Concept Of Haylage Making

Author :Dr Jacob Gusha (Ph.D)

Introduction to Stalklage and Haylage

Maize plant residue following grain harvest can also be used as a forage.  About 40 to 50% of the energy of the corn plant is in the leaves, stalks, cobs, and husk. Stalklage is often ragged and difficult to pack to minimize oxygen in the silage so it is good practice to harvest at a shorter length of cutting setting than one would do with maize silage. Maize residue makes acceptable silage (stalklage) if the moisture content is brought to about 65% by adding water or wet forages and if chopped and shredded between 2 to 5 cm theoretical lengths of cut which should be fine enough to pack tightly. Grain and protein supplementation is often required, which make the economics of feeding stalklage less attractive other than as a maintenance feed. For the highest quality stalklage, plan in the summer to harvest and handle high moisture corn, since the feed quality of stalklage declines as grain harvest is delayed.       Also, less water will need to be added to silage at harvest.  The same applies to good grass forage, it can be cut in February to April before it is too dry. It can be wilted and ensiled in plastic bags, silo bunkers or any airtight containers as haylage. Stalklage or haylage is palatable and nutritious than maize stover and hay.

What is Maize Stalklage or haylage?

Haylage is grass that has been cut earlier than hay: it’s at a younger stage of growth when its cut, and it’s left to wilt instead of completely drying out. Haylage is preserved using fermentation, and is baled and wrapped in several layers of plastic so its moisture content remains high. This means haylage has a higher moisture content than hay and a lower DM content, typically around 50-65% On the other hand, Maize Stalklage is made from maize crop residue or moist stover after harvesting or removing cobs. Maize residue, or stover, is often harvested for roughage feed or bedding in most communal areas. An alternative harvest method is to chop and ensile stover as stalklage.  In addition to being able to harvest and store at higher moisture levels, stalklage is more palatable and is easier to integrate into a TMR feeding system, and successfully preserving stalklage is not very different from making good haylage or corn silage.

Figure 1: Green grass cut and wilted for ensiling as haylage bale
Figure 2: Maize crop at the right DM to be harvested and stalks can be used to make stalklage

Method of preservation.

Forages for dairy cows are most commonly preserved for storage in the form of hay, haylage, or silage. The first step in preparing any kind of forage for preservation is the cutting and the subsequent wilting of the grass by the sun and air as it lies in the field. As forage is wilted the moisture level drops and the dry matter percent goes up. The amount of moisture present in the forage when baled will dictate whether the feed is stored as hay or ensiled as haylage or silage. It is critical to harvest stalklage with sufficient moisture levels for good packing and proper fermentation. Ideally, stalklage should have moisture levels in the mid-60% range. It would take more than 150 to 200 litres of water to bring 1 ton of stalklage from 57% to 65% moisture, and stover also does not absorb water very well.  A better approach is to blend a wetter material with the stalklage, such as fresh alfalfa, fresh cowpea forage, and cactus or forage sorghum. Logistical challenges in bringing together the resources can be experienced due to different locations and bulkiness of some of the resources. To bring 2 tons of stalklage from 57% to 63% moisture would require blending 1 ton of alfalfa/ cow pea or 300 kg of cactus cladodes at 75% moisture.  Clearly, the best approach is to utilize harvesting practices that target stalklage moisture in the mid-60% range, such as after high moisture shelled maize or green maize removal. Stalklage is often ragged and difficult to pack to minimize oxygen in the silage, so it is good practice to harvest at a shorter length of cut setting than you would with corn silage. If it is more finely chopped, you may find it better to store this material in a bag rather than a bunker silo. With these basic considerations, stalklage can be a good alternative to baled stover. 

 

Figure 3: Nutritive value of haylage or stalklage

The lower DM content compared to hay means that a higher volume of haylage needs to be fed to ensure the dairy animal receives sufficient fibre. This is important because adequate fibre is essential for healthy digestive function, warmth and for maintaining condition. As a general guide, haylage should be fed at a rate of 1¼ times more than hay, but this can depend on the DM content of the haylage. Due to its high moisture content, haylage needs to be wrapped to prevent spoilage, by creating an anaerobic environment. This anaerobic environment means that fermentation takes place which results in a drop in the pH to inhibit spoilage causing organisms. During fermentation, sugars in the haylage are converted to lactic acid and volatile fatty acids (VFA), meaning that contrary to popular belief, haylage is normally lower in sugar than hay. Haylage is, however, higher in protein, and more digestible than hay giving it a higher Digestible Energy content. As a result, dairy cows generally do better on haylage as compared to hay only.

Storing

Maximizing ruminant livestock production is dependent upon, producing and storing quality forage.  Once the crop has been harvested, loss of quality may occur simply because steps were not taken to correctly manage the forage during filling and storage. Proper compaction of the haylage is needed so as to extract most of the air and create anaerobic conditions favorable for its preservation and storage. Bagged stalklage or haylage recommendations that help to maintain high-quality forage should be embraced. Major considerations in selecting a silo type are the speed of loading and unloading, the volume of storage needed, and structural cost.           Other considerations may include silo longevity, initial investment costs, and the potential to purchase feed. There are many types of silos used in silage making namely horizontal, vertical or upright silos, bucket or plastic bags and silage pits. Horizontal silos hold large capacity and can be filled with conventional farm equipment. It also requires less energy to move the forage and offers faster unloading rates. Plastic or bucket silos are cheaper good for

upcoming dairy farmers with few cows. Its flexible storage system, allows the farmer to increase capacity as needed. Low initial investment costs Upright silos have a smaller exposed surface area of silage thus less spoilage. It also requires less area for construction and it allows greater mechanization during filling and feeding – out.

 

For more information contact
Dr Jacob Gusha (Ph.D)
ZADF Feed Consualtancy
University of Zimbabwe
Faculty of Veterinary Science
Department of Animal Production & Veterinary Medicine
P. Box MP167
Mount Pleasant
Harare
Mobile: +263 772 252514 or +26371251401
Email jtgusha@gmail.com

UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE

DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND VETERINARY MEDICINE

IN COLLABORATION WITH

ZIMBABWE ASSOCIATION OF DAIRY FARMERS