Alfalfa Grinding

Categories: Feeding Farm Animals

Is the curing of alfalfa for grinding different from ordinary; has it to

be chopped before grinding, and what is the cost of grinding?



Alfalfa hay should be cut when the very first blossoms commence to

appear. At this point the plant contains the greatest amount of protein;

from that time on until seed time, the protein diminishes and fiber

increases. To make meal, hay should be well cured, have gone through the

sweat, and should be dry, or as near dry as possible. It mills easier

when dry and makes a finer product. It should be cured so as to retain

the green color. To grind it, it is not necessary to cut it before

grinding, it mills better if ground just as it comes from the stack. The

cost of milling hay varies with the size of the machine, condition of

hay, whether dry or damp, or whether tough or tender. With larger plants

of a capacity of four to five tons per hour, it costs about 45 cents a

ton to put it in the sack, exclusive of the cost of sacks; and with

smaller, it runs from that on up to $1 to $2 per ton.