Dry Hay to Baleage Conversion

[Herefordcross]

Any body have any idea on converting tonnage from dry hay to baleage? For example if I know I need 60tons of dry hay to feed a pen of heifers for a winter how many tons of baleage to I need to feed the same number of animals?? In my thinking process it would be ton for ton but, you guys tell me what you think.

 

[somn]

Any body have any idea on converting tonnage from dry hay to baleage? For example if I know I need 60tons of dry hay to feed a pen of heifers for a winter how many tons of baleage to I need to feed the same number of animals?? In my thinking process it would be ton for ton but, you guys tell me what you think.

Are the moisture percentages the same?

 

[Herefordcross]

I am most sure that dry hay and baleage have differnt moisture percentages! Therefore no the %'s wouldn't be the same!

 

[somn]

I am most sure that dry hay and baleage have differnt moisture percentages! Therefore no the %'s wouldn't be the same!

Well considering you already had the answer why ask the question?

 

[regenwether]

When you say balelage do you mean round bales wraped in plastic? Silage bales? With silage you do have less waste but you are feeding them water...compared to dry hay. I would say you need a third more silage to last as long as dry hay.

 

[hayray]

Any body have any idea on converting tonnage from dry hay to baleage? For example if I know I need 60tons of dry hay to feed a pen of heifers for a winter how many tons of baleage to I need to feed the same number of animals?? In my thinking process it would be ton for ton but, you guys tell me what you think.

Just had this conversation with a buddy of mine yesterday who does baleage and I sampled his hay for him, we both bale 4x4 rounds. For example - mine are 455 lb.s average at 88% Dry Matter - so take 455 lb.s as is x .88 DM = 400.4 lb.s of actual dry matter. His 4 x 4 s are around 1000 lb.s at say 50 % dry matter. So take 1000 lb.s as is x .50 = 500 lbs. of dry matter.
Some of his baleage sample ranged all the way from in the 40s up to the mid 60s for moisture, so if you are buying baleage it helps to know the actual moisture of that sample. So if you are looking at buying baleage by the ton you would need to buy at least another 30 % as received weight basis.

Ray

 

[hayray]

For example if I know I need 60tons of dry hay to feed a pen of heifers for a winter how many tons of baleage to I need to feed the same number of animals??

You should expect to buy at least another 20 tons because that is another 3rd of the 60 tons.

 

[rkm]

Of course it depends on the %moisture but I always figured 3 pounds of silage = one pound of hay. But if it is good 50% balage I would figure 2 to 1.

 

[Herefordcross]

somn
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:34 pm Post subject:

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Herefordcross wrote:
I am most sure that dry hay and baleage have differnt moisture percentages! Therefore no the %'s wouldn't be the same!

Well considering you already had the answer why ask the question?

I guess you missed the point of the question. It wasn't a moisture thing. The question was ton for ton conversions

 

[somn]

somn
Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:34 pm Post subject:

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Herefordcross wrote:
I am most sure that dry hay and baleage have differnt moisture percentages! Therefore no the %'s wouldn't be the same!

Well considering you already had the answer why ask the question?

I guess you missed the point of the question. It wasn't a moisture thing. The question was ton for ton conversions

And that conversion rate is directly affect by the amount of moisture in the feed. You must have missed the point of the answer.