Feeding Baleage

[Stickney94]

As others mentioned -- if the weather is cool (<50 degrees F) I've found baleage doesn't really "spoil". In the summer, it can dry out and cattle may lose interest.

Honestly, baleage that appears spoiled (poor wrap/unseen large hole) that I've put out as "bedding" gets eaten completely.

If fed in a bale feeder -- it can freeze solid (popsicle) and will need loader intervention to allow cattle to feed.

 

[osubuckeyes1234]

Yeah I have a wrapped bale that has been out for a little over a week. It's in a round bale feeder with a roof over it so rain/snow stays out for the most part. When I first put it out We had 30 degree days to start then a couple days in mid 50s and one or two in the 40s we will be back to right around freezing tomorrow. I did notice the wind dried out the top portion pretty good but if you dig in it's still wet. It doesn't seem spoiled or slimy the cows are still eating it…Just not sure as I've never used it before and I don't have enough cows to take care of a bale in under a week and a half. It wasn't a problem when the temps were 10 degrees or lower everyday but now that the weather is changing I've been a little concerned I don't want there to be any health problems from eating spoiled hay either. Appreciate all the help and advice you all have.
Thanks.

 

[Atimm693]

From what I've seen it takes a day or so of mild temps for an opened bale to start heating. It takes the better part of a week for it to really start decaying and molding to the point where you wouldn't want to feed it by itself or to cows that aren't already healthy.

As Jeanne says, they will sometimes step over the good stuff to eat the steaming pile of crap. We feed all of it, if the bale is really bad I will either unroll the whole thing in the pasture and let them pick through it (they'll get the good feed in the bunks as well) or slip it in the mixer a little at a time.

 

[cumminspuller]

I'm still doing what I had originally asked about with the 1 roll of wrapped and 1 roll dry. It seemed to work good last year and has been good this winter. The roll of wrapped will pretty much be gone in 24 hours. The dry roll will get them another 3 - 5 days depending on size and weather. I've started feeding some calves I've been backgrounding this winter a roll of second cut wrapped. They've been finding grass all winter so they haven't eaten much hay. Once I set them out a roll of wrapped and they figured out what it was they eat it pretty good. It will still take them a week or 10 days to get through a roll. They will clean up pretty much all of it unless there is some stuff that got a bigger stem on it before I could cut it. The wrapped rolls I'm feeding are 4x50" and the dry rolls are 4x5 and 5x5.

 

[osubuckeyes1234]

If your not mixing Is there any potential issue from only feeding wrapped bales all winter?

 

[Stickney94]

If your not mixing Is there any potential issue from only feeding wrapped bales all winter?

The first couple years I fed straight baleage. It didn't appear to cause any issues. I now try and supply some roughage in another bale feeder (cornstalks).

 

[osubuckeyes1234]

Yeah

The first couple years I fed straight baleage. It didn't appear to cause any issues. I now try and supply some roughage in another bale feeder (cornstalks).

yeah I've been feeding straight Baleage this winter but wasn't sure if anyone has had issues doing that.
Can you explain what you do with the cornstalks? How you feed them?

 

[Stickney94]

Yeah

yeah I've been feeding straight Baleage this winter but wasn't sure if anyone has had issues doing that.
Can you explain what you do with the cornstalks? How you feed them?

Nothing fancy -- I try to keep one in a bale feeder for free choice. We use stalks for bedding as well (cold in MN) and cows will eat 80% and lay on 20%. Weaned calves will eat more like 50% and lay on 50%.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I have fed only baleage all winter for 30+ years. I think the guy that does my hay bought the first wrapper (in-line) that came to NY. Been doing my hay in-line ever since.

 

[osubuckeyes1234]

What's all of your experience with it during warmer temps? Right now we are having an unusual warm spell. Past two days in the 50s today and the rest of the week mid to upper 60s.

 

[Stickney94]

What's all of your experience with it during warmer temps? Right now we are having an unusual warm spell. Past two days in the 50s today and the rest of the week mid to upper 60s.

I feed individually wrapped baleage year round in bale feeders (I don't have a TMR). During the summer it works best to match # of animals to bale size so that the baleage is eaten within 2 days. Obviously, there are times when that doesn't happen.

To be honest, I've had baleage that I thought was rotten that I've literally placed in the manure pile and my cows will dig it out and eat it.

The most critical aspect of baleage (imo) is putting it up. It may take you a year or two and a few cuttings, but you are going to figure out the timing, moisture content, and wrapping process that works for your environment. Keep good records of weather, cutting time, raking time, humidity, cloud cover, etc -- and then mark your bales so you can see how they look when you take them out to feed. In my environment, cutting late afternoon/evening on Day one, raking mid morning day two, baling by noon on day 2, and wrapping immediately seems to be the right sauce. If it can be sunny until 2 on day 2 and then cloud over, that would be perfect (ymmv).

I mention that because properly ensiled baleage will feed fine even when it's 90 degrees (in my experience).