hay

Hay, river, Canada

Hay, river, c.530 mi (850 km) long, rising in several headstreams in NE British Columbia and NW Alta., Canada, and flowing generally NE through NW Alta., over Alexander Falls, and into Great Slave Lake. Its valley, a principal north-south route, is followed by a highway and a railroad.

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hay, livestock fodder

hay, wild or cultivated plants, chiefly grasses and legumes, mown and dried for use as livestock fodder. Hay is an important factor in cattle raising and is one of the leading crops of the United States. Alfalfa, timothy, and red clover are the principal hay crops. After mowing, the hay is left spread in the field or is stacked in windrows or in cocks for drying. It must dry quickly and uniformly; its nutritive value and palatability are reduced by overexposure to sunlight or rain, and unequal drying often results in loss of the leaves, which form two thirds of its feed value.

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hay

In agriculture, dried grasses and other foliage used as animal feed. Typical hay crops are timothy, alfalfa, and clover. Usually the material is cut in the field while still green and then either dried in the field or mechanically dried by forced hot air. Balers compress hay into tightly packed rectangular or cylindrical bales tied with wire or twine. Loose hay may also be “vacuumed” off the field and then blown into stacks in a barn or other storage facility. Properly cured hay with 20% or less moisture may be stored for months without danger of spoilage.