Why do farmers wrap hay bales?
6 min read
Asked by: Jackie Miller
Bales at lower moisture may have little to no fermentation, but wrapping protects them from spoiling. On the other hand, moisture levels too high can cause clostridial fermentation with resulting high levels of butyric acid and ammonia. This is the baleage that has a wet, slimy appearance and an awful smell.
Is it worth wrapping dry hay?
Wrapping dry hay allows farmers to protect feed from the weather without building more structures. If the hay is in string-tied bales and to be stored outside, then a couple turns of plastic may be an economic advantage, as long as the gain due to reduced storage losses outweighs the loss in increased expense.
When should I wrap my bales?
When to wrap. For optimal preservation, wrap bales within 24 hours of baling using 6- to 8-mil-thick plastic. Bales left unwrapped for more than 48 hours can reach internal temperatures over 130 degrees F. These bales tend to have lower forage quality and greater mold throughout the bales.
Why do they cover hay?
Hay that remains uncovered while out in the elements can incur a lot of damage if weather conditions are not ideal. Hay that is exposed to rain can reach high levels of moisture, which often results in crop losses. When rain passes through the hay it strips away nutrients.
What is wrapped around hay bales?
Plastic wrap is most commonly used in high-moisture baling. In this method the forage crop is cut sooner, immediately baled, and wrapped in plastic to ferment like silage.
Does wrapped hay mold?
A 1-2 inch layer of white mold may develop on the outside of each bale, but any losses associated would be far less than unwrapped outside stored hay. Wrapping hay that is higher in moisture than about 20% will mold more significantly.
How long will wrapped hay last?
In general, forages baled at 40-60% moisture will maintain feed value for about 12 months as long as the integrity of the plastic is maintained. However, even where the forage was baled at the appropriate moisture level and the plastic has minimal holes, it is good practice to feed baleage bales within 9 months.
Can you wrap hay at 30% moisture?
Making baleage implies fermentation – as in haylage (think of an ideal moisture content of 50-65%). Wrapping bales may serve as a substitute for storage and can be done at moisture levels as low as 15-30%. Any kind of forage able to be baled can be wrapped.
What moisture should hay be to wrap?
45 to 55 percent moisture
We recommend wrapping hay at 45 to 55 percent moisture for best results. Different moisture levels result in different techniques and outcomes: 55 to 65 percent moisture – Great for fermentation, but you run the risk of leaving a wet, rank layer (1 to 2 inches deep) on the outside of the bale.
How much does it cost to wrap hay?
Plastic can cost upward of $6 to $8 per bale, depending on the size of your bale, and a new wrapper itself can cost between $15,000 and $25,000. When made correctly, individually wrapped bales are usually dense, exclude oxygen, and have the least amount of time between being baled and wrapped.
Why is some hay wrapped in plastic?
The last few decades have brought increased interest in the use of plastic wrapped bales for forage. The advantages are clear: reduction in drying time, better leaf retention compared to dry hay, no storage structures needed, and reduction in weather risk.
Why do farmers leave rolls of hay in the field?
You might find hay bales left in a field simply because a farmer hasn’t had time to stop by and grab the bales yet. Most farmers work overtime during the summer to get the hay in the barn by the time the fields stop producing.
What is hay bale wrap made of?
The Yay Bale wrap, as they call it, is made of corn fibers and can be left on the field or shredded and is safe for cattle to eat.
Why are hay bales wrapped in different Colours?
“Farmers who use darker plastic will see it break down more quickly than those who use lighter-colored material. The darker plastic breaks down faster in the summer heat and sun, making it more permeable to oxygen and limiting the fermentation process,” Hall explains.
What are those big rolls of hay called?
Balers that produce the large round bales you see dotting the countryside are the most common type of balers available today. These balers produce what are referred to as ton bales. These bales of hay can weigh up to 1,500 pounds.
Why do farmers stack hay?
If hay is baled while too moist or becomes wet while in storage, there is a significant risk of spontaneous combustion. Hay stored outside must be stacked in such a way that moisture contact is minimal. Some stacks are arranged in such a manner that the hay itself sheds water when it falls.
What are balls of hay called?
The two most common options are large round bales, also called rolls, and small square bales.
How many bales of hay do you get per acre?
With an average bale weight of around 40 pounds (with our Abbriata small square baler or any of our mini round balers), that’s 100 bales to the acre for a first cutting. Our farm aside, we can offer some guidelines to consider when trying to predict the productivity of your hay fields.
How many times a year can you cut hay?
In most areas of the country, grass hay can be cut twice, sometimes three times, per year. The first cutting generally has the largest yield.
What month is hay harvested?
From the month of May to late summer and early fall, hay baling is on the minds of many farmers.
Does hay have to be planted every year?
Planting and growing
Some fields are always used to grow hay, and don’t require re-planting every year. In other cases, hay is a part of a crop rotation, where farmers plant different crops on the same field in different years.
Is hay profitable to grow?
He says it costs about $297 per acre to seed and prepare hay ground. “You are going to get more than three years out of that, but if we use three years, that’s about $100 per acre per year,” Brown says. “If you are getting $125 per ton for quality hay, you are going to see a profit of $51 per ton, or $204 per acre.
How do you maintain a hay field?
Other landowners just want to maintain the fields with desirable grasses and open spaces.
Steps to renovate an old hayfield:
- Assess the condition of the field, your goals and your resources.
- Get a soil test.
- Mow field with a rotary mower.
- Lime and fertilize.
- Remove rocks and stumps.
- Till (if necessary) and seed.
How fast can hay grow?
Second Cutting: Depending upon the temperatures of the days and nights, it typically takes 40-45 days for regrowth of alfalfa, mix hay, and orchard-grass , and 55- 60 days for regrowth of timothy.
Can you plant hay in the spring?
Oats, spring triticale and barley are annual cereals that can be planted from late March to early April to produce forage that can be grazed beginning in mid to late May or harvested for hay or silage in late June or early July.
Can I grow my own hay?
No matter what your reason for growing, harvesting and baling hay, it can be a great project that can reap great rewards. Hay – grasses and legumes that can be dried for stock feed – is simple to grow either as part of a crop rotation or a permanent meadow, and grows naturally in many areas.
