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Forage conserved by being dried in the sun is called hay. Hay-making is not a common practice
among small livestock keepers in the tropics, probably because of the very poor quality of
mature tropical grass.
Hay is the oldest and most important conserved fodder. It can be made with simple equipment,
manually or with mechanization. Many small-scale farmers make hay and store crop residues to
carry livestock through periods of shortage. Practices vary in different parts of the world, but
follow some basic principles.
Hay is a leafy dry fodder, green in color, and free from moulds. It should contain less than 15%
moisture. The process of drying the green crop without significant change in aroma, flavor and
nutritive quality of forage is called "curing". This involves reducing the moisture content of
green forages, so that they can be stored without spoilage or further nutrient loss. Green forage
with 80-85% dry matter preserves most of the nutrients.
The dried forage is then collected and baled when the moisture content is low, ideally less than
15%. This helps storage and requires less space. Crops with thick and juicy stems can be dried
after chaffing to speed up the drying process and to prevent loss of nutrients.
Field curing is conducted during bright sunny weather but may result in bleaching of the forage
and loss of leaves due to shattering. To avoid this, drying can be done in barns by passing hot air
through the forage. Although artificial drying produces hay of good quality, it is expensive and
beyond the reach of small and marginal farmer but can be attempted on a community basis in
areas where there is a need, and the necessary facilities.
Storing Hay
Hay must be stored in a dry environment. Hay can be based (see Box Baling) and stored under
cover. Hay can also be stored by creating hay stacks. These may be created in a field near the
source, or close to where the hay will be required later in the year. Stacks may be covered by
plastic sheets to keep out rain. The surface layer of a stack may also be "thatched", in the same
manner as a thatched roof to a house.
Hay can be fed to sheep and goats, both of which are selective feeders. This means that, if
enough hay can be made, then the sheep and goats can be fed excess hay, i.e. provide them with
a greater total volume than they will eat. The sheep and goats will then select the most nutritious
parts of the hay (the leaf), and will tend to leave the stems. They will gain more benefit from
being able to select their feed in this way - both in terms of health and growth. The feed that they
leave (the more stemmy part of the hay) can either be fed to larger livestock (cattle and buffalo)
or can be mixed with dung (this will occur naturally if the livestock are fed on the floor). The
resulting mixture provides a good material for production of "farmyard compost", and is valuable
for crop production or horticulture.
Feeding on the ground results in considerable feed wastage and contributes greatly to the spread
of disease, especially internal parasites. If sheep and goats are able to stand in their feed or in
their feeders, they will inevitably defecate and urinate in the feed. Feeders need to be raised off
the ground and constructed in such a way to keep the animals out as much as possible.
Troughs
There are various designs for feeding troughs. U-shaped
feeders are easier to clean than feeders with square
bottoms, although if constructing from wood, a flat
bottom is easier. Metal or hard plastic pans or containers
are useful for hand feeding small numbers of animals. Do
not try to use softer plastic containers as these can be
chewed, especially by goats. Old car tyres cut in half can
also be used.
Racks
Hay as well as cut green vegetation (cut and carry) can
most easily be fed in racks made with slatted sides and
hung up so that the hay is presented off the ground and at
approximately head height. Galvanized metal racks are
more durable than racks made of wood, but a lot more
expensive. There should be enough feeder space for all
animals to eat at the same time. Providing more than one
feeder is a good solution.
Although most fungi do not produce harmful products, a few produce chemicals called
mycotoxins. In small amounts these can be harmful to animal or human health. Presence of fungi
or their spores does not necessarily mean that mycotoxins always will be produced.
Circumstances that favour the growth of fungi may, under some circumstances, result in
production of mycotoxins. However, fungal growth frequently occurs with little or no mycotoxin
production. Once formed, mycotoxins are stable and may remain in feeds long after the fungus
itself has died. In general, pigs and poultry are more susceptible than ruminants to mycotoxin
induced health problems at an equivalent dosage.
Sheep are very sensitive to forage quality and intake of contaminated feed is likely to be low.