alternative to get good feed from a field or meadow?
In many areas, unpredictable weather and labor shortages make it tough to bring in good hay, particularly in the spring. An alternative is haylage, usually done with first-cutting alfalfa. The alfalfa is mowed, conditioned, and windrowed by a haybine, then left in the field to dry for anywhere from a few hours to a day. A hay-chopper (a corn chopper with a haylage head) is then run over the field to chop and gather the partially dry hay. Stored in a silo or lined pit as haylage, it makes nutritious feed. Haylage is probably only workable if you or a nearby custom operator has the equipment. Another alternative to dedicated hayfields is to combine a cutting of hay with extensive pasturage of the fields. Many farms have too much forage in the spring flush, followed by shortages during the dry months. If your pastures are clear of stones and stumps, you can take a cutting of hay in the spring, then use the fields as a pasture in the dry months. In some areas you can cut down on hay and ma
