The grass has been cut - But what needs to be considered?
When harvesting hay, timing is crucial, as it directly affects quality. The ideal moment for haymaking is when most grasses are in bloom, because this is when they contain the highest amount of digestible nutrients. At this stage, both quality and yield are optimal.
If hay is harvested too early, losses occur because the grass has not yet fully developed. Harvesting too late, on the other hand, results in a higher yield but lower quality. When grass becomes too mature, nutrients have already moved into the seeds and buds, leaving the hay with very little nutritional value. As the plants mature, the crude fiber content increases - the hay becomes straw-like, leaves become woody and nutrients are more difficult for animals to digest.
In horse management, hay often serves primarily as a source of crude fiber, and therefore the highest possible yield is often desired.
Hay should be harvested as gently as possible, with minimal loss and contamination. Ideally, the moisture content of the cut grass should be reduced to below 15% within a short time without compromising hay quality. Proper adjustment of all machinery plays a key role in achieving this.
The first machine used in haymaking is the mower. The correct cutting height is about 7 cm. This helps prevent sand and soil from being disturbed and ensures a stable grass sward that allows good air circulation beneath the cut grass, promoting faster drying. The cut grass is either spread widely or laid in swaths.
To ensure even and rapid drying, the grass is turned several times using a rotary tedder, either trailed or mounted.
Before the hay can be transported from the meadow, it must be raked into swaths.
The correct timing for raking depends on the previous treatment. Conditioned and widely spread hay should be raked into swaths about three hours before baling or loading. During this time, the hay can aerate well and continue drying.
