Hay Making August 2020

Hay Making

August 2020 16-page feature

Half a lifetime of hay making PAGE 24 | Strong soil makes great hay PAGE 27 | Tips to prevent hayshed !res PAGE 29

Reaping rewards for hard work

Northern Victoria’s climate and a focus on excellence have helped Kyabram farmers Sam and Jake Thompson bring home a national quality award for their lucerne hay. The only Victorians to win a national award in the annual contest, the Thompsons are now setting their sights on another busy season.

SEE PAGE 28

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PAGE 22—’Hay Making’, August, 2020

hay making

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Like other customer reward programs, each dollar spent on products — such as TamaNet, Silotite, TamaWrap for cotton or Hercules HD for hay — accumulates and can be traded for gift cards, electronics, holidays, sporting goods and children’s toys.

Tama Australia marketing manager Susan Taylor said Tama Rewards was a tangible way to thank loyal customers. ‘‘You get points for purchasing airfares, rewards for doing the groceries, we thought it was about time our grower and contractor customers were rewarded for their business spending,’’ she said. ‘‘There’s value in our products, that’s why our customers return each year, but Tama Rewards is one way we can say

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The first $5000 equals 50 points and can be traded for gifts such as homeware items, small electronics, children’s books or gift cards. ‘‘Points can also accumulate over two years,’’ Ms Taylor said. ‘‘Some people might pick out a big ticket item at the start of the season and cash-in their points at the end for birthday or Christmas gifts. ‘‘There’s also an option to transfer the points into a donation for charity.’’ ➤ With thousands of rewards available, customers can claim their points online by visiting: www.TamaRewards.com.au

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’Hay Making’, August, 2020—PAGE 23

hay making

Ready for a strong hay season orthern Victorian N and southern Riverina growers are

anticipating a strong hay season if rain continues to fall at the right times.

The Goulburn and Murray valleys recorded 20 to 30 mm over the weekend of August 8 and 9, with light showers continuing throughout last week.

Dairy Australia’s latest hay report says producers are preparing for what is expected to be a good season, with many ensuring they have the undercover storage to carry as much as they can. ‘‘Crops are up and doing well across NSW, Victoria and South Australia, with most areas continuing to receive consistent rain,’’ the fortnightly report said. ‘‘The demand that was expected to be felt over winter has not eventuated. ‘‘With most farmers being well enough stocked themselves and grass staying viable they haven’t had to outsource for the extra roughage to carry their stock over. ‘‘Silage season is still six to eight weeks away and up to 10 weeks in the

Dairy Australia’s latest hay report points to a good season across the Goulburn and Murray valleys.

southern parts of Victoria. ‘‘Growers are anticipating a good hay season if rainfall continues to fall at the right times.’’

Prices have remained steady across the Goulburn and Murray valleys, according to the

report.

Cereal hay is fetching $190 to $220/tonne while lucerne hay is currently selling for $450 to $500/tonne and pasture hay remains steady at $250 to $330/tonne.

Northern Victorian hay

prices are expected to return to historic averages, according to Feed Central managing director Tim Ford.

He estimated a northern Victorian cereal hay price of $150 to $250/tonne based on a 600 kg bale

weight, with the higher prices destined for the export market.

For lucerne hay, $300/tonne could be maintained from farms in northern Victoria, potentially up to $400 depending on quality and

feed tests.

Vetch hay is expected to be in the middle of these prices.

It comes as the water outlook for the MurrayDarling Basin becomes more positive.

Murray-Darling Basin Authority executive director of river management Andrew Reynolds said the full range of scenarios from extreme dry to very wet have been considered, but river managers are cautiously optimistic that 2020-21 will be a better year than 2019-20.

As of July 22, southern basin storages were at 51 per cent compared to 40 per cent at the same time last year.

Victorian opening irrigation allocations are as follows: Murray system 15 per cent high-reliability water shares, Goulburn and Loddon systems 37 per cent HRWS, Campaspe system 40 per cent HRWS and Broken system 30 per cent HRWS. Lake Eildon is holding about 52 per cent of capacity, and Dartmouth Dam is at 53 per cent.

PAGE 24—’Hay Making’, August, 2020

hay making

Lochie’s been living the hay

By Geoff Adams

L

ochie Morris is only 20 years old but has been making hay for at least 10 years.

