OT - Hay Preservative and Bale Wt

Bill VA · Jun 24, 2015

So you got your square baler rigged with some kind of buffered acid or Hayguard type preservative and you are baling at say - 25% moisture.

With or without the preservative, the high moisture square bales are going to come out of the baler heavier than say a - a bale at 15% moisture.

Unlike my old New Holland 68, your fancy baler has hydraulic compression or an air bag compressing the bale chamber vs cranks - so you are getting a pretty consistently dense bale of hay.

The baler spits out a nice firm bale of hay, preservative has been applied - all is good, nice colored, safe hay bricks are going into the barn.

Question is - you baled this hay in June and now it's February and the hay has dried out. When you go to fetch a bale, are they now loose due to the escape of moisture or just as solid - tight bricks like they were when baled, only lighter to the extent moisture has evaporated?

Just curious.

Thanks,
Bill

Bruce from Can. · Jun 24, 2015

We never used acid, I had a in-barn hay drier. The bales that came off the drier were much lighter and looser then when they went in. Boy , I am sure glad those days a gone!!

Nate V. IA · Jun 24, 2015

I bought some beautiful alfalfa from a old timer once and he said it was put up wet but he had salted each layer as they stacked it in the barn. The hay must have been third or fourth cutting and I remember having to shovel the barn door out so we could get in. Those darn things must have weighed ninety pounds and the strings were tight as humanly possible. It was cheap and the ewes loved it, I'm not sure if they just liked it because it was salty or if it really was good. I didn't test the hay, only bought a pickup load, so I'm not sure what the nutritional quality or moisture was. I have not ever knowingly fed hay that had acid applied, not common here in central Iowa.

Nate

gene bender · Jun 24, 2015

The big square balers here in east central Ia all have the tanks around here.

randallk · Jun 24, 2015

I"ve used buffered acid for several years now on my small square baler.....alfalfa mainly. Yes, the bales are heavier coming out of the baler. Weight will be in the 65-75 pound range per bale. It totally depends upon the moisture content Come winter, the bales will be dry and "about" the same weight. I"ve weighed several for customers just to see and I'd say the average in the winter is 65 pounds. I use a Hesston inline baler and it makes a really nice bale. I do not have the airbag compression system....just the hand cranks. I"ve never seen "sloppy" bales come winter......I suppose the baler will dictate that.

OT - Hay Preservative and Bale Wt

Bill VA

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Bruce from Can.

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Nate V. IA

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gene bender

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randallk

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