Baleage wrap cost

[SimAngHerf]

So this coming summer I plan to put up about 500-600 (4'x5.5') of ryegrass and pearl millet bales. I'm fairly certain the first cut and all of the millet will be put up wet but hoping 1 or 2 cuts of the ryegrass can go up dry. We don't really have the option for an in-line wrap due to rolling hills and don't know where I could store that is close to the winter pasture and not block the natural drainage without out having short rows. I'm thinking an individual wrap will be easier to store and stack on the flat ends, I know I'll have to get a squeeze too. So my question is, what is the cost to wrap individual or inline for the 6 wraps that's typically suggested. If there are any keep points I am missing here please let me know.

 

[Aaron]

$5.25 US a bale here for inline.

 

[kilroy60]

We paid $7.00 per bale for inline.

 

[sstterry]

Around $5.00 to $6.00 around here.

 

[Stickney94]

If you are hiring someone I'm guessing you would be in the $8-$10 per bale range that would include the material/equip/their time cost. Perhaps higher than that.

My wrap costs are $6.25 based on expected 12-13 bales per roll of wrap at $75. If I get the wrapper set up correctly I fairly routinely get 15-18 bales per roll which drops the price per bale to <$5 for film.

If you buy a wrapper or rent a wrapper per hour and do the labor yourself you would need to try and calc out those costs. For the purchased wrapper I have and using a 5 year costing method that added roughly $8-10 per bale I suppose. Its been five years so, next year is that cost $0? haha.

Additionally -- hay quality and wastage calculations -- these are hard to compute in my opinion -- but they are meaningful. My hay loss fed to cows is nearly 0%. They will eat every last bite. Sadly my waste from baleage fed to fat cattle more than makes up for that as they waste a head scratching amount.

The reason that we got a wrapper and the reason it still is worth the cost for our operation is having control over putting up hay in the face of seeming constant weather volatility.

As far as a hugger -- I have one. I haven't used it in 18 months or more. I wrap and drop the bales where I plan to store them. They don't move until fed and then I just use a bale spear.

Lastly -- if using an individual wrapper -- WRAP ON FLAT GROUND. Just trust me on that.

 

[SimAngHerf]

If you are hiring someone I'm guessing you would be in the $8-$10 per bale range that would include the material/equip/their time cost. Perhaps higher than that.

My wrap costs are $6.25 based on expected 12-13 bales per roll of wrap at $75. If I get the wrapper set up correctly I fairly routinely get 15-18 bales per roll which drops the price per bale to <$5 for film.

If you buy a wrapper or rent a wrapper per hour and do the labor yourself you would need to try and calc out those costs. For the purchased wrapper I have and using a 5 year costing method that added roughly $8-10 per bale I suppose. Its been five years so, next year is that cost $0? haha.

Additionally -- hay quality and wastage calculations -- these are hard to compute in my opinion -- but they are meaningful. My hay loss fed to cows is nearly 0%. They will eat every last bite. Sadly my waste from baleage fed to fat cattle more than makes up for that as they waste a head scratching amount.

The reason that we got a wrapper and the reason it still is worth the cost for our operation is having control over putting up hay in the face of seeming constant weather volatility.

As far as a hugger -- I have one. I haven't used it in 18 months or more. I wrap and drop the bales where I plan to store them. They don't move until fed and then I just use a bale spear.

Lastly -- if using an individual wrapper -- WRAP ON FLAT GROUND. Just trust me on that.

I do plan to purchase a wrapper, I have looked and asked about renting with no success and I'm like on liking the control of when I can have it. My only thought on the hugger is able to stack them 3 high on the flat side, if not for that need I certainly wouldn't entertain the thought. I didn't even think about trying to offset the Waste cost of storing dry vs now wet having minimal cost, I missed the forest for the trees on that one.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Savings should include waste reduction (during storage and during feeding), feed quality improvement (more production and/or less supplement), cutting interval reduction (less waiting on the weather so more growth).

 

[SimAngHerf]

Savings should include waste reduction (during storage and during feeding), feed quality improvement (more production and/or less supplement), cutting interval reduction (less waiting on the weather so more growth).

Good point on the last statement, that hadn't occurred to me at all.

 

[BC]

I am not sure of the stacking without tearing the plastic. Have you seen this done or is it an idea that looks good on paper? Plastic to plastic sticks.

 

[SimAngHerf]

I am not sure of the stacking without tearing the plastic. Have you seen this done or is it an idea that looks good on paper? Plastic to plastic sticks.

I have not seen it in person as I have only seen one dairy guy that had some inline wheat bales and that is it. I have read it in various university papers, YouTube and seen photos.

 

[ohiosteve]

This summer was the first time I have dealt
with plastic wrapped bales. My boss had a guy come and wrap a couple hundred bales that we had to bale wet. ( Big squares 3by3 but we baled them short, about 5' long.) And we stacked them 3 high. I've been feeding them and none of the plastic has stuck together. I absolutely hate feeding these. It is such a pain in the as to cut the plastic off then the strings then you have a big pile of nasty plastic to deal with and you will smell like sewage the rest of the day. It might pencil out but I promise you if you feed a few of these wrapped bales a day you will grow to hate them.

 

[farmerjan]

We have wrapped rye and sorghum-sudan in the past. I like it for the increased feed quality and much less loss, not having to try to really kill yourself to get it made dry when there is a window that suddenly gets cut short because the weather people don't get it right. We were paying $6.00 per bale, plus we supplied the plastic for the wrap. And we were hauling the bales to wrapper and had to hustle to keep up. This is for inline..... don't know of but one guy anywhere close that wraps individually, so don't know if that is an option. Have managed to put it all up dry the last 2 years so 0 extra cost, but I look for it to come up again.
Dealing with the plastic is a pain. We use sisal twine, not plastic. They don't usually fall apart if fed the same year made. They don't seem to keep over a second year, very well. Use the spear on the tractor to move/feed them, or the 3 pt hitch with the 2 spears on the back that slide under them, or use the hydrabed truck. They are heavier. They do make a little more mess, but the cows eat every last bit.

 

[Stickney94]

Twine: I've switched from plastic to non-treated sisal which I don't even take off the bale.

Heavy bales: The bales are deceptively heavy. I've had some "entertaining" moments with the skid loader when I forget its a silage bale and not a dry bale going down a slope. Be careful.

Stacking: The flat sides of a round bale when wrapped have a lot of layers. You should stack them on that side when using a hugger.

Tape: I keep a large supply of 3M packing tape on hand to patch holes/tears. Actually its a task my kids get every couple months. It's not as tedious as it sounds, haha.

Frozen Bales: Last winter was very cold and frankly some of my baleage was too wet. They are fine when wrapped, but be aware that when you unwrap them and say put them in a self feeder they may freeze into large hay ice cubes.