Lochie grew up on his family’s Naring farm and watched his father Dave make silage and hay for themselves and other farmers.

Now he has his own contracting business, North Vic Ag Contracting, based around the core service of hay making and with plans to diversify to broader farm contracting. ‘‘At the moment it’s hay and silage but I’m working towards doing more tillage and sowing and eventually will get into transport.’’

When Country News last visited the Naring property, Lochie was 11 years old and driving an old yellow Chamberlain tractor with a hay rake.

Today he has upgraded to some bigger equipment and now concentrates on putting his experience into practice for customers. ‘‘Ever since I was two, I wanted to do this,’’ Lochie said.

‘‘But since I was 16 or 17 I’ve done most jobs with Dad in his contracting business.’’

His favourite tools of the trade include the Lely Welger 445 bale wrapper, which he says is easy to repair, has a simple, wide pick-up and produces a tight, solid bale, and an old favourite is the classic New Holland small square baler, which produces a compact bale popular with produce stores.

Also in the shed are the Kuhn Tedder GF6001 for aerating windrowed hay, the Claas rotary rake and Lely Attis silage wrapper.

One thing he has learned is to listen to feedback from customers, and Lochie takes pride in satisfying farmer input.

He is anticipating a big silage season thanks to improved weather conditions over winter, but the spring will dictate how many crops are converted to hay and where the price settles.

Although Lochie spends most of his working time in northern Victoria, he is prepared to travel to pick up work.

Lochie Morris from Naring in 2020.

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’Hay Making’, August, 2020—PAGE 25

hay making

life for half his life

Young Lochie Morris was driving for his dad back in 2011.

Farm-raised Lochie Morris has had the benefit of many years on the land.

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PAGE 26—’Hay Making’, August, 2020

hay making

Second national title for lucerne

By Rodney Woods

Lochie Donald Mulwala’s has grown a lucerne

hay crop that has feed tested above all others in the country for the second time in three years, as part of Feed Central’s 2019-20 National Hay Quality Awards.

In addition to taking out the national award for the best lucerne feed test in 2017-18, as well as this year’s award, Mr Donald has also won the NSW award for the same category for the past three seasons.

When asked why his hay had tested so high in recent years, Mr Donald said he couldn’t put it down to just one thing. ‘‘It’s the small one percenters — the fertiliser program and compost variety and agronomy and also machinery (we use),’’ he said. ‘‘We’ve invested heavily in machinery over the last 15 years.

‘‘The one thing that ties it all together is experience — good and bad. ‘‘You can’t get good experiences without suffering bad ones.’’

Mr Donald uses Massey Ferguson hay gear and he said the machinery he had invested in made the process more efficient. ‘‘One example that stands out is when we used the pull along mower it took between seven and nine days (to cure),’’ he said. ‘‘Now it takes five to seven (days to cure) with the twin max mower conditioner. ‘‘That’s the mowing side which is the biggest part of our machinery. ‘‘We also use a roller bar rake and rotary rake instead of the old fashioned finger tined rake — we’ve got that absolutely out of the system.’’

When it comes to the upcoming season, Mr Donald said it was one of the best he had seen.

‘‘It’s really good,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s one of the best I’ve seen in the 25 years I’ve been here. ‘‘I’m hoping to see a return to a normal season but our main worry is how far prices will go down, with the abundance of hay that will be available this season.’’

Mr Donald said the opportunity to win for a fourth year, would be ‘‘unreal’’ but he was realistic about how difficult it would be to get workers during harvest, especially if the current border closures continue. ‘‘Our biggest heartache is staff,’’ he said. ‘‘By far and away our biggest problem is finding experienced staff. ‘‘During the main season we rely on backpackers to a certain extent to do tractor and loader driving. ‘‘It’s a good grain season, they will be all in demand and there’s not many around.’’

Lochie Donald (third from left) with his children Angus, Finella, Lizbeth, Shona and Alex.

The award-winning lucerne crop.

’Hay Making’, August, 2020—PAGE 27

hay making

Strong soil makes great hay

By Rodney Woods

oil structure was the key to S the Byrnes family picking up the award for the best vetch hay feed test in Victoria recently.

