CROPS SUITABLE FOR HAY-MAKING. the efficiency and quality of hay-making are determined by the moisture content in the fodder species and the ease with which moisture can be removed. Thus all the thin-stemmed grasses namely anjan, sain, moshi, dhaulu, spear, blue panic, sewan, marvel, dinanath, oat, Rhodes grass, thin guinea, thin Napier; and legumes, viz. lucerne, berseem, senji, peas, methi, vetches, cowpea, field bean, rice bean and velvet bean, can be conveniently and quickly dried, unlike thick-stemmed fodders, which take more time for drying. However, if the thick-stemmed fodders are required to be dried quickly, they should necessarily be chopped into small pieces or crushed by passing the material in between rollers

HAY-CURING STRUCTURES.   In some countries, hay-making is done in hay-barns which are specially designed structures in which horizontat air is circulated for drying the material quickly. However, in India, the most prevalent systems are as follows :

Fence method. In this method, the fodders are cut and spread evenly and thinly over the fences of the paddocks, fields, or over specially erected fences. This method helps to dry the material quickly and the turning of the material after every 2 or 3 hours daily can be avoided.

Tripod method. In this system, tripods of convenient height are erected by using the local materials, e.g. wood or galvanized iron poles. In between these poles, horizontal supports are erected to increase the carrying capacity. Unchopped fodders are dried in the manner described under the fence method.

GABLE-SHAPED STRUCTURES.   The gable-shaped structures are made by using galvanized woven-wire fencing material of desired width and angle iron poles. The fencing material is fixed in such a way as to provide a slopinfg support and good ventilation for quick drying. This system also permits the excessive shedding of the leafy material with less handling unlike the ordinary ground method.

This structure can be made economical further by using netted ropes of medium diameter and wooden poles.

HAY-CURING SHEDS.   Hay-curing sheds of convenient size 18 m X 9 m X 3 m with a slanting rod supported by pillars, are constructed with corrugated asbestos. Chain-link fencing of 5 cm X 5 cm mesh and 1-1.25 m in width is arranged lengthwise in a 4- or 5-tier system. this types of sheds are good for making hay during the monsoon and summer. The cost is further reduced by thatching the roof with sarkanda (Phragmitis kerka) and by using wooden poles for support.

GROUND METHOD.   In this method, the chaffed or unchaffed material is thinly or evenly spread over a pucca floor so as to prevent soiling. The material is turned 2 or 3 times daily till it dries completely.

STEPS FOR MAKING HAY.   Good quality hay is prepared by adopting the following procedure.

1. The quality of the hay is directly related to the stage of the growth of the fodder species, the leaf-stem ratio and the moisture content. Thus the fodder crops, namely cowpea, velvet bean, guar, moth, jowar, bajra, Sudan grass, teosinte, and oats, should be cut for hay-making at the flowering stage. Pasture and the cultivated grasses are cut at 50 per cent blossoming or slightly earlier to prevent the lignification of the cellulose, losses of protein, energy and palatability which are caused owing to the advancement of plant growth. Lucerne and berseem are cut for hay-making at 30-40 days intervals.
2. The fodder crops should not be harvested immediately after irrigation. They should rather be harvested in the afternoon and before applying irrigation, so that they have less moisture and more of dry matter. They will also take less time to dry.
3. Though the fodder species may be dried as such, yet the best-quality hay is made by chaffing the species into small pieces with a hand-driven chaffing machine or with a power-driven chaff-cutter. The chaffed material is spread evenly in thin layers and is turned two or three times daily. In the evening, the half-dried material is raked and collected in the form of a cone so as to prevent the exposure of the material to dew-fall at night. On the second day, the material is again spread evenly after the dew jas disappeared. The material is turned frequently, depending upon the climatic conditions, namely, the degree of sunshine, the wind velocity, and humidity. In the case of lucerne, berseem and cowpea, the leaves are very brittle and fall down quickly. During summer, the hay of lucerne, cowpea, etc. may preferably be made in shade so that the bleaching action may be reduced to the minimum.
4. The hay made by adopting the above steps, and possessing about 15 per cent moisture is finally transported to the hay-barn. It should retain the green colour, good aroma and flavour. It should preferably be stored at a low temperature and humidity so as to prevent losses owing to the oxidation of the carbohydrates. The losses may be as high as 40-50 per cent if not stored properly.

In order to minimize the space for storage and for effective long-term storage, the hay is turned into bales of suitable sizes with manually-operated or power-driven hay-balers.

It is a known fact that a large proportion of our livestock subsists on the dry straw or crop residues of the cereal or other grain crops practically throughout the year. The chief sources of the crop residues are paddy, wheat, barley, maize, jowar, bajra and ragi. The straws of these crops are highly deficient in protein and some minerals, but are fairly rich in carbohydrates. The estimated figures for the availability of the crop residues are of the order of 231.05 million tonnes against the estimated requirements of 869.67 million tonnes annually, based on the present livestock population. Consiering the estimated increase in cattle population to the extent of 1.96% annually, the production of, and improvement in, these low-grade straws is inevitable.

Improvement of crop residues. nbsp Taking the advantage of high dry matter and fairly rich carbohydrates, these low grade roughages are improved by fortifying them with suitable additives and by using suitable fodder crops.

The dry straws are also improved by the addition of suitable additives namely, urea, mineral mixture and water. The straws are chaffed into five pieces (2-3 cm). One kg of urea and 1.5 kg of mineral mixture are dissolved in 20 kg of water and mixed with 97.5 kg of the chaffed material. The material in this way is stored in silo-pits like silage and is allowed to ferment under anaerobic conditions. The soluble carbohydrates present in the dry straw act as a source of energy for the bacteria to grow well. After about two months, the silo-pits are opened and the material is fed to the livestock. Vitamin A deficiency in the processed product is taken care of by feeding 2 kg of green fodder per day per animal. This product is termed as "haylage".

The quality of the straws of jowar, ragi, wheat, paddy, and bajra, and that of sugarcane trash is also improved by treating them with urea (1-2%), molasses (10-15%), salt (2%) and mineral mixture (1%). After chaffing the dry straws into five pieces, urea, salt and mineral mixture are mixed with the chaffed material and later sprayed with molasses and mixed thoroughly before feeding.