Handling/Feeding Baleage

[gertman]

I have the chance to buy some ryegrass baleage, I've never fed baleage before, the bales are 4 foot wide and 4.5 foot tall what do you think they will weigh? Will a Ford 2000 tractor handle these on the 3pt hitch with a bale spear?

 

[tntblaster11]

Weight will be partially dependent on moisture content. I've fed mixed grass/alfalfa 4x5 that come in as low as 1100 to as high as 1600lbs.

 

[Jogeephus]

I don't think a ford 2000 will handle it. When I used baleage we intentionally baled them small and it was still hard on a 90 hp tractor - front end loader.

 

[regolith]

I don't think a ford 2000 will handle it. When I used baleage we intentionally baled them small and it was still hard on a 90 hp tractor - front end loader.

:nod: I used to have a 6600 and made baleage in the smallest size possible, otherwise I couldn't lift them with the front end loader. Could still get them up on the 3 pt linkage but it wasn't pretty... loader max lift was 750 kg.
The tractor I have now is about the same hp (82) but can handle anything.
We don't use your sizing, the bales that could be lifted were 10's (like ten small rectangle bales) the 12s were too heavy, so they weighed more than 750 kg.

 

[bigbull338]

most silage bales will weigh 1600lbs or more depending on how they was put up.so your 2000 ford wont be heavy enough to stay on the ground with a bale on the rear.