Announced as part of Feed Central’s 2019-20 National Hay Quality Awards, father-son duo Russell and Tom Byrnes, who farm at Barmah, have had their hay tested for several years by Feed Central but haven’t been recognised for their efforts until now.

Tom said the work they had done to the soil as well as the timing of the cut were reasons for their success. ‘‘We have good soil structure from several years of direct drilling and we use pig manure which also helps the soil,’’ he said. ‘‘Cutting just before flowering (also helped). ‘‘We hit the nail on the head with that.’’

The Byrnes’ mixed farm has an even split of dryland and irrigation, and they grow several crops and run lambs. ‘‘We also grow wheat, barley, canola, faba beans and lucerne hay as well,’’ Tom said. ‘‘We use pivots and flood irrigation.

The paddock of vetch hay that was awarded best vetch hay feed test by Feed Central.

‘‘The pivots are more water efficient as with the flooding you have to pile it on. ‘‘The pivots have been a big winner for us.’’

Tom, who is in his early 20s, said this year’s season was one of the best he’d seen but timing during harvest would be the key

to backing up the award in 2020-21. ‘‘Keeping it dry and conditioning it and baling at the right moisture and time will be the biggest keys,’’ he said. ‘‘We get all our hay tested and obviously we will get it tested again and if it goes our way, it goes our way.’’

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Russell and Tom Byrnes, from Barmah, stand in this year’s vetch crop.

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PAGE 28—’Hay Making’, August, 2020

hay making

Sam (right) and Jake Thompson on their Kyabram farm.

Picture: Sarah Thompson Photography

The award-winning crop under pivot irrigation.

‘Best’ climate reaps rewards

By Rodney Woods

NSW farmers While dominated the national

titles in Feed Central’s 2019-20 National Hay Quality awards, they were denied a clean sweep by the Thompson family from Kyabram.

Sam and Jake, along with their wives Danielle and Sarah, took out the national and Victorian best lucerne hay visual test awards, with a crop they usually get five cuts out of a year. ‘‘The crop is laboratory tested

and it was a our second cut of lucerne that won the national award and the fourth cut got us the Victorian award,’’ Sam said.

The family has been producing premium lucerne for 15 years, which is sold to chaffing mills for horse feed.

Sam said the win was some positive news considering the difficulties he has faced in his other profession as a pilot for Virgin Australia.

He explained the farming job meant some late nights during harvest time.

‘‘I was delighted to get that news because of the stresses in the airline sector,’’ the fourthgeneration farmer said. ‘‘I guess the main things to get a premium standard are the Goulburn Valley has terrific soils, we have three paddocks with pivot irrigation under lucerne, the Goulburn irrigation scheme is a reliable source of good and clean water and the climate we have here in northern Victoria is best for lucerne in Australia as it dries they hay out quickly and that helps the colour.

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‘‘With the hot, dry days and humidity at night or in the early hours of the morning, it means we can be up all night nurturing the hay because when the crop has a enough moisture on it then machinery can be used on the crop without damaging the leaf, which is brittle during the day. ‘‘It’s like having a newborn baby because if you look at the local forecast and it says the humidity will be at a certain level at 11 pm (for example) and it is too dry you have to come back and check on it after a few hours

and that’s how you can be up all night. ‘‘We get superior control of irrigation through the pivots and you have to get the agronomy right. ‘‘Our agronomist, Advanced Ag Shepparton’s Tim Anderson, keeps a close eye on our crops for nutritional issues and pests. ‘‘We cut that lucerne in the early flower stage as that represents the highest feed value. ‘‘If you leave it for too long, the stalk becomes thick and the animals don’t like it.’’

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’Hay Making’, August, 2020—PAGE 29

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Tips for avoiding hayshed fires ay fires have been a H major problem in south-eastern Australia

in recent years.

Hundreds of hayshed fires have been recorded in NSW, Victoria and South Australia because of spontaneous combustion.

It is also likely a significant amount of hay has been damaged by heating even though it did not ignite.

A variety of factors are believed to influence hay heating and the risk of spontaneous combustion.

These include moisture (or dry matter) content of the forage, crop or pasture species, air temperature and humidity, bale size, compaction and stacking.

Risk of heating is affected by bale size, density and how it is stored.

Smaller bales have a relatively large surface area, so can dissipate heat.

