# hay preservitives



## Sparkey (Jan 15, 2015)

I plan on applying a preservative the year. Small Squares of orchard grass and alfalfa in western PA. Which product is the best?


----------



## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

I don't know if there is a "best" product. We have been using a buffered proprionic acid successfully on hay up to 25% moisture. Having the correct application rate is the most important part of using a hay preservative.


----------



## PaCustomBaler (Nov 29, 2010)

We use CropSaver (buffered proprionic acid like Gearclash mentioned) and have had good results with it up to 25% moisture. There's a bunch out there that we haven't tried, that I'm sure work well, but the cropsaver seems to work well for us. We use it with the automatic HarvesTec applicator.


----------



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Sparkey said:


> I plan on applying a preservative the year. Small Squares of orchard grass and alfalfa in western PA. Which product is the best?


 if you could make your way east next week Messicks a new Holland dealer in Elizabethtown Pennsylvania...will be having a harvest tech representative at their open house festivities.


----------



## PaCustomBaler (Nov 29, 2010)

I agree with Endrow. The HarvestTec president was at the abbottstown open house a couple years ago and was very valuable to talk to...the company has great customer service.


----------



## Sparkey (Jan 15, 2015)

Is crop saver corrosive and does it plug up the nozzles?


----------



## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

Some paint will be lost, some nozzles will plug but the stuff will work across as wide a spectrum of hay type and moisture level as any other product imho. There may be better choices for specific crops or situations, but prop is a pretty broad brush in the art of hay making.


----------



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

SVFHAY said:


> Some paint will be lost, some nozzles will plug but the stuff will work across as wide a spectrum of hay type and moisture level as any other product imho. There may be better choices for specific crops or situations, but prop is a pretty broad brush in the art of hay making.


Hay dust builds up around the nozzles. I run the hose over the pickup and other lower parts after I apply acid. And, if possible, I'll run the last round bale without applying any acid to "wipe down" the inside parts.

Ralph


----------



## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

I've never had a nozzle plug nor have I seen any significant corrosion from buffered prop. System has been on the baler for upwards of 10 years now. We used to use crop saver through NH but cost was prohibitive.


----------



## PaCustomBaler (Nov 29, 2010)

I've never had nozzles plug up or paint deteriorate from it. Ours has been on our baler since it's first bale of hay in '09. Only paint missing is from hay moving across the pickup. Same as Gearclash, we get through NH dealer...it's CropSaver product.


----------



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

I used a lot of prop works well ...If I would say I never had a nozzle plug my nose would reach from Pa. to Ca. We are thinking about switching to Potassium Sorbate .we have been conducting our own trials over 2 years we think it works just as well as prop . Many BTO,s in this area have switched. It is a lot more pleasant to work around than prop . No smell in the hay to create questions . We are still in the transition stage not 100% sure . Run crop care on 1 baler Gaurdian on the other


----------



## RP Farms 1850 (Mar 3, 2014)

I used Hayguard this past season. So far it appears to do the job. No odor and one rate covers up to 25% moisture. I used it on small bales of first and second cut orchard in eastern Pennsylvania. I am very happy with the results.


----------



## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

RP Farms 1850- Did you get your hayguard from Hoober?


----------



## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

I used a system to apply acid to the hay, & pevent mold. It works. I also used some baking soda to clean out the acid from the system after finishing.

Then I found out how to use the humidity to my favor and have not used the system for the last 10 years.

This may not fit your situation, but HERE in March April and May we have a humid climate.

Using a little indoor humidity detector with large numbers I start baling when the humidity is going down thru 70% at the ground level next to the windrow. Befire sunset the previous evening the stems are stem snapping dry. So all the moisture in the hay is surface dew moisture & no stem moisture.

For large bales I start baling at 65% RH.

Here we have two hours between too tough to bale and th leaves starting to shatter. I try for 600 bales a day. that is 300 bales an hour.

That is for this climate, but I got all this information from a West Virginia publication.

My hay dries out flat not in a windrow. The hay is raked to bale the Morning before the day I expect to bale. Rake at first light.

The day of baling I can usually expect to bale starting between 11 AM & 12 Noon.

Key measure the hmidity down next to the windrow. I have seen the free air humidity at 55% when there was still wet dew on the windrow. PATIANCE.


----------



## RP Farms 1850 (Mar 3, 2014)

Hi PaMike, I did get it from Hoober. There is a place in New Holland Lancaster County that has it at a better price if you can pick it up. I was unable to get the time to drive out there so Hoober deliveres to my farm every Thursday so they got the sale.


