External moisture will keep the leaves together and prevent shattering and leaf loss, give the hay a softer, more palatable texture, and bond any naturally occurring dust (such as road dust, pollen, ...

Even with hay under cover, it’s easy to overlook how much its nutritional value can degrade over time. Moisture, temperature ...

“Investing in a hay moisture tester and a bale thermometer can improve hay quality and remove guesswork and stress from haymaking,” said Hill. Source: University of Missouri Extension.

A good rule of thumb is that you should expect a 1% DM loss per 1% decrease of moisture after baling. As an example, hay baled at 20% moisture that is stored and dried down to 12%; will result in ...

“If you bale at 10 percent, the hay will have an RFV of 140. If you bale the same field of alfalfa at 16 percent moisture, you can increase RFV about 40 points.” The same is true for yield.

“Hay baled with more than 22 percent moisture should not be put into storage for at least 30 days, especially if hay will be stacked several layers deep,” said Hill. Safe storage temperatures ...

Hay moisture meters aren’t forked like a dowsing stick, and they don’t twitch. But their digital readings still give a pretty good indication of whether to put that hay up while the sun is ...

The Grainmaster I can also be used with a range of optional probes for measuring temperature in stored grain and moisture levels in baled hay and straw. Price is £290. (01628-472722) ...

Wet weather and high humidity across North Dakota over the past week has delayed the hay harvest and spraying of newly planted crops. But the Agriculture Department says in its weekly crop report ...

WITH last week’s downpours only adding to the drenching experienced of late by the country’s southeast — and the prospect of more to come — a warning has been issued for farmers baling hay.