FORAGE HARVESTING in the aspen parklands of Western Canada I* Agriculture Canada PUBLICATION 1547 1974 D I C Li 1 Pub. 1547 1974 FORAGE HARVESTING IN THE ASPEN PARKLANDS OF WESTERN CANADA MELFORT RESEARCH STATION RESEARCH STATION STAFF S. E. Beacom, B.Sc, M.Sc, Ph.D. Forage Production, Harvesting and Utilization D. A. Cooke, B.S.A., M.Sc. (Program Leader) W. E. Coates, B.Sc, M.Sc, Ph.D. D. H. McCartney, B.Sc, M.Sc. J. A. Robertson, B.Sc, M.Sc, Ph.D. S. 0. Thorlacius, B.Sc, M.Sc, Ph.D. J. Waddington, B.Sc, M.Sc, Ph.D. Director Forage and pasture production Forage harvesting systems Pasture management Beef cattle nutrition and forage utilization Sheep nutrition and forage evaluation Forage ecology and weed control Cereal, Oilseed and Special Crop Production and Utilization K. E. Bowren, B.S.A. (Program Leader) A. G. Castell, B.Sc, M.Sc, Ph.D. W. F. Nuttall, B.S.A. , M.Sc, Ph.D. D. J. Warnock, B.S.A., M.Sc. Tillage and cropping Crop utilization (swine nutrition) Soil fertility Crop variety evaluation CONTENTS Page FORAGE HARVESTING SYSTEMS 1 Forage Quality 1 Selection of System 1 CUTTING 2 Effect of Cutting Method on Drying Rate 2 Effect of Cutting Method on Quality 3 PACKAGING AND STORING 4 Baled Hay 4 Big Package Hay Systems 8 Dried Chopped Hay 12 Silage or Haylage . . . , 12 EVALUATION OF HARVESTING SYSTEMS 15 Feeding Experiments with Beef Cattle 15 03 O c "> o i_ Q. Q) l_ — x: ccj a> i_ CO ~CU w 3 o 01 ED c o ■a c 03 a c a> a CO aj c x co LU 3 en O 6 3 I C3> o Ct> QD CD -C c CD +2 CO •SJ I CO o .Q 3 X a> < < r o ■Q -o CO ^3 C CO C 1 CO CD •8 CO c cu LU CO O r— 1 C- a. U 00 Ol l/l ^ N a. • CM • to 3 CT) i— ( CT) v£> r-» lo Oh • cm • ^ n LO 1 — 1 o I—I < CO *£> LO to ai • to • ** Dl, i— l to to ^ O Ol \o O- • CM • tO rs LO O a, tO VO (NI i— I • .to ai -<3- r^ to cm o • i—i .to CI ^3" Ol \D • to «to en o r-~ r-- Oh • CM • CM 3 CM to 00 o r-- u a> CO i— i vD O • CM to r- • CM a. to to F— i bo co r-H O \0 to tO vO CM CM O O • • to oo • • \D vO tO LO • • O 00 00 o vC LO vC tO ^ vO O) o • • ai o • • LO \D vO LO • • oo r- i— I CM o Ol LO LO ■— 1 1^- o ai • • " vO t^ CM • • o ai —i o • • o r^ CD +-> al •i I— < M *h a CD CD fc > rt i—i I— 1 ^ rt o CD a> O a. X ^ 5 ^ o3 c ?H J3 « W ft 3 T) < CJ H D-, a. S CQ CO U CO => Q to 00 LO <7l 00 rj- to Ol 1—1 f— ( • • 00 ^t • • vD v£> CM CM • • "3- 00 oo r-. 00 vD i-H tO oo f* i— 1 l— i • • 1-1 h- • • vD vO o ^r • • ai oo OO vO -^ -f ^t -^t r- "«3- ai o LO ^D CM *3" tO i—i CM tO • * tO LO • • \D \D • • r-~- lo • • LO LO ai cr> • • t^ 00 • • CM tO • • LO ^t O —1 CM r— i i— 1 i— 1 ^H 1— 1 1— 1 tO 01 00 rf ^O 00 o> r~- 00 LO i— l 00 00 00 00 o tO CM • • r-» \o • • LO LO • • LO LO • • LO LO CT> CTi • • CM t^ • • tO CM • • CM \£> r— i X 60 X) 1— 1 •* c ^ *> i — i X •H X o\° 2 * X) LO . — 1 ■ H > / — \ i— ( -Q *\ X / » L0 