Hay

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hay

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific basis of preservation?Dehydration to below 20% moisture content inhibits microbial and enzymatic spoilage
2. What is the nutritional components?Provides fiber, digestible carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals essential for herbivores
3. What is hay and why do animals eat it?Hay is dried grass that gives cows, horses, and other animals fiber, energy, and protein to stay healthy and happy.
4. How do farmers turn fresh grass into hay?Farmers cut the grass and then dry it by spreading it out, using wind and sun, and sometimes machines, until the moisture is below 20%.

Forage Crops: Plants grown specifically for consumption by grazing livestock or for conservation as fodder.
Mycotoxins: Harmful substances produced by certain molds that can grow on improperly stored hay.
Windrow: A long, narrow row of cut crop material left in the field to dry before baling.