Baling Hay
Hay, one of the most versatile forages, is grown on about 3,000 acres in DeKalb County. The local hay crop consists of primarily alfalfa along with some timothy, red clover or orchard grass mixture.
Eric Wackerlin stacks bales in the mow of his barn as the final step of baling hay. Wackerlin grows alfalfa hay on 200 acres in the Hinckley -Waterman area.
Yield, quality average this year
The wet spring and wet summer compromised the hay crop resulting in average yields and overall average quality.
Eric Wackerlin says the frequent rains in May and June made it difficult to cut the hay crop. When it was finally cut, the alfalfa dried slowly based on wet soils and high humidity. Wackerlin grows hay in the Hinckley-Waterman area.
“With so many rains the hay quality deteriorated,” said Wackerlin. “As the alfalfa matured it lost quality and lower leaves. Then the field functions of raking and tending the hay contributed to the loss as well.”
Typically, hay farmers aim for four cuttings of hay starting with the first cutting in June and ending eith the last cutting in September. “June was a tough month to cut and bale hay this year,” said Wackerlin. “We had to work in a small window of time, in between the rains.”
The process of cutting, baling hay
Wackerlin uses a discbine to cut and condition the hay. Depending on the weather, he then tends the hay and rakes it into windrows as part of the drying process.
Baling hay involves running the hay through a baler that forms the hay into small square bales weighing about 50 pounds each. Behind the baler is an accumulator that puts 12 bales together on the ground.
Then a grapple on the front end of a tractor picks up the 12-pack of bales and places it on a rack. Hay racks are transported to farmsteads where crews unload the bales into a hay mow in the barn where it’s stored until used by livestock.
In an average year the Hinckley farmer makes about 40,000 square bales of hay. He prefers the traditional small, square bales but some farmers make larger, round bales, which weigh approximately 800 pounds.
Wackerlin sells a large majority of his hay to horse owners in the Chicago suburbs and the rest to local beef producers.
Making hay is something that Wackerlin has been doing since he was in junior high. He started his hay business with 15 acres and has grown it to 200 acres, including doing some custom hay baling for local farmers. He is a third generation hay farmer and says the best part is ‘smelling fresh cut hay.”
More about hay
Alfalfa can produce abundant forage and is ideal for improving soil nitrogen levels while providing erosion control.
The alfalfa hay mixture is seeded in September for growth to begin in the fall. The crop remains dormant during the winter months. From June until September, farmers average about four cuttings of hay. A field will remain in hay for about four to five years and farmers will fertilize the crop as needed to boost quality and nutrients. Then farmers will rotate the hay crop to another field.
There are three methods for harvesting hay: baling – drying hay in the field and making them into bales (16% moisture); hayage – chopping and storing hay in an oxygen-limiting structure (40-60% dry matter); or silage – chopping and storing hay in a silo (30-40% dry matter).
Hay is a good source of nutrients for livestock. The legumes and grass mixture are high in fiber, and lignin content, and offer good digestibility for horses, beef and dairy cattle to convert to animal products.
From the August issue of Connections – A publication of the DeKalb County Farm Bureau
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