Spontaneous combustion in hay occurs when internal heat builds up through microbial and chemical processes – here’s how to reduce your risk.
The cause of spontaneous combustion in hay
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Use of Inoculants and Preservatives in Baling Hay
Photo: Checking moistures in the paddock. Producing quality, dry hay can sometimes be challenging for hay producers. This can lead growers to consider using inoculants and hay preservatives. While these additives have their role in the hay production system, it is...
Problem to Profit: Turning Winter Weeds into Cereal Hay
Weeds may reduce the aesthetic appeal and palatability of hay and/or may put livestock at risk of toxicity. Despite the challenge weeds pose in cereal crops, they present an alternative opportunity for Australian grain growers to transition into hay production before...
How To Tell The Quality Of Hay Visually
WHY IS VISUAL GRADE IMPORTANT? Visual Grade has a very strong correlation to the attractiveness of the hay (for the livestock), that is livestock are much more likely to eat and be attracted to really nice-looking hay. In addition, there is a direct correlation...
The Ultimate Guide – How To Stack Hay Bales
As your hay importation and exportation business grows, the amount of hay you’ll store on your farm or facility will as well. The time will inevitably come for you to stack hay bales to make more space. How do you do this? When stacking hay bales, ensure that each...
Hay vs Silage – Pros & Cons
Many people ask us if hay is better than silage and vice versa. The answer will depend a lot of the end user and what type of cattle you are feeding. From Feed Central’s experience the key strengths and weaknesses of Hay and Silage production are summarised below: Is...
How To Pick a Hay Contractor
Machinery manufacturers have put a lot of effort into producing a solid and heavy baler over recent years. So (as a generalization) a contractor with newer gear should be able to make heavier and better-shaped bales than a contractor with older gear. Here’s a few...
Protein Hay And How Do They Differ From Each Other
Feeding Lucerne, Vetch or Clover hay can be a great protein source addition to your livestock’s diet. You might have wondered over the years what the differences are between these different types of protein hay and which one you should really be feeding to your stock....
Protein For Animals And Why It’s Important!
Protein is an extremely important component of your animals feed source. It is required on a daily basis for body condition maintenance, lactation, growth, weight gain and reproduction. Did you know that protein itself has many different components that have different...
The Importance Of Good Hay Storage
So how can you protect the quality of your hay so that it does not decrease and so that you don’t lose too much dry matter content? The answer is to have good hay storage! Shedded hay is best - If possible aim to stack hay in a shed. Sheds should have good gutters and...
Hay Bale Sizes
CHOOSING THE RIGHT BALE SIZE When choosing hay bale size, think carefully about the hay making, handling, storage and freight costs. Calculate these costs on a dollar per tonne, not just on a per bale basis. For the best freight efficiency with hay, always aim for 25...
Hay, Straw & Silage | Truck & Trailer Sizes
Feed Central’s minimum Hay, Straw & Silage order is one full semi trailer load. BALE SIZE TRUCK TYPE NUMBER OF BALES Lge Sq 8x4x3 Flat Top Drop Deck Drop Deck Road Train B-Double 30 41 82 59 Lge Sq 8x3x3 Flat Top Drop Deck Drop Deck Road Train B-Double 48...
How To Make Quality Hay
With the hay making season upon us it’s important that we try to make a high quality product. So what management factors can we focus on to produce the highest quality hay as possible? Variety – To grow the best possible hay it is important to match the variety...
Why Are Hay Bales Wrapped In Different Colours?
Bales wrapped in plastic are commonly referred to as Silage Bales. These Silage bales are often wrapped in colourful plastic. We are often asked if these different colours of wrap mean anything? Hay Bales or Silage Bales wrapped in different colours has no real...
How Many Hay Bales Per Acre?
It’s a question that most hay farmers wonder as their venture gets underway. Your crop is growing well and thoughts of how much your crop will yield are common questions. How many hay bales per acre can you achieve? In general, 100 small square bales per acre is...
How Long Does A Round Hay Bale Last?
Importing hay is all about logistics. From the moment you harvest the hay to baling it and shipping it out to customers, you have to think about precisely how long the hay will be fresh and thus saleable for. How long does a round hay bale last? A round hay bale is...
Let’s Talk About Straw
Straw has many uses, including roughage in feedlot diets, maintenance of dry cows, or as a drought supplement, garden mulch, mushroom production or animal bedding. It has limited nutritional value; on a dry matter basis straw is expensive to transport because legal...
Why Do Hay Bales Catch Fire?
Almost every farmer has a story about their own hay catching on fire or a friend or colleague’s doing the same. For the most part, your hay will seem fine then one day it starts emitting steam and then smoke before it ignites. Why do hay bales catch fire? Hay bales...
Testing And Timing Hay Before Baling
When harvesting hay, the next step is to bale it into sellable round or square-shaped bales. You can’t just bale whenever you want though, at least, not if you want high-quality hay. That’s why, testing your hay before bailing is so important. When testing hay ahead...
How Much Do Hay Bales Weigh?
Bale weight is critical in determining the price of hay and transportation costs. Since there are lots of factors that can affect the total weight of a hay bale, it's important to understand the basics. This guide will help farmers make a practical buying decision...