Conservation of Resources. Conserving Animal Feed: Hay

Activity 2: Let us go digital

1. Using a digital device, search for information or video clips on how to prepare baled hay for storage. Your search should focus on the following:
   1. Suitable forage crops for hay.
   2. Best stage for harvesting the forage.
   3. Best weather conditions when harvesting forage and preparing it for hay.
   4. Curing process (preparation) after cutting the forage crop to maintain quality of hay.
   5. How to bale hay.
   6. How to store the hay to reduce loss of nutrients.
   7. Factors that affect quality of hay.
2. Alternatively, seek the information from a resource person who understands how hay is prepared.
3. Record important points on hay making and discuss with the rest of the class.

Let us learn

Forage crops for hay are harvested at the flowering stage because that is when concentration of nutrients is at its highest. The weather during harvesting and preparation stage should be hot and dry.

When harvesting manually, a sickle or scythe is used to cut the forage.

The cut forage is left to sun dry (wilt) for 2 to 3 days depending on the prevailing weather conditions. Within that period, the forage is spread evenly or turned using a rake a few times to ensure uniform drying. The forage at that point should not break easily.

Dried hay should be gathered and put in a rectangular wooden box measuring 75 cm by 50 cm by 40 cm and compressed manually.

The hay should be tied with sisal or synthetic twine and then stored in bales in a raised and well aerated shed away from rain and water.

Note

Forage planted on small scale can also be cut using hand held mowers instead of sickles. However, forage planted on large scale is harvested using tractor drawn mowers and baled using machines.

Activity 3: Let us talk (in pairs)

During a visit to a farm, Grade 9 learners observed some stovers of maize stored by stacking method after the maize grains had been harvested.

1. Which other forage crops are fed to livestock as dry crop residues?
2. Why should the stacked stovers have a conical shape at the top?
3. Which precautions should be taken to ensure the stovers do not lose their nutritive value?
4. Compare the quality of stovers with baled hay.
5. Present your responses to the rest of the rest of the class.

Activity 4: Let us talk (in pairs)

While searching on various methods of conserving hay, Grade 9 learners learnt that a piece of land can be planted with forage such as brachiaria, kikuyu grass or star grass and left aside for the forage to grow.

During the dry season, animals are allowed to graze on the forage. Such method of forage conservation is called standing forage or hay.

1. Suggest why the method of conservation described above is called standing hay.
2. Suggest one advantage of standing hay.
3. Suggest one disadvantage of standing hay when compared to the previous methods that you have learnt so far (Baled hay and stacked hay).
4. Share your ideas with the rest of the class.

Activity 5: Project on forage conservation (in groups)

1. Identify where to obtain forage for conservation in your locality.
2. Decide which method of forage conservation (baled hay or stacked hay) will be suitable for the forage crops that are available in your locality.
3. List all the tools, equipment and materials that you will require and discuss with your teacher how they will be availed.
4. Harvest and conserve forage of your choice using any of the two methods.
5. In your journal, record your experiences and any lessons learnt while carrying out the project.

Activity 6: Let us talk (in groups)

1. Discuss the importance of conserving forage at household level.
2. Discuss how to ensure that baled hay is of good quality.
3. Write your suggestions on a manila sheet and present your work during gallery walk.

Let us learn

Forage can be preserved as baled hay, stacked hay or standing hay. Conservation of forage helps to:

1. Provide feed to animals during the dry season.
2. Ensure forage is well distributed throughout the year.
3. Ensure better utilisation of available land.
4. Provide income to households when excess hay is sold.

Stacked stovers and straws should be conical in shape to allow rainwater to drain off.

Baled hay is of higher quality in terms of nutritive value compared to stacked hay and standing hay. The quality of baled hay is determined by factors such as:

1. The type of forage which is harvested. For example, grasses with thin stems are of high quality.
2. Stage of harvesting. When grasses are at the flowering stage, the quality of forage is high since nutrients are at high concentration.
3. How well the cut pasture or fodder is dried.
4. Length of the drying period. Prolonged drying lowers the quality of hay since nutrients are lost through breakdown of chlorophyll and carotene. This is shown by bleaching of hay. High moisture content of hay at the time of storage can lead to fermentation and growth of mould, hence loss of nutrients.
5. Weather conditions during harvesting and drying period. There should be no rain.
6. Condition of the storage structure. Hay should be kept in a cool, dry, well ventilated and roofed structure.
7. Inclusion of legume pasture such as lucerne or desmodium in the grass pasture. Legume pastures have more protein than grass pastures.