In order to obtain high-quality hay from the cut grass, which retains the vitamins, nutrients and nutritional value as much as possible, it is very important to properly dry the prepared grass and subject it to certain processing stages in a timely manner.
To properly dry the cut grass, it is necessary to consistently carry out a series of operations with it: regular, frequent tedding, timely raking into rolls, stockpiling and stacking.
Grass harvesting is best done in sunny, hot weather - drying will take place in natural conditions, under the influence of sun and wind, which will ensure the production of high quality hay. Most of the moisture in the grass is in the stem, and the evaporation of water is mainly through the leaves. Therefore, in order to prevent premature drying and breaking of leaves with a damp stem, the grass must be slightly dried in the sun. To do this, the entire mown grass stand is scattered in a thin layer on a well-ventilated area and kept for some time until the moisture level in the plants decreases. This measure will allow to avoid breaking off the leaves, flowers and tops of the stems during tedding - after all, it is these parts of the plant that have the most valuable fodder properties.
During the drying period, the mown grass must be agitated quite often with the obligatory overturn of the layers. The first tedding is carried out immediately after mowing the grass, all subsequent tedding is carried out as the upper layers dry. The drying period in the open air is usually about two days, until the grass loses half or a little more moisture, after which the hay is collected in small swaths and dried without tedding.
To determine how ready the grass is for swathing, you need to take a small bunch of plants and twist it in your hands. If the hay crunches, rustles, breaks and moisture does not come out of the stems, this means that the moisture level does not exceed 15-17% and the grass can be harvested into windrows for final drying. If the stems remain flexible, do not break, and release juice, then the moisture content of the hay exceeds 23% and it needs additional drying in the air.
If the weather is rainy and does not allow dry hay in bulk, grass in 3-4 layers is laid out on long poles connected in the form of a hut and installed on the leeward side of agricultural buildings or fences. The grass laid in this way can dry for a week or a little more, after which it is collected in windrows with dry layers inward and wet ones along the periphery.
To check how dry the hay is in the rolls and determine the degree of its readiness for stacking, you need to lower your hand inside the grass roll - if the hay is still wet, the hand will feel damp warmth. This grass is dried for another two days, after which the finally ready-for-storage hay is collected in stacks and removed to a special room or under a shed. If, for some reason, it becomes necessary to remove slightly damp hay in a haystack, then in order to avoid the appearance of mold, layers of grass are evenly sprinkled with calibrated salt.
It is important to remember that dried grass cannot be stored in stacks tightly covered with plastic wrap - moisture condenses on it and the hay begins to mold. The film should cover the stack in such a way that there is a gap between it and the film for free air circulation.
