In this method the forage crop is cut sooner immediately baled and wrapped in plastic to ferment like silage.
Wrapping hay bales in plastic.
Select blown low density polyethylene film around 1 mil thick.
The finished bales look like giant white marshmallows.
Baleage can be made from 40 65 moisture forage while traditional hay is dried to 16 percent before it is baled.
Some of the inline systems require end caps or plastic hay bags to seal the ends of the lines.
To protect hay from the elements farmers may choose to cover it with a tarp wrap it in a plastic sheet or secure a cap on top of it.
Wrapping plastic or a tarp around the hay bale will make the cover more secure and less likely to be affected by the wind.
These bales tend to have lower forage quality and greater mold throughout the bales.
Pre tension the film to stretch 55 to 75 percent.
Wrapping dry hay allows farmers to protect feed from the weather without building more structures.
You get a smoother bale surface that contains the stems and reduces the chance of poking holes in the plastic film.
For optimal preservation wrap bales within 24 hours of baling using 6 to 8 mil thick plastic.
Bales left unwrapped for more than 48 hours can reach internal temperatures over 130 degrees f.
Plastic wrap is most commonly used in high moisture baling.