Whether you feed, raise or market hay, the more you know about your hay, the more valuable it becomes. The latest technology from Case IH puts you in the know — on a bale-by-bale basis. It’s critical information that can stay with each bale from the time it hits the ground to the time it hits the feed trough.
The relative feed value (RFV) of each hay cutting can vary significantly — by as much as 30 to 40 points — across a field as moisture and hay quality fluctuate. As a hay producer, you face the challenge of delivering consistent quality to your customers. If you feed hay to livestock, you still must rely on averages and assumptions when balancing rations, even if you pull random core samples. Case IH precision large square baler technology can remove much of that guesswork.[Tweet “The more you know about your hay, the more valuable it becomes. Via @Case_IH #BeReady”]
When paired with other industry-leading technology from Case IH, such as the 600BB Moisture Monitoring System or the 696 Automatic Applicator, the ProRFV™ System allows hay producers to view, record and track the RFV for each bale. It’s value hay producers can deliver to their customers. Hay feeders can use it to improve their bottom line.
Hay producers benefit by:
- Providing customers with each bale’s RFV, moisture and weight
- Sorting similar bales into consistent lots
- Earning premiums for the highest-quality hay
Hay feeders benefit by:
- Knowing more precisely the hay quality they are buying and feeding
- Balancing and mixing rations more accurately and cost-effectively
- Target-feeding hay — highest quality to top-producing cows; lower quality to heifers or dry cows
How does the ProRFV System work?
The system relies on the principle that most of the feed value is in the leaves of the plant and that the higher the leaf content, the higher the density and quality of the bale. The hay grower pulls a sample of the hay just before or after cutting and sends it to a lab. When the grower is ready to bale, he or she enters the lab values into the ThirtyPlus™ Applicator System. As the baler operates, star wheel sensors take accurate moisture readings. The scale measures the weight, and the ProRFV System calculates and records the dry matter density and RFV for every bale as it’s being made. The information is stored into the downloadable job records and can be printed on a tag with the ProID™ Tagger.
Bale-by-bale data
The ProID Tagger places a vinyl radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on each bale. You can read tags with a hand scanner during handling or feeding. You can mount scanners on bale retrievers to efficiently scan and sort bales based on RFV or other criteria. Large operations can benefit from using a portal scanner, which captures data from each bale on a fully loaded truck. You also can mount scanners on hay loaders to help sort and group bales. When a stack is made or a truck is loaded, the list of bales is recorded as a group. You can deliver data for each stack or load to end-user customers via printout, USB drive or email. You and your customers no longer have to speculate about the characteristics of individual bales.
ROI with precision
Our Precision Hay Production Systems brochure details the full line of Case IH precision hay products. As you review this new publication, pay special attention to Page 6. There you’ll find financial scenarios for how these latest haying tools can benefit a dairy farm or a hay producer. Or take a few minutes to review our latest video. You’ll see how fellow producers benefit from a higher level of hay knowledge.
When you’re ready to learn more about how our latest hay production technology fits your operation, your local Case IH dealer can help customize the right baler for your specific situation. It’s a better way to make hay this season.