Hay that has been harvested at full length and higher moisture than usual, then packaged into round bales. The round bales are then wrapped in plastic to exclude oxygen and cause fermentation. Stored between 40-60% moisture. Bales can be wrapped together (left) or individually (right).
Analysis of nutrient content of baleage:
|
Baleage |
|||
|
Measure |
Mean |
Margin of Error (St. Dev x2) |
Range (+/- St. Dev) |
|
Moisture, % |
47.87 |
29.54 |
33.10 – 62.64 |
|
CP, % |
17.24 |
6.12 |
14.18 – 20.30 |
|
ADF, % |
33.21 |
7.84 |
29.29 – 37.13 |
|
NDF, % |
49.24 |
13.94 |
42.27 – 56.21 |
|
Calcium, % |
1.08 |
0.68 |
0.74 – 1.42 |
|
Phosphorus, % |
0.29 |
0.12 |
0.23 – 0.35 |
|
Magnesium, % |
0.23 |
0.12 |
0.17 – 0.29 |
|
Potassium, % |
2.38 |
1.02 |
1.87 – 2.89 |
|
Starch, % |
1.96 |
0.62 |
1.65 – 2.27 |
|
Energy |
See values for hay; varies with cut (i.e. 1st, 2nd) |
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References:
Agrifood Labs Forage Summary 2013
Agrifood Labs Forage Summary 2014
Nutrition and Management, Alberta Department of Agriculture and Forestry
Nutrient Composition of Feeds, University of Madison Wisconsin