Search

Three different methods of wrapping and storing alfalfa hay in round bales were used to explore possible differences in preferential consumption. Large round bales of alfalfa were stored indoors, outdoors with conventional net wrap, or outdoors with a new wrap that incorporates a breathable film. This film is intended to better conserve hay in round bales by shedding precipitation but allowing internal moisture to exit the bale through microscopic pores. Five separate preference trials, each of 18-d duration with six 3-d periods, were conducted using beef cattle. In all 5 preference trials, hay wrapped with breathable film was preferred over net-wrapped hay stored outdoors. For instance, in trial 1 hay wrapped with breathable film was preferred over net-wrapped hay stored outdoors in all 18 pairings (P < 0.001), and consumption of the film-wrapped hay was significantly greater (78 vs. 28% of total hay offered, P = 0.05). Results suggest that when bales are stored outdoors, cattle will strongly prefer to consume hay from bales wrapped with breathable film compared with net-wrapped bales. Although in 2 trials hay wrapped with breathable film was preferred over hay stored indoors, when considered across all trials and pairings, preference of hay from breathable film bales did not differ from that stored indoors.

A grain combine was modified to produce single-pass, whole-plant corn harvesting with two crop streams, grain and stover. Three corn heads were used: ear-snapper, stalk-gathering and whole-plant. Capture of potential stover DM was 30, 67 and 90% of DM for a combine harvester configured with an ear-snapper, stalk-gathering and whole-plant heads, respectively. Stover aggregate moisture was 51.0 and 52.5% (w.b.) for the whole-plant and stalk-gathering heads (front wagon only), respectively. Aggregate moisture of stover from the ear-snapper and stalk-gathering heads (rear wagon only) was 38.5% (w.b.). When the stalk-gathering or whole-plant heads were used, greater stover feedrate limited ground speed, so area capacity was 3.4, 2.2, and 2.0 ha/h, for the ear-snapper, stalk-gathering and whole-plant heads, respectively. Wet and dry bulk density was 163 and 100; 147 and 70; and 80 and 38 kg/m3 for the ear-snapper, stalk-gathering and whole-plant heads, respectively. Fermentation of single-pass stover in a bag silo was very good with DM losses after eight months of storage of 4.1 and 6.7% for the material harvested with the whole-plant and stalk-gathering heads, respectively.