by Jeremy Sweeten

Bleached hay is an important factor in dry hay production. It is not generally a forage quality factor. You can have timely made alfalfa that is bleached out test higher than over mature “green” colored alfalfa. However, hay color is important in the horse market because of the curb appeal.

Bleached hay in production is a direct impact of exposure to the sun, rain, humidity, and ultimately oxidation of Beta-carotene. Hay contains the Vitamin A precursor Beta-Carotene that is converted to Vitamin A by the animal. Beta-Carotene is present in green plants but is not stable once forages have been harvested.

In my experience, hay bleaches the more it is manipulated and exposed to the sun. Tedding can increase the amount of bleached hay that ends up in the bale. In the Midwest, there is often a trade-off in the amount of hay manipulation versus drying time versus the weather. I would rather put up good dry hay that is bleached rather than nice “green” hay that is tough (too wet).

tips to consider when making dry hay

1. Check and adjust mower condition for maximum conditioning with minimal leaf loss.

2. Lay windrows as wide as possible. Spread tractor wheels out to maximize windrow width.

3. Don’t ted hay just because that is what you always do. Use a tedder wisely based on crop and weather conditions.

4. Consider the type of rake being used. Rotary rakes tend to make nice, fluffy windrows that dry well.

5. Only rake the day you are going to bale to minimize the amount of hay exposed to the sun.  Dry the hay in a wide swath.

6. Hay preservative can also change the color of the hay to a less than desirable color.

7. Get the baled hay into storage and avoid sunlight in storage if possible.