03 C 03 o a» 03 C 03 / ^ fj •H c •\ o c >H •s T3 a> T3 o ^ -a QJ T3 4-> c c •H c c •H o C >v» 4-> ^^ — • o **v. ■M ^^ <4-l o rt •H •H L0 03 L0 -H Ll_| L0 03 L0 L0 o C S C 03 C •H 60 C ■M 03 a +J (1) c •M w q; c •M CD c ■»-> c 3 • • i— i •H Q •H 60 •H o •H L0 60 •H 03 •H c3 X3 •H 03 •H 03 o O fn 1/1 03 nJ 03 03 •H X 03 03 O S 03 O L0 03 O S 03 O •M *»s^ aJ •M 60 ■H i— i 60 •H i— t 60 •H <4-l — ^ 60 •H c 1— 1 60^ bCX o •H 60^ 60 Xi *s Q 4-> •H 10 •H 03 •H 03 •H o3 aS U 0 c O *H 03 O fH 03 O ?H Q O J-i 1— 1 03 O 60 O 60 O 60 O •H C 60T C 60 T3 C 60T * — ' C 60 (-1 T3 C Tf 03 c ^r -T3 c ■*r 03 c ^r U ^ X 1—1 0 o3 i— t 1) X i— i o L0 4-» X OJO 03 > 1 I > 1 1 > i 1 > l 1 • r-t 1 i Jh 1— I 1 i •H 1 i +-> 0 >H M C U -r. < < LX. X < CO 03 •H CO 1/1 '7) •7) T3 •H T3 03 s o a> > (U Q J Q < U- < 16 Gains The amount of weight gain per ton of dry matter harvested is perhaps the single most important factor for assessing forage harvesting systems. Using this criterion, the chopped artificially dried hay from the hay tower scored highest, showing an average of 228 pounds gained per ton of hay harvested. The similar figure for baled hay in this study was 222 pounds gained, for stacked hay 203 pounds gained, and for silage 173 pounds. Hay from the tower also produced the highest average daily gains (1.8 lb/day) (Table 7), followed by that stored as bales and stacks (1.6 lb/day) and as silage (1.4 lb/day). Artificially dried hay was also utilized most efficiently - 8.7 lb DM required/lb gain, compared with 9.1, 9.8 and 10.3 for bales, stacks and silage, respectively. Waste Of the original forage harvested by each system, 98.9% of the silage was accounted for when fed (included 18% frozen or spoiled material), compared with 96.2% (bales), 93.4% (stacks) and 92.7% (chopped). Quality Definite differences between quality of forage produced by the different systems were found; 1973 results suggest that quality of hay conserved as stacks is lower than for any other system. Spoilage, as a result of wet weather during and following harvest, is believed to have caused reduced animal performance. 17 rt WJ Is- Cn rt to 00 LO 00 cn to rt Is- t-H r- CM 00 t-H •H 4-> i rt • vO cn nO Is- • i-H • • ft • cr> • • tf) • to LO "ST rt en rt rt 00 • O r-l CM o i-H t-H NO O g 0 bo r- cn i-H NO LO nO 00 > C X o> LO to to i-H 0} rH u •H Kj i— i T3 <+H a) O O X) X v » o X NO • en • 0 0 *T3 +-> rH Mh oo to 4h 0 aS O t-H rH to h- O Is- cn rt CM a> 00 00 nD t-H CM O^ o +-• +-> O OS 1 LO • o i-H O) • LO • ft • • CM • • V) O 0 i-> OQ CM LO f-. 00 00 1 00 NO • CM ft rt cr> CM CM Is- •H bO CD rt rt to 4-> C t-H tf) •H X +-» / — \ X + •H 4-» tf) 0 > rt <4H to en u Is- o o i-H cn CM Is- NO a> ft Is-. 00 CM 00 i-H NO o NO rt vi i LO • a^ i-H r- O • Is- ft ft ft • o • ft i-H ft • X X to LO o LO nO CT> LO LO • t-H i-H CM NO !