand. Broadcasting seeds may be covered, and fertilizer may be applied if erosion allows.

Conclusion

In conclusion, hay making and silage-making are both valuable techniques for preserving forage for livestock feed. Hay is a cost-effective option during droughts, providing fiber and nutrients to animals. Proper hay making involves cutting the grass at the right stage, drying it, and storing it in a leak-proof shed.

On the other hand, silage refers to fermented forage stored in silos, pits, or trenches. Silage is commonly used as winter feed and can be made from various plant materials. Ensiling requires careful management of factors such as plant maturity, moisture content, and pH to achieve optimal fermentation and prevent spoilage.

Both hay making and silage-making are labor-intensive processes that require attention to detail and the use of appropriate storage methods. The quality of hay and silage is influenced by factors such as plant maturity, leafiness, color, and storage conditions. Additionally, the inclusion of legumes in pastures can enhance the nutritive value of the forage through nitrogen fixation.

By employing these techniques, farmers can ensure a reliable supply of nutritious feed for their livestock, even during challenging seasons. Whether it's through the economical production of hay or the fermentation of silage, proper forage preservation plays a crucial role in supporting healthy and productive livestock operations.