What is the purpose of hay bales?
Hay is usually gathered up into bales, and stored for the animals to eat during the winter when the grass is not growing. In many parts of the world, farmers depend on hay to feed their cattle, sheep, or horses during the long winter period.
Why do farmers put bales of hay in fields?
These rolls of hay, compiled of grass, legumes, and other plants, are cut, dried, and rolled to store on the land for the animals to graze on. They are imperative for grazing animals when the pasture doesn’t provide the correct nutrients or if the weather doesn’t permit grazing access.
Why does hay get wrapped?
Bales at lower moisture may have little to no fermentation, but wrapping protects them from spoiling. On the other hand, moisture levels too high can cause clostridial fermentation with resulting high levels of butyric acid and ammonia. This is the baleage that has a wet, slimy appearance and an awful smell.
When should hay be baled?
Farmers may bale hay before it’s dry to avoid rain or other poor weather conditions. Wet hay results in mold and lower forage quality. Hay baled at less than 15 percent moisture is usually stable with little heating.
Is it hay bale or hay bail?
Here are the most common uses of the words: Bale is a large bound stack of material, such as hay or leather; Bail is the security deposit that’s paid if someone who’s been temporarily released from jail pending a trial doesn’t appear in court.
How do hay bales stay together?
Farmers have three choices of materials to wrap bales – twine, net wrap, or plastic wrap. Unlike gift wrap, the choice isn’t just about presentation. It’s about baling efficiency and storage. If properly baled and stored, hay can last a long time without degrading in quality.
Can you bale hay at night?
Baling at night is nice if your climate will allow. Then the leaves start to toughen up before the stems and the outside before the bottom. “We used to go to the field when the air felt right. That is above 50 percent relative humidity.
Can I bale hay with dew on it?
To make good hay, enough moisture must be present to keep all the leaves intact. Too dry, and they shatter and fall off during the baling process. In this situation, 13 percent is much too dry, and you must bale it at night with some dew on it to keep from losing the leaves or being dusty.
How much is a bail of hay worth?
From the hay market, square bales, on average, will cost you between $3 and $10 per bale, but some farmers prefer selling their hay per pound, in which case such a bale will be around 50 pounds.
Is hay ruined if rained on?
If rained-on hay is not again dried fully, mold and mycotoxin growth can occur which can put livestock health at risk. Furthermore, baled wet hay can combust due to the temperature increase caused by microbial growth – putting a producer at risk of barn fire.
Can you wrap hay that has been rained on?
If rain damage often plagues your hay making, you might consider using plastic wrap this year. Try baling it tough, then wrapping it with stretch plastic wrap to keep water and air out while keeping nutrients in. Wrapping hay does require a lot of plastic, though, which will cost $4 to $6 per bale.
Is haylage better than hay?
Haylage is, however, higher in protein, and more digestible than hay giving it a higher DE content. As a result, horses generally tend to do better on haylage, so it’s often not ideal for overweight horses and those prone to weight gain, metabolic and laminitic horses, unless it is a high-fibre, lower DE variety.
What are the advantage of silage over hay?
Silage has several advantages over hay as a mechanically harvested product. Silage has more nutrients preserved per acre because there is less field loss. Silage is also less affected by weather damage because the forage does not lie in the field drying.
Why do farmers leave bales of hay in fields?
The reason they are in empty fields is that because of their good keeping qualities, you can bale them up and then just leave them where the baler spat them out until you need them – so reduces handling and storage.
Is Straw better than hay for bedding?
Straw is normally used for a bedding material, while hay is used as a feed supplement. Straw is dried out and works well for building nests and providing cushioning for animals to sleep in. Straw is also more practical to use as bedding than hay is, because of its lower cost.
How long can you keep a bale of hay?
You can store hay indefinitely if the stack is managed correctly; although, in humid climates, using hay within three years of harvest is ideal. Hay growers need to bale it at correct moisture levels because if it’s baled too damp the hay will generate heat, which leads to molding.
What happens if hay gets rained on?
Is it worth wrapping dry hay?
Wrapping dry hay allows farmers to protect feed from the weather without building more structures. Some farmers believe that more layers, up to six, are well worth the extra cost. A thicker barrier is more dependable than a thin one, but more costly.
Is silage better than hay?
Moisture content: Hay usually has a moisture content of 12%, whereas silage moisture content is between 40-60%. Storage methods: Hay is mowed, dried and stored in bales. Silage is compacted and stored in air-tight conditions without being dried. Silage is partially and easily digested, offering more nutritious value.
Why do farmers use large round bales of hay?
Farmers often bale hay in large round bales instead of small square bales because they require less labor to bale and move than small square bales. The shape of round bales enables them to be stored outside, something you would never do with square bales. Rain and snow naturally run off their curved sides, like a roof.
What’s the difference between hay bales and straw bales?
When hay is cut, it is a live plant. That means it has moisture in the entire plant. It is left to dry on the field for a short time and then raked and baled. In that time, some of the moisture leaves the hay, allowing it to be baled without decomposing. We have all heard of bales spontaneously combusting, right?
What can you do with a hay bale in Minecraft?
Placing a hay bale into the new composter has now a 80% chance of raising the compost level by 1. Hay bales now have an 85% chance of increasing the compost level in a composter by 1. Hay bales can now be used to play the banjo, if they are under note blocks.
Why are round bales too heavy to move by hand?
Because round bales are entirely too heavy to move by hand (1,000-2,000 lbs.), all round balers include attachments that pick up and transport bales. Hay that is exposed to rain or moisture will become moldy and dangerous to animals that consume it.
What is the current price of a bale of hay?
The average square hay bale is going to range anywhere from $3 to $10 per bale. The most common bails include round and square, and the costs will depend on the geographical location, the seller, type and time of year. When buying, you will either purchase by the bale or by the ton.
How many feet in a bale of hay?
The round hay bale is 4 feet long and has a diameter of 6 feet. the square hay bale has a width of 2 feet, height of 1.5 feet, and a length of 3 feet.
Can you really rent hay bales?
Yes you can reny hay bales. In apache junction there are animal feed stores and they will rent them to you. I have rented them in the pass for my kids school spring fling.
How much does a bale of hay cover?
Coverage depends on how thick the straw is spread. A bale will typically cover approximately 30-40 square feet at a 3 inch depth and about 50-60 square feet at a 2 inch depth.
