Sweet Potato Hay & Silage

[StayPuff]

I'm not sure how many of you subscribe to the Stockman Grass Farmer paper, but in the January issue (I think it was, maybe December), but Alan Nation had a great article on how things are changing in the livestock world. He was talking mainly about how the price of feed and hay are changing and mentioned that we might want to take a look at relearning how to make sweet potato [vine] hay and silage, like they did a couple of generations ago. Sweet potatoes are fairly easy to grow, and I can see them as a viable rotational crop for feed. Are there any subscribers here that have experience with this? The only thing that I have been able to find on this subject, is an article about Texas A&M using sweet potato vines to feed rabbits. Can someone here shed more light on the subject?

Sweet potato vine & rabbit article: http://users.tamuk.edu/kfsdl00/Meat%...20Research.pdf

[Limon]

You might want to search fodder in the tropics. I know they use sweet potato vines as hay in areas where grain doesn't grow well, ie tropical regions.

[StayPuff]

Hmmm... I'll do that. Thanks Limon.

[Wanda]

Check with some of the southern ag university's. There is a problem with a toxic mold in the tubers that are damaged when they are used in cattle feed and can be very toxic.

[StayPuff]

Do you know if that's a problem when used as hay or silage? Both?

[CaliannG]

That particular toxin is not a problem with sweet potato hay or silage, but glycoalkaloids are.

Glycoalkaloids occur in young sprouts from the sweet potatoes, and unfortunately, it is difficult to separate young sprouts from mature vines when cutting for hay or silage. At any rate, they can be deadly for livestock.

If one wanted to feed this way, it would be better to turn livestock loose in the field and allow them to graze the vines. They would naturally avoid the sprouts, as they taste bad...unlike in hay or silage where they would be mixed in with other parts of the plant.

[StayPuff]

That's interesting, but I can't find anything on the Internet that mentions glycoalkaloids in the vines. I know they are present in Irish potato skins when they turn green (and vines too, I think), but haven't found anything on them being present in sweet potato vines. Also, parts of Africa are using them as hay and silage too, and don't seem to be having any problems. http://cipotato.org/press-room/press...in-east-africa

I'm NOT inferring that you're wrong, but can you post an article or link to a paper that talks about the glycoalkaloids? Thanks!

[goatlady]

All I know is when I fed the goats the sweet tater vines after I harvested the tubers, the goats fought over the vines and ate every scrap of the stuff. Don't know about making hay from them, but the fresh stuff is apparently extremely desirous to the goats.

[StayPuff]

Okay.... after more exhaustive digging: Only potatoes that are in the nightshade family (white, red, blue, etc.) contain alkaloids. Since sweet potatoes are not part of the nightshade family, and contain no alkaloids at all.... according to what I've read. Here's one article, but there are many that I have found to back this up, but I'm not posting them all.
http://paleohacks.com/questions/1882...#axzz2Kh5PZwW1

Our ancestors used to make silage and hay from sweet potato vines, and now other countries are re-learning the nutritional and financial benefits of feeding it to cattle, hogs, chickens, rabbits, and other animals.

So..... still looking for people that have experience or articles on the subject.

[1sttimemom]

Well, I got out my very OLD copy of Feeds and Feeding, copyright 1936!!! It has a little info on sweet potatoes but not on hay/silage from them. Mostly about feeding cull potatoes to various stock or turning stock into the fields to graze it themselves.

[Johnny Dolittle]

There is at least one large vegetable "tunnel" grower in the New England states who raise Sweet Potatoes in a tunnel (unheated passively ventilated plastic covered hoophouse). They feed the stalks green to pigs and the pigs love them.

I might have time later to search for the link .... and will post here

[rambler]

Boy, getting them to dry down to make hay, yet save the leaves would be a task.

We can get fiber from regular hay.

We can get protein from soybean meal and ddgs - the stuff left from ethanol plants.

I guess sweet potatoes would add the starch/ sugar if your critters need that.

Paul

[StayPuff]

Protein is precisely WHY we should be looking at this. The vines and leaves (mainly the leaves) contain 25-30% protein. The vines/leaves, in combination with corn or other grain grown in succession (rotation) would prove to be an excellent combination. This is probably why it's been used in the past, and now being tried again in other countries. Also, your animals get more than just fiber from hay. Your feeding them protein as well, especially if it has alfalfa within it.

[am1too]

Originally Posted by StayPuff

Do you know if that's a problem when used as hay or silage? Both?

I think they said tubers - not hay. So I do not think the danger is in the hay. Could be wrong.

[am1too]

Originally Posted by CaliannG

That particular toxin is not a problem with sweet potato hay or silage, but glycoalkaloids are.

Glycoalkaloids occur in young sprouts from the sweet potatoes, and unfortunately, it is difficult to separate young sprouts from mature vines when cutting for hay or silage. At any rate, they can be deadly for livestock.

If one wanted to feed this way, it would be better to turn livestock loose in the field and allow them to graze the vines. They would naturally avoid the sprouts, as they taste bad...unlike in hay or silage where they would be mixed in with other parts of the plant.

I did sweet taters last year and found no sprouts from my vines. Everything was long vines. The mentioned article from Texas said they used only half of the vine. A vine from my plants was 15 ft or so long.

[StayPuff]

Yea.. Wanda did say tubers. I caught that too, after I made the post. I'm planning on calling some University extensions to find out more on this subject anyway, and will inquire about that as well. I don't want to feed the tubers to the cow though, just hay and silage made from the vines. The tubers will feed us, the hogs, and the chickens.

[CaliannG]

They could replace SOME hay: http://www.feedipedia.org/node/551 , however, they would probably be of better use to goats as an addition to a diversified pasture.

There are problems, according to TAMU, in getting the stuff to dry down enough for safe storage as hay. 3 Days of full sun only managed to get the stuff down to 52% water, which is most assuredly NOT low enough for safe, long-term storage.

The high water content would be a problem, as well, in feeding it fresh or as silage. The numbers of 25-30% protein are only with the DRIED matter....while wet, it runs about 10-15%.

Even then, it is ONLY useful as a hay stretcher. The proteins are not all considered digestible.

[StayPuff]

Can you post the information from TAMU that you're referring to? I tried looking up TAMU, but I can't find out what organization that is. I like the other link you posted. They claim it is a viable replacement to alfalfa hay when needed.

[ldc]

I think TAMU is Texas A & M University, to poster above.

Caliann, in these years of drought, drying the leaves/vines wouldn't be a problem in our climate zone (tho the OP is in N.Illinois), but we did have a problem growing the tubers here last season. No rain after May, to speak of. And Dec 12 and Jan 13 were too cold and late for that planting!

[StayPuff]

Thanks Idc... It never dawned on me that TAMU would be Texas A&M.... Thanks!
Yea... not much grew here after June. No water is a problem with everything... especially root crops. They really depend on it.