Under dry conditions hay in small bales and lower-density round bales will continue to lose some moisture after baling.

However, once stacked in a shed the effective size of the lot increases and the comparative

NSW DPI has provided a range of advice to avoid hayshed fires.

advantage of smaller bales to dissipate heat is lost.

As a general guide, hay that is baled at more than 20 per cent moisture is at risk of heating or going mouldy, which will affect nutritional quality of the feed.

If hay is baled at 25 to 35 per cent moisture (75 to 65 per cent dry matter),

then spontaneous combustion is likely to occur.

Large rectangular or round bales retain more of the heat generated than small bales and are more likely to heat at lower moisture levels.

Heat damage appears as brown or charred hay in the middle of the bale.

When making large bales it is important to bale hay at a moisture content no higher than 14 to 16 per cent.

There is a narrow range of moisture levels suitable for making large bale hay.

If the forage is baled too wet it will heat.

If it is baled too dry, leaf shatter and field losses

during baling increase and can exceed 25 per cent if the hay is less than 12 per cent moisture.

Bale stacking configuration will also affect heat build-up.

Tightly stacked square (rectangular) bales will not allow air movement and heat will build up.

Some arrangements of

round bales may allow heat to dissipate out of the stack, however damage is still possible in the middle of the bale.

Heating causes changes in the chemical structure of the hay, which reduces its feed quality.

Chemical bonds form between carbohydrate and protein, reducing metabolisable energy content and protein availability.

The factors determining the extent of the reduction in feed value are not often fully understood.

Heating of hay following baling of high-moisture lucerne and rye-grass results in a decrease in energy and digestible protein of the hay.

Combined with a loss of total dry matter in the bales, this represents a significant loss of overall feed value of the hay.

Producers should be aware of the potential losses of dry matter and hay quality if they bale hay with a high moisture content.

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PAGE 30—’Hay Making’, August, 2020

hay making

ACS 2 can make it easier to turn in the paddock or be set to provide more automotive-like steering during transport.

LSB Ride Control modulates the tractor’s IVT to compensate for the rocking motion of the baler plunger.

Popular tractors get updates

ohn Deere has announced Jadditions several updates and to its popular lineup of 7R and 8R tractors for the 2021 model year.

New to the 7R Series line-up is the 7R 350, with a 257 kW or 350 horsepower-rated engine — a 20 hp increase over the largest MY20 7R tractor — and a base weight of about 11,200 kg.

This means the 7R 350 delivers the best power-to-weight ratio of any John Deere tractor on offer.

It comes standard with Triple Link Suspension and Infinitely Variable Transmission and can be ordered with CommandPRO controls for precise speed control and easy implement hookups.

John Deere tactical marketing

segment manager Marko Koelln said the new 7R 350 provided the ideal choice for jobs that require both power and mobility. ‘‘Customers will benefit from the manoeuverability and lighter footprint of the smaller chassis offered by this tractor,’’ he said. ‘‘For example, it is ideal to power large mowing and baling equipment or for hauling heavy loads on-farm.’’

Another key enhancement for 7R tractors used for hay and forage work is the addition of LSB Ride Control. ‘‘As we know, the high inertial forces imposed by Large Square Balers (LSB) can subject the tractor cab to strong movements, which can result in poor ride quality and place strain on the

operator,’’ Mr Koelln said. ‘‘This means that, at times, farmers may go for a larger tractor option than what is required to power their baling equipment, to compensate for this. ‘‘LSB Ride Control is an integrated system that controls vibrations on 7R tractors that works in conjunction with a John Deere LSB to mitigate this issue.’’

LSB Ride Control modulates the tractor’s IVT to compensate for the rocking motion of the baler plunger. The self-adjusting system improves operator comfort, even as crop density and paddock conditions change.

LSB Ride Control is available as a factory-installed option for MY21 on 7R tractors equipped with an IVT and is compatible with John

Deere L331 or L341 large square balers. ‘‘LSB Ride Control allows operators to operate large hay implements and large square balers more easily, minimise compaction damage due to the 7R 350’s lighter footprint, and to perform mowing, merging, baling and moving bales with one tractor,’’ Mr Koelln said.

Starting with model year 2021, John Deere will make ActiveCommand Steering 2 (ACS 2) available as a factory-installed option on 7R and 8R tractors.

