To collect and make green hay in autumn, you should start from the following aspects:
1.Choose the right type of forage. Autumn is the best time to make high-quality green hay, choose fresh, juicy, soft forage, such as alfalfa, green fodder, leguminous forage, etc.
2.Choose the best time to grow. Autumn is the best time for green hay to grow, usually between September and November. Choose vigorous, highly dense plants to ensure the quality of hay.
3.Collect green hay. During the period when the plant is in full bloom, choose a sunny or warm day, morning or evening for collection. Avoid collecting in the scorching sun or in a humid environment to avoid affecting the quality of the hay.
4.Pruning and baling. When collecting green hay, make sure that as many of the plant's leaves remain in the hay as possible. Use scissors or sickles to trim the plants, and bale the hay for storage and transportation.
5.Drying. Place the bales of hay in a well-ventilated, sunny place to dry. During the drying process, the hay should be turned regularly to ensure that each side is dry. The drying time can be adjusted according to the weather conditions and the quality of the hay. It usually needs to be left to dry for 3-5 days until the surface of the hay turns yellow or slightly charred.
6.Storage. After drying, store the hay in a ventilated, dry, and cool place. To prevent hay from mildew, you can put it in a sealed bag or container, such as with a plastic bag, straw bale, etc., and make sure it is dry. Hay can be kept for months or even years.
7.Make green hay powder. After the collected green hay is dried, it is crushed into powder with a stone mill or machine. The powder can be used for direct feeding of livestock and poultry or as one of the raw materials for compound feed.
Through the above steps, high-quality green hay can be collected in autumn and made into hay bales (powder) for feeding livestock and poultry in winter or spring, especially grass-fed animals such as cattle and sheep.