Protein Content of Hay Once Its Wet and Dried Again

by Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin and Krishona Martinson, Academy of Minnesota

Rain occurring while cutting hay is laying in the field causes both yield and quality losses that reduce the value of the crop equally an animal feed and a marketable article.

Weather-induced losses are caused by:

• Prolonged institute respiration reducing soluble carbohydrates and overall free energy content
• Leaching of soluble carbohydrates, poly peptide, and sure minerals from the hay
• Leaf shattering and loss, removing the highly digestible and high protein portion of the forage
• Microbial action metabolizing soluble carbohydrates and reducing free energy content
• Color bleaching

How much does rainfall reduce dry thing yield?

Several researchers have studied the furnishings of rainfall on cut alfalfa. Wisconsin researchers measured dry matter losses of 22% when alfalfa was exposed to 1 inch of rain after ane day of drying (curing). Like hay dried without rain damage lost merely 6.three% of the initial yield. Losses appear to exist greatest after partial drying of the provender has occurred. In this same study, alfalfa exposed to 1.6 inches of rain over several days suffered a 44% loss in dry affair. Michigan researchers conducted several dissimilar studies to examine the effects of rainfall on field cured alfalfa. The first study reported maximum dry out matter losses of 34%. In a second report, rainfall intensity was kept abiding at most 0.vii inches but spread over periods of one to seven hours. Dry matter losses ranged from 4 to 13%, with highest losses occurring when the pelting was spread over a longer duration. Overall, dry thing losses were much lower in these experiments even though rainfall amounts were virtually 2 inches.

Other species have been studied also. Yield losses of birdsfoot trefoil appear to be less than alfalfa, while scarlet clover shows even less dry matter loss due to rain, and grasses suffer the least corporeality of dry thing losses. Dry matter losses are most crucial to the person responsible for baling the hay. Dry out matter losses ordinarily represent a significant decrease in income since less hay is available for baling, feeding, and selling.

How does rainfall reduce dry matter yield?

Three chief factors are involved in dry matter losses; leaching, respiration, and leafage loss. Leaching is the motility of cell solubles out of the establish. Components of the constitute that are very water soluble are leached out of the forage and lost when rain occurs. Unfortunately, most of these compounds are those highly digested past the animal. They include such components every bit readily available carbohydrates and soluble nitrogen, minerals, and lipids. About half of the dry matter leached past rain is soluble carbohydrates.

Respiration (breakdown of soluble carbohydrates by plant enzymes) occurs at about 2% dry matter per hour in fresh forage, and declines nearly in proportion to the decrease in moisture content until the plant reaches approximately lx% moisture. Every time the forage is wetted by pelting, respiration is either prolonged or begins again in cases where the cured fodder was below 60% moisture. In either case, additional dry matter is lost.

There is some disagreement in the research literature regarding the amount of foliage loss that occurs in cut alfalfa equally a direct event of rainfall. In Wisconsin studies, leaf loss ranged from 8 to greater than 20% as a percent of the initial forage dry affair when rainfall amounts were from 1 to 2.5 inches. In Michigan studies, direct leafage loss was much lower (0.5 to 4.2%). Perhaps the issue of leaf loss from rainfall is a moot point. Experience and mutual sense tell us that rain damaged alfalfa is more than predisposed to foliage shatter after information technology dries, and rainfall often ways additional raking and more than lost leaves.

How does rainfall intensity and forage moisture affect losses?

Research is conclusive on these two points. Given the same amount of full rainfall, a low intensity rain will result in more leaching of soluble compounds than a high intensity rain. Likewise, as fodder moisture content declines, it is more than decumbent to dry out matter loss from rain. In Wisconsin rainfall studies, the maximum loss in dry out matter (54%) was a handling where two.5 inches of rain fell on hay that was nearly dried.

How does rainfall affect forage quality?

Perhaps zip is more frustrating than to encounter excellent quality alfalfa turn into unsuitable feed with each passing rain and subsequent raking. Most rainfall studies are in agreement that wetting of field dried alfalfa has little impact on protein concentration. For rained-on hay, it is mutual to come across relatively high protein values in comparison to fiber concentrations, unless significant leafage loss occurs. With the leaching of soluble carbohydrates, structural fibers (acrid and neutral detergent fibers) contain a greater percentage of the provender dry matter. Depending on numerous factors, the digestibility of rained-on hay may decline from 6 to xl%. Changes in fiber components are thought to occur by indirect mechanisms, where the respiratory action of microorganisms has a concentrating effect on fiber components by oxidizing carbohydrate components; boosted fiber is not made during the wetting process.

Conclusion

Rained on hay can be a suitable forage, but quality depends on several factors. Forage quality tends to be retained if rain occurs soon later cutting when the forage has had minimal fourth dimension to dry; the rainfall was a single event compared to a multiple day or fatigued-out event; rainfall intensity was higher versus a longer, lower intensity consequence; and the provender has non been re-wetted numerous times. Analyzing forage for nutrient content is recommended, merely can be especially useful when determining the quality of rained on hay.

A note from Lindsey Grimes, BioZyme Diet Field Support

How can Amaferm^® help?

When forage quality is impacted by added atmospheric precipitation, the feed condiment Amaferm^®, establish in all VitaFerm products, tin can exist used to improve fodder digestibility. Amaferm is a precision prebiotic used to stimulate the enzyme activity and growth of beneficial microorganisms that already exist within the digestive tract. This natural feed additive maximizes the energy value of feed by improving digestibility through increased fungal branching, more microbial enzyme activity, and faster bacterial growth. From this increment in digestibility of feedstuffs, a producer could expect to see increased milk production as well every bit increased gain and feed efficiency.

Amaferm improves digestibility regardless of fodder quality, but works best when energy is limited. In the case of hay that has been rained on, the leaching, respiration and leafage loss that occurs decreases the dry matter content of the fodder and consequently decreases the amount of cell solubles that tin can exist utilized every bit an energy source. Compromised forage quality from excess pelting on field stale forages as well limits the amount of protein bachelor for digestion.

As previously mentioned, the digestibility of rained-on hay may turn down anywhere from half-dozen to 40%. However, with the addition of Amaferm into the nutrition, total digestibility can be increased upward to 9%. VFA production tin exist increased up to xvi%, assuasive more energy to be utilized by the animal. This boost in energy is equivalent to supplementing 1 lb of corn. Microbial poly peptide tin be improved upwardly of 34% with the inclusion of Amaferm^®. This provides enough additional poly peptide to equal 1 lb of soybean meal or dried distillers grains.

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Source: https://vitaferm.com/2015/08/11/determining-the-value-of-rained-on-hay/

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