This system replaces the original ActiveCommand Steering system and adds more features and capabilities to further improve the driving experience of the tractor in the paddock or on the

road. ACS 2 reduces steering effort for the operator and improves line holding during transport.

Mr Koelln said using ACS 2, operators can adjust steering sensitivity and steering wheel resistance, or turn on or off variable-ratio steering, to best match their application and driving preferences. ‘‘For example, ACS 2 can be set to make it easier to turn the tractor in the paddock or can be set to provide a more automotivelike steering experience during transport,’’ he said.

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’Hay Making’, August, 2020—PAGE 31

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Asset write-off is driving sales aler sales are booming, jumping by B a third on last year’s figures as farmers prepare for the upcoming

harvest.

Figures from the Australia Tractor and Machinery Association show the purchase of balers, tractors and mowers continue to climb thanks to the Federal Government’s instant asset write-off scheme.

But the sale of combine harvesters has slowed and is expected to be 15 to 20 per cent down on last year, with most machinery in place for the upcoming harvest season.

In June, the Federal Government extended the $150,000 instant asset write-off scheme until the end of the year.

The extension comes after the threshold for instant asset write-off increased from $30,000 to $150,000 in March, and applies to businesses with an annual turnover of less than $500 million.

Machinery sales were up across the country in July, according to TMA’s executive director Gary Northover. ‘‘Following on from the record June result, the best month in 20 years, the sale of tractors has again been strong in July,’’ Mr Northover said. ‘‘Victoria reported another strong month, up 34 per cent (on the past month) and now 30 per cent ahead yearto-date.’’

Mr Northover said the industry’s ability

to continue to deliver strong sales would be determined by the supply of product from international suppliers — and early signs are that the demands of the market are largely being met.

The increase in tractor sales numbers is due almost entirely to the ongoing strength in the smaller end of the market according to the TMA figures, with the under 40 hp (30 kw) range up 48 per cent for the month.

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PAGE 32—’Hay Making’, August, 2020

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Boort’s Josh Lanyon in this year’s cereal crop.

Timing is vital

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being rewarded for growing the best visual cereal (barley) and vetch hay in Victoria.

Mr Lanyon put down his recent success in the awards to the climate he grows his crops in and the timing of when he cuts it. ‘‘Timeliness is the most important thing of the whole operation,’’ he said. ‘‘It doesn’t make it if it gets rained on.’’

Mr Lanyon said they marketed their hay all over the country depending on who needed it most. ‘‘Most of our hay gets marketed the following winter,’’ he said. ‘‘The weather conditions across the country determine where we market and how much gets sold.

‘‘We sell to every sector and the season seems to dictate where we sell into really. It changes every year where we sell to.’’

Mr Lanyon uses Krone balers, MacDon mowers and John Deere tractors to get the hay market-ready. ‘‘I use the Krone balers because they provide the highest density bales.’’

So far this season, Mr Lanyon has seen 200 mm fall on his property throughout the growing season and said he hoped the weather gods looked after him when he started to cut the crop. ‘‘Our biggest challenge is really just the weather doing the right thing at the right time. We need the rain during winter but not much rain at the end of September. ‘‘We hope the weather behaves itself in October (when we cut the crop).’’

’Hay Making’, August, 2020—PAGE 33

hay making

Getting the right mix of ingredients

By Rodney Woods

A

lack of rain normally means bad news for farmers, but Bunnaloo’s Jerome Shirley said the dry conditions contributed to his award-winning crop.

Mr Shirley was awarded both the NSW and Australian titles for best vetch hay visual test, when Feed Central announced its 2019-20 hay awards last month. ‘‘Obviously the dry conditions helped us a lot,’’ he said. ‘‘We only had 144 mm of rainfall in crop. ‘‘The colour is better in dry conditions. ‘‘The key to keeping the colour good was storing it in shedding. ‘‘If it had of been stored in the paddock, it would’ve been no good.’’

Mr Shirley praised Rochester contractor Alex Peacock for his role in the award win. ‘‘It comes down to the

contractor who baled it a bit,’’ he said. ‘‘They used a steamer to bale it in to squares. ‘‘The steamer keeps the leaf matter intact.’’

