Grass Haylage

[chimcrk]

During last years harvest we wrapped our 4x4 round haylage bales with 20 wraps. We ended up with more mold than expected when we went to feed them this year. We were wondering how many wraps others have used and how successful you were with keeping mold out of the bales. No holes were visible and yet mold penetrated to the center on some and was only on the outside on others. We are located in Western Washington. Thanks in advance.

 

[sizmic]

The mold was already there waiting for incubation. The only way to keep out mold is to get rid of the oxygen in the bale, either use an inoculant or tie your bales tighter. Do you have a wobble core round baler, are you using a big square baler? If you are using a big square I would inoculate them before wrapping, if you are using a wobble core I would get a different baler.

Don't know if this will help but thats what I got.

All of our JD 567 round bales have some extent of mold in them. Mostly from spearing them twice (introducing air pockets) and in the joints of the "tube".

Sizmic

Edit: I wish someone would make a "needle" mounted on the spear itself so I could inject inoculant before I wrap.

 

[Angus Cowman]

I have been playing with my wrapper and the least # of wraps I can get by with is 24 that gives 2 complete wraps on the bale plus an extra one