# Hay harvest, humidity and bale moisture.



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

Picked the number values from the appropriate charts and graphs.

The magic hay moisture is 40% where leaf losses from raking becomes a problem. Fully cured hay will be 40% moisture if the relative humidity is 92% or 93%. We see this at first light here. 
95% RH will result in 45% moisture while 100% RH will result in 50% moisture. This is measured at hay level not eye level.

RH Hay Moisture
70% results in 17% to 20% moisture. The spread is a function of temperature. 
65% " 14% to 17% moisture The lower percent is for 86° & the higher is for 68°. 
60% " 12% to 16% moisture
55% " 10% to 14% moisture
50% " 8% to 12% moisture
Baling loses Leaf loss is 5% at 18% moisture. 
Leaf loss is 8% at 13% moisture

These figures are not from my work but are taken from numerous sources.


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## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

Thank you...Great info as always...always learn something when you post. In Indiana we battle the humidity most of the year...some sort of preservative is usually needed if you bale a large number of acres...so far this year we are very wet...last year was a very wet year as well and getting out the field was a bear.


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

One solution may be a forced air hay drier in the barn. 
Fellow I knew in the Air Force Father had a forced air curing of loose hay. I saw a Pennsylvania dairy with a forced air barn for baled hay, That hay was hand stacked in the drier. I have seen a picture of a hay drier that dried hay on a large hay wagon.

For round bales and grass hay I have heard of people tarping the stack and shooting anhydrous ammonia under the tarp. This is not advised for grass of the sorghum family. Cows go KoKo nuts after eating that hay. Any ammoniated hay is hard on horses also.


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