Correct Term for hay

john in la · Jul 27, 2020

Define words used for cut grass used for feed for me.
A co-worker and I were discussing and not agreeing on the difference in haylage and baleage.
I often hear the terms interchanged or means the same thing.

For me hay is dry grass that is bailed but I guess it could be stored loose.
The moisture content is low enough it will not mold.

Baleage is wet grass that is bailed and then wrapped in plastic.
The moisture content is high enough the grass will mold and rot if the bales were not wrapped air tight.
This is the wrapped white bales you see sitting along fence rows.

Haylage is silage made out of grass.
It requires a silage chopper to harvest and is stored just like corn silage.
The moisture content is higher so it requires packing to squeeze out oxygen.

Am I correct in my terms??????

Roger Tomfohrde · Jul 27, 2020

The only thing I would consider adding is a definition of grass. There is several variations that fit in this from sorghum to alfalfa, Timothy, Clover etc. Usually higher protein materials get the higher moisture content treatment as usually dairy's are the intended target and the need for quality energy is something that is calculated in the feed rations closely, at least we did when running our dairy. Beef tends to have looser requirements in what you feed them to a point. I remember using the poorest quality stuff for the dry cows to get them to "dry " off.
Hayledge and baleage are similar but the length of the material is a lot shorter in silage and it is harder to keep it in a transferable package with out special equipment.

centash · Jul 27, 2020

Might substitute forage for grass...bit more genetic term

Ben

HuskerLyn · Jul 27, 2020

And there is a difference between grasses and legumes

paul · Jul 27, 2020

I agree with you.

‘Hay’ is either grass, or alfalfa, or a grass and legume (alfalfa or clover) mix.

Good hay is often alfalfa here.

It gets confusing as to what hay is.

BarnyardEngineering · Jul 27, 2020

Hay is a perennial crop made up of various grasses and/or perennial legumes.

Anything that must be planted every year in order to grow is not hay. Oats are oats. Rye is rye. Barley is barley. It has become popular in recent years to call it "oat hay" or "rye hay" if it is harvested for feed.

Haylage is chopped hay that is fermented in a silo or bag.

Baleage is baled hay that is fermented in its bale form.

It's only complicated because you're making it complicated, attributing definitions and meanings to the words that only exist in your imagination.

Traditional Farmer · Jul 27, 2020

To me hay is anything I cut and let dry then bale it up, either in small squares or big rounds no matter what is in the bale.I keep it a secret from the cows and goats when it was planted or not planted so they don't know the difference and don't seem to care.

GordoSD · Jul 27, 2020

Mares eat oats and does eat oats, but little lambs eat ivy. Sing it and it comes out

"Maresy dotes and dosey dotes and little lamsy divey"

john in la · Jul 27, 2020

[b:654c4848f0]Haylage is chopped hay that is fermented in a silo or bag.

Baleage is baled hay that is fermented in its bale form.[/b:654c4848f0]

That is the answer I was looking for.
The guy I was talking to said Haylage was silo; bag; baled.
Baleage was just another word used by people in different parts of the country for Haylage.
IE: both words were the same thing.

MJMJ · Jul 27, 2020

Hay can not be defined as perennial only, that doesnt make sense. There are plenty of annual grasses that make hay. Teff for example.

Greenfrog · Jul 27, 2020

And then you get people, usually city people, who don’t understand the difference between hay and straw. Hey is food, the other is bedding ...or toilet paper!
I brought a college buddy who was from the city, to our farm one time. He knew nothing about the farm. I had to explain the hay thing...among other things. I thought it was stretching it a bit far to tell him what color of cow, or which utter gave chocolate milk! Oh, and that machine over there is a John Deere macaroni picker🤭.

Tx Jim · Jul 27, 2020

(quoted from post at 12:20:46 07/27/20) Hay is a perennial crop made up of various grasses and/or perennial legumes.

Anything that must be planted every year in order to grow is not hay.

According to whom??

May I ask your terminology Sudan,Sudex,Haygrazer or Millet when baled in rd or sq bales?

All of the crops above are an annual crop & referred to as HAY for as long as I can remember by many local residents.

I guess it's different strokes for different folks!

jamstra · Jul 27, 2020

I agree with you about your definitions of 'hay' and baleage'(aka baled silage). However, in my part of the world, 'haylage' is grass hay baled (not chopped) just a little too damp to keep, and which is then plastic wrapped to keep the air out to allow some fermentation and to prevent spoilage This results in a very sweet smelling feed, mainly for horses, with the advantage that it is completely non-dusty. The bales are much lighter, because of lower moisture content (and much more expensive!) than baled silage. But I guess terminology varies from place to place! Jim

4520BW · Jul 27, 2020

So what do you call pearl millet and sudan
grass? We cut it for hay. What do I call
the bales of oats in my loft?

MJMJ · Jul 27, 2020

Baleale is always haylage, but haylage isnt always baleage. Whos on first?

Dick L · Jul 27, 2020

Never heard the term bailage around here. Haylage is used both in the silo and wrapped/bagged high moisture hay.

Bruce from Can. · Jul 27, 2020

If you plant a field to Red clover, it will only really
yield Red Clover one year, and it is most definitely
hay. Sure a few plants will self seed and be present
next year, but not the entire field.

fixerupper · Jul 27, 2020

(quoted from post at 11:29:34 07/27/20)

(quoted from post at 12:20:46 07/27/20) Hay is a perennial crop made up of various grasses and/or perennial legumes.

Anything that must be planted every year in order to grow is not hay.

Click to expand...

According to whom??

May I ask your terminology Sudan,Sudex,Haygrazer or Millet when baled in rd or sq bales?

All of the crops above are an annual crop & referred to as HAY for as long as I can remember by many local residents.

I guess it's different strokes for different folks!

Before my day when soybeans first came to Iowa the soybeans were cut for hay. I don't know if it was loose or baled though.

caterpillar guy · Jul 27, 2020

And to further complicate things there is dairy hay and horse hay and beef hay. The horsey people think they need top grade hay for nags just standing looking over the fence all day. The beef hay is more of a loose translation of anything they will eat is hay around here. Though some will not feed the poorest hay to their cattle as they want a better return on investment with a better grade of hay.
As for the nomenclature of balage or haylage mostly the same thing just in a different package. Candy is still candy whether it is gumdrops or Hershey bars. Hay is most any palatable feed that is in a dry form Grass,Alfalfa,or even the sorghum sudangrass or sudex. All just local definitions for a product. Silage per say is primarily just chopped corn plant complete, stalk and ear.

wheat straw · Jul 27, 2020

OK now. Corn is a grass!

coonie minnie · Jul 27, 2020

Clover stands typically last 2-3 years here in Wisconsin.

gene bender · Jul 28, 2020

way back then there were no balers all hay types were made loose and soybeans also i was told that
many years ago like in the 20s and 30s

Traditional Farmer · Jul 28, 2020

My dad said back in the 1930's and 40's they would plant blackeye/cow peas for hay and the result was the peas plus the running briars that came up with the peas.Bet that was fun handling with a pitchfork.

Leroy · Jul 29, 2020

Loose and kept in piles in field untill starting to rot and that is when the cows would realy go for it. Baled did not care for the bean stalk hay. And it was planted for hay before the average farm ever heard of a hay baler.

Leroy · Jul 29, 2020

Ohio seed one year, harvest next and 3rd year not enough plants left alive to make a crop. Red Clover.

Correct Term for hay

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