twine pricing suppose to rise

[Posm]

Here is link to a magazine article outlining the results of several studies.

http://beef magazine.com/americancowman/pasture-and-range/choosing-bale-wrap

The longer hay is stored the more the sisal breakers down. Hay baled in the late fall would do much better with sisal as compared to hay baled in April or May.

 

[BeeferMan]

I guess that would depend on how much the shape of the bale changed as the twine on the bottom disintegrated, and that would depend on the baler and what's in the bale, how they're stacked, etc. In my case if the bales are uncovered, they are just left in "singles" sitting on the ground. There is is very little change in the shape of the bale over the several months between baling and feeding so twine vs. sisal isn't going to make a difference. I also stack some bales and cover them, they do deform more due to the stacking, but again, there's little deformity between right after they're stacked and several months later, so again twine vs. sisal isn't going to make a difference. So in my case I can say pretty definitively that plastic twine wouldn't make a substantial difference. Other's mileage may vary, of course.

I definitely sacrifice some feed to waste for the sake of convenience. Although my next baler is likely to have netwrap, the choice between sisal - which I don't cut or pick up at all because I depend on it rotting some - and plastic - which I would have to totally recover to be safe, is clear - I'll stick with the sisal.

I'd still be interested in reading that study though, please pass it along if you find it. Going to net wrap or even going to storing in a barn where sisal doesn't rot could well change things. :thumbsup:

 

[BeeferMan]

Here is link to a magazine article outlining the results of several studies.

http://beef magazine.com/americancowman/pasture-and-range/choosing-bale-wrap

The longer hay is stored the more the sisal breakers down. Hay baled in the late fall would do much better with sisal as compared to hay baled in April or May.

Interesting, and certainly believable in certain circumstances. The work and time saving aspects of netwrap over twine is obvious, but no there's difference between sisal and plastic when making bales. My storage system seems to be a hybrid of what they have (and haven't) studied - sisal twined bales stacked on the ground and covered. In my experience, yes, the twine on the bottom rots and breaks, but the bales don't change shape much so plastic wouldn't really help that much, and the extra work removing all plastic twine would be a lot of work. I think what would make a more significant difference would be to improve the drainage of where the hay is stacked using crushed stone, pallets, etc. - that would benefit both plastic and sisal wrapped round bales.

But I just might try plastic on some percentage of the round bales next year, be an interesting experiment...

 

[powerpace]

There have been proposals recently to allow the growing of commercial hemp.
The problem is with the U.S. Government not distinguishing the difference in industrial hemp and hemp with pschoactive uses. They won't allow any of it to be grown, even though the rest of the world seems to know the difference.

Industrial Hemp can be grown with minimal tillage, and no problem with bugs.