Hay vs Silage – Pros & Cons

The majority of our buyers are geared to feed Hay. Fromour experience the key strengths and weaknesses of Hay and Silage production are summarised below:

Is Hay Better Than Silage?

HAY PROS

• Efficient to transport with lower costs on a dry matter basis compared to Silage and Straw .
• Lower delivery costs when taking into consideration protein, metabolisable energy, neutral detergent fibre etc.
• More contractors are equipped to make Hay
• Lower baling costs per tonne
• More market outlets.

HAY CONS

• Can be exposed to weather damage whilst curing.
• Feed test: results are generally lower, when compared to silage.
• Degrades faster if stored unprotected outside (must be shed stored).

Is Silage Better Than Hay?

WRAPPED SILAGE PROS

• Greater quality feed test results compared to Hay.
• Less exposed to weather damage.
• Unaffected by the type of storage and storage surface.
• Good silage is free of weed seeds.
• A good fodder conservation option when consumed on the same farm it is produced.

WRAPPED SILAGE CONS

• Transport costs are higher on a dry matter basis compared to Hay, i.e.. with silage you are carting a lot of unnecessary water.
• Higher delivery cost based on protein, metabolisable energy, neutral detergent fibre on a dry matter basis.
• Baling cost per tonne is higher.>
• Less market outlets & demand.
• The plastic wrap of silage tends to get damaged during handling.

As a general rule, when pricing Silage against Hay, simply divide the price of Hay by 2.5, because a ‘normal’ bale of Silage is approximately between 50-75% percent water.

For example:

If the Hay costs $225 per tonne, then the Silage price would need to be $90 per tonne to be roughly equivalent. We recommend that buyers calculate the cost of silage on a Dry Matter delivered basis, which almost always is dearer than Hay.

In summary, many people, including Dairy farmers, strongly advocate silage production and consumption. From a marketing perspective, Feed Central advises that you make silage with EXTREME care. If you are going to use the product (and not sell it) silage could be a better feed choice.