Looking ahead to this season, Mr Shirley said yield would likely trump quality. ‘‘As far as yield wise, it will be much better (this season). ‘‘In terms of quality, it probably won’t be as good because the yield is better. ‘‘If it doesn’t rain, the quality will be better but if it does, it will go off.’’

Mr Shirley said with more hay likely to be available this season, rain damage could be the difference between selling it or not. ‘‘The challenge this year is an oversupply of hay compared to the last couple of years. ‘‘There’s a weather risk — if you do go cut it and it rains, it will be harder to sell.’’

Jerome Shirley (right) with father Dick on their Bunnaloo farm. The father-son duo took out both the national and NSW awards for best vetch hay visual test.

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PAGE 34—’Hay Making’, August, 2020

hay making

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GCO has the tool to help hay A growers to not only get their crop to its best quality, but keep it at a high

standard consistently.

While baling, the AGCO Hayboss System automatically applies the correct amount of preservative according to the moisture level through spray nozzles located in the pick-up area.

The system also has a function that stores job records with information on each individual bale that can be exported to a spreadsheet and it has moisture-only systems available as well as plenty of addon accessories to help to increase hay quality, value and safety.

The Hayboss G2 for large square balers is equipped with three pumps and built-in flowmeter.

The pumps are plumbed in parallel, so when the hay moisture calls for additional application, a second and third pump can quickly start up, turning on additional tips.

Another feature of the Hayboss system is when the hay moisture goes down, pumps are immediately shut down, so there is no waste of extra product.

The 600 series is for large square bales, while the 300 series is suitable for small square bales as well as round bales. ➤ For more information, contact your local AGCO dealer.

’Hay Making’, August, 2020—PAGE 35

hay making

Rev-up baling with V6 range he McHale V6 range of T variable chamber balers has taken baling to a new

level with its launch onto the world market.

The new range includes the McHale V6740 non-chopper baler and the McHale V6750 15-knife chopper baler.

Since the McHale V6 range was first introduced at Agritechnica in 2009, the machines have been developed to provide higher density and higher output.

The new variable chamber baler range has key features including higher and adaptive intake, a 15-knife chopper unit, a drop floor unblocking system and Expert Plus Control Console.

McHale marketing and sales director Martin McHale said the McHale V6 range was recognised worldwide for making well-shaped, highdensity bales. ‘‘Our new V6740 and V6750 have brought baling to a new level with higher density, better intake, less crop loss and easier maintenance,’’ he said.

The new McHale V6 variable chamber baler range is fitted with heavy-duty components ensuring long life, high levels of reliability and the ability to handle the toughest crops and ground conditions.

The V6 variable chamber balers feature twin skin durable

panels that now open upwards to provide better access to the machine’s components.

For higher intake, the new range of V6 machines feature a pick-up with a five-tine bar cam track pick-up or six-tine bar camless pick-up option, with double crop roller to choose from.

McHale has increased the size of the lateral feed auger, which directs crops into the rotor, while increasing the rotor diameter to improve intake.

The angle at which the floor is positioned has also been redesigned to maximise the flow of crop into the chamber.

An optional selectable knife system is available, which consists of two knife banks that allow for various knife configurations to be chosen to allow zero, seven, eight or 15 knives to work.

Should blockages occur, the sound of the slip clutch alerts the operator, who can hydraulically lower the floor from the tractor cab. This widens the feed channel and the blockage can be fed through.

Using the new Expert Plus Control Console from the tractor cab, the operator can adjust the bale size, density and the revolutions of net being applied.

The operator also has the choice of selecting a soft or hard bale core, depending on the requirements.

The McHale V6 range of variable chamber balers has a range of new features.

AGCO HayBoss Increase your hay quality, value and safety HayBoss is Available from your Authorised AGCO Parts Dealer ECHUCA McKee’s Garage & Engineering NAGAMBIE John Sanderson Machinery COBRAM Cobram Farm Equipment SHEPPARTON Bertoli Farm Equipment

2/39 McKenzie Road 36-38 Industrial Crescent 3687 Murray Valley Highway 198-200 Numurkah Road

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©2020 AGCO Corporation. AGCO Parts is a worldwide brand of AGCO Corporation. Massey Ferguson, AGCO and AGCO Parts are trademarks of AGCO. All rights reserved

PAGE 36—’Hay Making’, August, 2020

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