----------



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

RP Farms 1850 said:


> I used Hayguard this past season. So far it appears to do the job. No odor and one rate covers up to 25% moisture. I used it on small bales of first and second cut orchard in eastern Pennsylvania. I am very happy with the results.


what rate do you use approximately how much does HAY GAURD cost


----------



## RP Farms 1850 (Mar 3, 2014)

Hi Endrow, I apply 2lb. Per ton up to 25% moisture. If I remember correctly it weighs 10lb per gallon.


----------



## RP Farms 1850 (Mar 3, 2014)

I forgot to add the cost. It costs roughly fifteen cents per bale.


----------



## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

endrow said:


> what rate do you use approximately how much does HAY GAURD cost


Have the Harvest Tec set up to apply 2, 3, and 5 lbs. Up to 21 is 2 lbs/ton, up to 23% is 3lbs/ton, up to 25% is 5lbs/ton.

Cost is roughly double that of acid here. But, you use half as much or less.


----------



## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

Settin up your system, If you will be pushing your luck mount the moisture detectors on the cut side of the bale.

This has he moisture detector on the cut stem side and will detect the moisture in the stem.

If you expect to have fully cured stems and dew moist leave mount the moisture tetectors on the side opposite the cut side.

Mounting the moisture detectors on the opposite side you will only be detecting the dew moisture. This way you can push your luck more.


----------



## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

This last year I went with a product called First Responce. Using it on rounds and small square balers, through a harvest tec electronic applicators. My hay this year has been dust and mold free. One nice thing about the product is there is one application rate, this takes the guess work out. Specifically for our haying conditions in the north east and on some small wood lined fields were the moisture and humidity changes from one end of the field to the other. Our windows of opportunity to make hay up here are usually 3 days, if we get a week of sun and low humidity we are very lucky. So often times we have no choice but to bale when the humidity is high. First Responce was a game changer for us, easy and very reliable. The down side is that the product has to be used with in a 6 hour period before it gets thick. As well the applicator needs to be flushed out after each use. They do have a direct inject system to use with a standard tank sprayer system, I just haven't coughed up the money to install it yet!


----------



## eastsidehayguy (Aug 12, 2013)

This is what I used in 13 and begining of 14 until i ran out then bought another brand, i would have to look it up and see what it was but, it did not work near is well. I already ordered all my "juice'' for this year. I sure missed the juice, it did a really nice job up to 26% with no worries. They are a Canadian company, the owner of the company actually personally shipped my first order in his pick up to the farm and is scheduled to do it again this year.. http://www.nuhnbio-tech.ca/view.php?public/The_Juice/Hay_Preservative


----------



## Nate926 (Apr 6, 2014)

Eastsidehay guy I bought a tote juice myself this year, have you ever tried it above 26% moisture? What rate were you using at 26%? I try my best not to get up to 30% but it does happen in low spots time to time. Last year I used hay pro II and it worked fine at 30% just didn't like the fact I was getting rape on price by my local coop is why I switched.


----------



## eastsidehayguy (Aug 12, 2013)

I almost hate to say how high the moisture was on some of the stuff i baled but I will say 30 and under should be fine. I think I used the orange tip at 20 lbs pressure, just one tip but turned up to 30 lbs pressure when I got around the 30 percent moisture range. The juice has a cerfactant in it that helps the product move in the bale. I noticed the stuff i used last year i would have spots that where dusty even though the hay was tedded and raked. I will say this past year seemed harder to get hay to dry down also... I also noticed my hay was greener using the juice where the other seemed to bleach the hay more. I need to go out to the hay barn and see what I actually used last year.. If you have any specific questions Terry Nuhn is who I deal with, excelent company and people.. Nice to see he is getting business in other locations then border states.

I should ad the reason I didnt get more last year from him is he is a five hour round trip to pick it up and he was not availbale to bring it over the border for me at that time as he was very busy during hay season. This year i am ordering early so we can meet up before season starts.. It saves me the shipping when he brings it over personally!


----------



## Nate926 (Apr 6, 2014)

Yeah Terry was a real nice guy to work with. I'm looking forward to trying it out this season. I done my home work called all over the country checking prices out and reading labels. juice has the equal amount of prop and citric acid as cropsaver. He matched the lowest price and shipping product that seems equal with his that was manufactured in the states. I am selling 55 gallons to a neighbor out of my tote, if it does what he says it does we plan to spread the word about juice in Tennessee.


----------



## eastsidehayguy (Aug 12, 2013)

good stuff sold by good people.... Juice


----------

