Economics of Maceration and Mat Drying of Alfalfa on Dairy Farms

Abstract

A new forage harvesting process is being developed where the crop is mowed, macerated, and pressed into a mat that dries up to three times faster than hay mowed with a mower conditioner. In order to determine the long-term economic benefit of the mat process to the dairy farmer, the process was modeled using a simulation model of the dairy forage system (DAFOSYM). In a hay harvest system, up to $4 were returned to the farmer for each dollar spent on increased machinery costs. In a silage system, the process broke even with a conventional system. On farms that produced both hay and silage, the mat process was more economical when the baler and forage harvester were replaced with a machine which harvested both dry and wet forage mats. The economic benefit of the mat process was sensitive to production potential of animals consuming the forage, digestibility of macerated forage, and power requirement of the mat forming machine.