The juice XP

    The Juice is a Canadian Manufactured hay preservative product designed as a premium quality forage additive. The Juice is a Modern Buffered Acid that is applied in a ready to use liquid form. The Juice works to maintain the nutrient content of your hay and inhibit and reduce mould when applied to your forage.


How it Works

    The Juice works on the principal of direct acidification. Like making pickles with vinegar, we apply acid to lower the ph. The majority of spoilage causing organisms in a forage requires a neutral or high pH level to thrive. By lowering the pH as soon as possible after baling, we stop (inhibit) or slow down these organisms, thus preventing or reducing storage loss and spoilage. By applying The Juice we are accelerating the natural curing process to preserve the hay quickly and efficiently.


    In principal, yes, but in formulation and effect products can perform quite differently.

    We take the buffering of the organic acids used in The Juice very seriously. We focus on smaller batch sizes to ensure plenty of time for the buffering process to take place. This is very important for the final ph of our product and ensures we meet our quality control measures. A properly buffered product like The Juice is less volatile than pure propionic acid and just as effective. The first contact with the hay is very gentle and allows the direct acidification process to begin. This ensures the best colour retention and does not damage the treated hay. This gives you the consistency you can count on every time from The Juice. The Juice is manufactured in our CFIA Regulated and Inspected facility at Stratford, Ontario.

    Our product includes the following active ingredients:
    Propionic Acid:The workhorse ingredient of The Juice and proven mould inhibitor. Inhibits mould and dust.
    Citric Acid: proven mould inhibitor that is excellent at retaining the natural green colour of the hay and freshness of the forage.
    Surfactants/Dispersing Agents: allow the product to penetrate the entire stem and move evenly throughout the bale. High value ingredients that enhance the performance of the product.
    Ammonium Hydroxide: the main buffering agent and antimicrobial.


  • The Juice is an acid based hay preservative, while our granular product Prime-Hay is a bacteria/enzyme preservative.
  • The Juice (or acid) is a more consistent product because it starts working as soon as it comes in contact with the hay. The bacteria/enzyme product needs the initial sweat or heat curve of the hay to start working. It can be slow to establish, losing some colour in the curing process as compared to The Juice.
  • The modern Buffered Acid is where the hay industry has moved too. Propionic acid offers the most consistent results, the best colour retention and is now standard equipment on modern big square balers. The effectiveness of Modern Buffered Acids are strongly promoted and well documented by all the top Ag Universities and Independent Research studies throughout North America and worldwide.
  • Prime-Hay and other Bacteria/Enzyme style products are subject to more variables in the field which can impact how they work. Bacteria/Enzyme products are not as effective as the Modern Buffered Acids at all hay moisture levels.
  • Bacteria/Enzyme products are best suited for use on silages/haylages. Modern Buffered Acids are best suited for use on hay.
  • Prime-Hay Granular is a very effective preservative on baleage, haylage and corn silage. It is registered as a mould inhibitor and nutrient retainer of ensiled feed.

Use

  • The Juice will give you the best results on hay baled in the mid-teens to low twenties. This is the most common moisture range for hay baled with a preservative. This is hay that is normally ½ to 1 day away from naturally cured hay.
  • The Juice works well into the mid-twenties, but you must insure proper application and even distribution on the hay. The excess moisture will need to exit the bale in storage, so proper air flow and movement is essential.
  • The Juice can be used at higher moisture levels in the high twenties to low thirty percent range where conditions will bear it. It is very important to be conscious of the baling conditions and application rate at these moisture levels. A small misjudgement of moisture and application rates can be detrimental to your hay crop. Best results are typically late season with high legume crops, cooler nights and heavy dew moisture. Consult with your Sales Rep before baling at these rates.
  • Always consult The Juice XP rate chart for proper application in the field.
  • Pre-determine the end use of the hay you are making prior to cutting. For example, high quality horse hay in small square bales for the export market will have a different moisture tolerance than round bales stored in an open shed and bale grazed to livestock.

    Typically Dohrmann or Harvest-Tec applicators. Other brands or set ups can be used with proper flow regulators and nozzles. It is important to use tanks and fittings that are compatible with the product.


    In areas of the USA and Europe, it is very common to use an acid based preservative on silages. It has been less common in Canada to do this. Good mold inhibition results can be seen on baled silage bales (wrapped baleage) when the low hay rate is used. In particular, I like the mould inhibition seen in lower moisture baleage where much more oxygen is present. The fast action of the acid quickly lowers the ph and inhibits mold and yeast spores. I have customers that target a moisture window between traditional dry hay moistures and traditional silage moistures called “Sweet Hay”. This feed is treated with The Juice and wrapped immediately and produces a soft textured feed with a light or mild fermentation.


    Yes. The Juice works very well on straw and is an excellent mold inhibitor. The Juice works to prevent dust and caking. Your end product will flake apart easily and is sold as a premium straw.


    Yes. Rained on hay has a higher preservation demand due to the changes that result from weather exposure. Light to moderate rain and extremely slow, poor drying conditions result in higher numbers of mould spores and undesirable aerobic bacteria on the hay. Rained on hay can have a tendency to sweat or re-heat after it is compressed into a bale form. Treating with The Juice is a good mold inhibitor for light to moderate rained on hay, allowing you maintain the remaining feed value in the hay. However, if hay has been saturated with very heavy rains or bacteria from the soil, no preservative will give you any added benefit.


    Yes. The Juice is very effective in TMR (Total Mixed Rations) on the farm when heating is an issue. The Juice is applied direct to the mixed feed and will provide immediate mould control and reduce any heating. This is great when switching bunks or silos, dealing with high temperatures and humidity or when mixing feed once a day or on weekends. The end result is a feed that stays cool and fresh with less sorting from the livestock.


Safety

    No. We buffer The Juice to a pH similar to water. The Juice has a pH of 5.8 to 6.0, which is not corrosive on equipment. Some competitive acid based products are poorly buffered or contain corrosive ingredients that can give “acid” based products a bad name. The modern style of Buffered Acids like The Juice is non corrosive and is safe to handle with common chemical handling practices.


    Yes. The Juice is safe for all livestock species, including horses. The Juice is made from organic acids and is approved safe by CFIA in Canada and the EPA in the USA. Propionic Acid is found naturally in the stomach of many animals and is familiar to livestock. Propionic and Citric Acid are commonly used in the baking and food processing industries and in many of the human foods we consume.


Storage/Shelf Life

    No. The Juice will stay in its buffered state for long term storage. It will keep from season to season, with no mixing or agitation required. It is best for the tote or drum container to be stored out of direct sunlight when possible, as to improve the longevity of the plastic container.


    No. The Juice does not freeze. The components in The Juice are able to withstand the harshest winter weather and will not freeze or alter the make-up of the product. The Juice can be left outside in its container or even in the tank of the baler. We do recommend winterizing your applicator pump with a RV (pink) antifreeze for long term longevity of the pump seals.


The Juice and Horse Hay

    Yes. Horses are one of our biggest consumers of Juice treated hay. The Juice is made up of ingredients that are safe for livestock as well as for human consumption. Our customer base includes all sectors of the equine industry from high performance race horses to pleasure horses. We have always fed Juice treated hay to members of our own families horses with great success. The biggest concern for horses is harmful mould, bacteria and wild yeasts from hay that was not put up properly.