Hay

In drought conditions, both seed and leaf production are stunted, resulting in hay with a high ratio of dry, coarse stems that possess very low nutritional value.

Consequently, the primary challenge and risk for farmers in hay production is managing the weather, especially during the critical few weeks when the plants are at optimal maturity for harvesting.

A lucky break in the weather often moves the haymaking tasks (such as mowing, tedding, and baling) to the top priority on the farm's to-do list.

Hay that was too wet at cutting may develop rot and mold after being baled, creating the potential for toxins to form in the feed, which could make the animals sick.

[7] The successful harvest of maximum yields of high-quality hay is entirely dependent on the coincident occurrence of optimum crop, field, and weather conditions.

One of the most significant differences in hay digestion is between ruminant animals, such as cattle and sheep, and nonruminant, hindgut fermentors, such as horses.

[11] Unlike ruminants, horses digest their food in small portions throughout the day and can utilize only about 2.5% of their body weight in feed within a 24-hour period.

Methods and the terminology to describe the steps of making hay have varied greatly throughout history, and many regional variations still exist today.

Whether done by hand or by modern mechanized equipment, tall grass and legumes at the proper stage of maturity must be cut, then allowed to dry (preferably by the sun), then raked into long, narrow piles known as windrows.

Next, the cured hay is gathered up in some form (usually by some type of baling process) and placed for storage into a haystack or into a barn or shed to protect it from moisture and rot.

Hay reaches its peak nutritional value when all leaves are fully developed and seed or flower heads are just shy of full maturity.

Or, especially with older equipment or methods, the hay is cut and allowed to lie spread out in the field until it is dry, then raked into rows for processing into bales afterwards.

[13] Once hay is cut, dried and raked into windrows, it is usually gathered into bales or bundles, and then hauled to a central location for storage.

Once the dried hay was rowed up, pitchforks were used to pile it loose, originally onto a horse-drawn cart or wagon, later onto a truck or tractor-drawn trailer, for which a sweep could be used instead of pitch forks.

Loose hay was transported to a designated storage area, typically a slightly elevated location to ensure proper drainage, where it was constructed into a haystack.

The haystack was usually enclosed in a fenced-off area, known as a rick yard, to separate it from the rest of the paddock, and was often thatched or covered with sheets to protect it from moisture.

Other models were reported as early as 1843 built by PK Dederick's Sons of Albany, New York, or Samuel Hewitt of Switzerland County, Indiana.

The initial balers produced rectangular bales that were small enough for an individual to lift, typically weighing between 70 and 100 pounds (32 to 45 kg) each.

The size and shape of these bales allowed for manual handling, including lifting, stacking on transport vehicles, and constructing a haystack by hand.

To reduce labor and enhance safety, loaders and stackers were subsequently developed to mechanize the transportation of small bales from the field to the haystack or hay barn.

Usually, rollers or flails inside a mower conditioner crimp, crack or strip the alfalfa or grass stems to increase evaporation rate.

[21][22][23] Another concern is with a herbicide known as aminopyralid, which can pass through the digestive tract in animals, making their resulting manure toxic to many plants and thus unsuitable as fertilizer for food crops.

The small bale remains part of overall ranch lore and tradition with "hay bucking" competitions still held for fun at many rodeos and county fairs.

Small square bales are often stacked mechanically or by hand in a crisscrossed fashion sometimes called a "haystack", "rick" or "hayrick".

Hay stored in this fashion must remain completely sealed in plastic, as any holes or tears will allow the entrance of oxygen and can stop the preservation properties of fermentation and lead to spoilage.

The large bales can also be stacked, which allows a given degree of exposed surface area to count for a larger volume of protected interior hay.

After World War II, British farmers found that the demand outstripped supply for skilled farm laborers experienced in the thatching of haystacks.

[33][37] The exterior may look gray on the surface after weathering, but the inner hay retains traces of its fresh-cut aroma and maintains a faded green tint.

[33][45] Construction of tall haystacks is sometimes aided with a ramp, ranging from simple poles to a device for building large loose stacks called a beaverslide.

Large round hay bales present a particular danger to those who handle them, because they can weigh over 1,000 pounds (450 kg) and cannot be moved without special equipment.