Low Buck Baleage

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Stocker Steve

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Tried to learn baleage this year. Don't think I am there yet. Used a local inline rental wrapper, but found out this fall that it did not put enough plastic wraps on. I am using a traditional baler, so have to stay under 40% moisture to keep the chains on. Feed quality seems to be mostly based on forage mix:

- RC and thistle baleage is consistent, cattle really like it
- old alfalfa and grass stand baleage is inconsistent, some spoilage in (drier) bales with a high percentage of grass, cattle do some sorting
underseeded oats baleage is consistent but course, should have cut it sooner, cattle eat it OK
 
SS,

Well, this was my 4th year doing baleage and I can't say I've figured it out either. I've had better luck with baling hay when I think its almost too dry than baling when its too wet.

I shoot for 6 wraps on my individual wrapper. But I've also learned to really try and get the wrap to stretch/get tight as I think that is maybe as critical as # of layers.
 
If this makes you feel better, I have been trying to learn how to farm since 1979 and haven't mastered the "art" yet. Every time I do anything it is unlike the previous attempt. Glad I am a Small Time Operator (STO). Would probably go broke if I attempted to be a BTO....baling hay is no exception.
 
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Stocker Steve said:
How do you control the amount of stretch?
Click to expand...

There is a tensioner on my wrapper. Each wrap brand and thickness seems to act a bit different (also weather conditions).

For my wrapper -- tensioning is far easier with two people. We start wrapping and I tension until I see a fair amount of stretch in the film.

For a roll that is 30" wide initially -- I'm guessing I set the tension so that it stretches so it goes on the bale and is more like 26" inches wide. Does that make sense? I've never measured it. I just sorta know how it should look.

I know there was a thread, maybe here, or on haytalk that described this better than I just did. There was someone that talked about stretching the film considerably -- almost to the breaking point in order to get the bale tight. Perhaps it matters more for individual wrapped bales than an inline.
 

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