-H to en (rt aj CM CM H X Is- CO CM to 00 rt \D 00 o i-H t-H t-H rH rt rH 4J t-H CM £ ft oS en LO "St to aS O O 03 X i-H 0) H rH u X -M •H 13 C 0 CM CM bO rt -^ X LO 1 C X U to nO CT> t-» to o rt o 00 Is- 00 to 00 o CM nO Is- rt f-H 1 NO to « tO i-H LO CT> CM i-H oo +-) u S OT Is- en i-H rt rt LO CM rt rt CM rt NO en i-H t-H t-H !-H LO ding in ): • rH ft rH t-H • rH rt to LO ft CM 3 o a o t-H t-H aS h- LO LO 00 Is- o rt rt LO Is- CM 00 Is- CTl o Is- aS • • c to CM Is- to CM 1 LO Is- • CM rH rt CT> i—t i-H CM vm en S •H Is- cn to rt to Is- 00 i-H i-H i-H t-H LO t-H aS X CT> LO "5t rt o U T3 aS rH ■M X • LO t-H 0 X aS X NO rt t-t a. bOS 0 ft ft O P-T3 C u. -H O 0 •H 1 X -H K1 CM rt to O 00 Is- r-~ Is- 00 LO Is- 00 o en +J C U Jh 1 CM • rt nO Is- • Is- ft ft • • CM ft • w to • en O £ T3 CM i— t nO o to 1 CM CM t> to ft LO oo CM to en a) r- C rH t-H 3 r-. CM to to i-H LO O i-H ft i-H t-H LO > en aS • • t-H Cn LO rt rt rH rH >-> t-H o i—i om ha June • o 0 rt rt ft rt en o tf) aS rt u a rH Is- nO Cn oo to rt rt LO to CM Is- CT> LO NO i—t -H •> i CO • CM i-H 00 NO • to ft ft • • NO ft • CM 0 to to rt 00 to to i-H rt • O ^H i—t 00 t-H CM CM TJ • LO rt 0 Is- rt nO LO LO i-H Is- oo i-H i-H t-H t-H LO O +J > LO LO tf) Cn nO to to i-H •H tf) o • • 0 i— i rH CM LO "-3 C/3 to o to i-H rt to cn i-H 00 00 NO to to LO LO X r-- O ft ft 1 Is- vO O cn CT> • rt • • • ft Is- • ft +j en o rH CM 00 LO 00 00 i 00 • CM t-H rt o i-H to 00 rH •H r-. CO cn oo 00 CN LO bo +-> Cn rt to to C X • LO to C i— i x o\° u o U-t X X i-H t-H as +-> O H X t-H ipitation duri June 1972 - Ma Ph 0 CO • bO X rH 3 NO • t-H LO Is- ft CM i-H • i-H ft CM to LO ft CM NO i-H • 3 rH 3 o u o +-> o c 13 •H i-H •\ -a 0 t-H aS f o\° o CO ■> •"5 CM LO -a •V 4-> 0 4-» ■« C 4-> •* fH r-H bO T3 tf) i-H c c •H in /•-*. cx « c 0 0 •H 3 •H 0) to o\° 4-> * •H 4-> > o O aS s > •H -H tf) 0 o Is- 4-> i/) Jh a o bOC u V) a O 0 c rt Is- tf) 0 aS tf) o X aS aS r~-\ H 3 ft ft 0 > X aS X >s i-H X X o C N-/ •-5 CM NO > rH X M u i-H i-H u O Jh aJ 4-> !-H H3 o 0 2 •H •H *\ jr s -M tf) tf) a} X aj TJ Q aj as c Q Q •H •H S X •s 0 E -a o T3 T3 V •H > < > Jh O 2 0) S U 3 0 i-H bO C aS c OS rH rH Q U Q 0 10 4-» 4-> aS •H •H e o i-H CM 3 i-H 4-> ft <4H o aS 0 •H aS aS O U X — , aS (rt aj O o 5 t-H bO U M Uh bfl i-H c 4-> o +-> ■M O 4-> •H 4-> •H SN«^ •H O a tf) tf) tf) < O O O I 1 i 1 ?H > > I 1 s aS u *g < aS 0 0 * E- s E- O < < Q O CL, o * E-H H * 18 DUE DATE nrT -' ' iwn Uv^ i 201-6503 Printed in USA AGRIC ..TUBE CANA°A °T ,,073 00077207 1 INFORMATION Edifice Sir John Carling Building 930 Carling Avenue Ottawa, Ontario K1A0C7 1* Canada Postas Poat Canada Pr>v.»gp CM-0 Port oaye Third Troisiefne class classe K1A0C5 Ottawa IF UNDELIVERED, RETURN TO SENDER EN CAS DE NON-LIVRAISON. RETOURNER A L'EXPEDITEUR