Hay bale comparison

[Builder]

Approximately how many small rectangular bales does it take to equal a 4' round bale?
Or easier yet, how many round bales would 20 acres of average orchard grass yield during a "typical" yield?

 

[raasd]

It all depends on how tight you pack them. Someone who puts up 4X5 bales might correct me but I think they usually come in at 700-900 lbs. I make my small squares 50-60 lbs so that would be about 15 +/-.

I'm not sure where you are located so it would be tough to tell on the average yield for your area.

 

[AKfish]

Better yet... Builder - how many cutting's would you expect in the area that the 20 acres is located?

First cutting is typically the heaviest (in tonnage) yield and each successive cutting is generally less. That said, the 1st cutting is usually the least valuable (per ton).

The information you're asking for is also available at the local NRCS office. They compile yield statistics for local areas - dependent upon localized soil types and drainage, etc. and forage type.

AKfish

 

[Builder]

Better yet... Builder - how many cutting's would you expect in the area that the 20 acres is located?

First cutting is typically the heaviest (in tonnage) yield and each successive cutting is generally less. That said, the 1st cutting is usually the least valuable (per ton).

The information you're asking for is also available at the local NRCS office. They compile yield statistics for local areas - dependent upon localized soil types and drainage, etc. and forage type.

AKfish

We get 2 solid and maybe a 3rd (lighter) cuttings per year. Trying to work a deal where I build a pole barn for hay on the Customer's property, they would allow me to take all hay off the property and use the barn to store the hay cut off their property and some equipment, too. No rent and I keep hay.

 

[blueriver]

Approximately how many small rectangular bales does it take to equal a 4' round bale?
Or easier yet, how many round bales would 20 acres of average orchard grass yield during a "typical" yield?

Depends on the growing conditions ... some years with ample rainfall and fertilize it will be so thick you won't believe the production and another year without rainfall ... sorry crop.

I make 4x4's and for example one of my 20 acre fields has done 90 in the first cut and last spring it did 22 bales and only one cutting.

I have unrolled the 4x4's and run them thru the square baler ... average is 10 bales at 50-60 lbs ... so I quess my 4x4's weigh 500-600 lbs.

 

[blueriver]

We get 2 solid and maybe a 3rd (lighter) cuttings per year. Trying to work a deal where I build a pole barn for hay on the Customer's property, they would allow me to take all hay off the property and use the barn to store the hay cut off their property and some equipment, too. No rent and I keep hay.

Be carefull there and have a good solid agreement. The pole barn is not cheap and about the time you get the hay crop cleaned up, free of weeds and have placed the fertilize is about the time the landowner will decide your making out too good and pull the ground from you.

 

[CarterandCarter]

Depends on the growing conditions ... some years with ample rainfall and fertilize it will be so thick you won't believe the production and another year without rainfall ... sorry crop.

I make 4x4's and for example one of my 20 acre fields has done 90 in the first cut and last spring it did 22 bales and only one cutting.

I have unrolled the 4x4's and run them thru the square baler ... average is 10 bales at 50-60 lbs ... so I quess my 4x4's weigh 500-600 lbs.

we been getting about 15 to 20 square bales per 5 by 4 round bale that has been run through a 554xl like they said when fertilize and rain is good on the orchard grass, wish it was hay balin time now!

 

[blueriver]

we been getting about 15 to 20 square bales per 5 by 4 round bale that has been run through a 554xl like they said when fertilize and rain is good on the orchard grass, wish it was hay balin time now!

I agree with the hay cutting time ... right now we have been getting regualr rainfall

So tell me how are you doing the unrolling and baling? I took the hyd bale unroller on the 3 point and it's real easy to unroll the bale ... my problem was the square baler wanted to re roll it in front of the pickup and I found myself stopping and hand feeding it in. Didn't like that. Are you unrolling and then re rakeing?

 

[sweettractors]

We shoot for a 40 lb square bale when we are baling hay. With that as a starting point a 4 x 4
round bale at 800 lbs would = 20 40 lb. square bales. Ken Sweet

 

[blueriver]

We shoot for a 40 lb square bale when we are baling hay. With that as a starting point a 4 x 4
round bale at 800 lbs would = 20 40 lb. square bales. Ken Sweet

Ken ... I don't think my 4x4's weigh 800 lbs ... maybe other grasses than Bermuda and Bahia make them heavier. Maybe I need to weigh one. Around here 50-60 lbs (Squares) are what folks are wanting to buy.

 

[sweettractors]

Ken ... I don't think my 4x4's weigh 800 lbs ... maybe other grasses than Bermuda and Bahia make them heavier. Maybe I need to weigh one. Around here 50-60 lbs (Squares) are what folks are wanting to buy.

800 lb depends on the type hay, the type roller used and how fast the driver operates the tractor. I can make a bale vary 200-300 lb coming out of the same field and using the same equipment, just by changing PTO speed and how I drive the tractor. Ken Sweet

 

[blueriver]

800 lb depends on the type hay, the type roller used and how fast the driver operates the tractor. I can make a bale vary 200-300 lb coming out of the same field and using the same equipment, just by changing PTO speed and how I drive the tractor. Ken Sweet

Fair enough ... I do know the more hay I can feed in the better the bale. I like those bales tight ... in fact sometimes the spear doesn't want to go in.

When you say PTO speed are you referrring to 540/1000 ?

 

[sweettractors]

Fair enough ... I do know the more hay I can feed in the better the bale. I like those bales tight ... in fact sometimes the spear doesn't want to go in.

When you say PTO speed are you referrring to 540/1000 ?

I am referring to the speed of the 540 shaft turning the roller. I get a lighter bale in 5th gear than I do in 3rd gear with the tractor tachometer reading the same in both gears. (just changing ground speed) With a 4 ft hay roller, I also can get a lighter bale by driving straight on a 4 ft windrow vs weaving back and forth on a 2-3 ft windrow. Ken Sweet

 

[blueriver]

I am referring to the speed of the 540 shaft turning the roller. I get a lighter bale in 5th gear than I do in 3rd gear with the tractor tachometer reading the same in both gears. (just changing ground speed) With a 4 ft hay roller, I also can get a lighter bale by driving straight on a 4 ft windrow vs weaving back and forth on a 2-3 ft windrow. Ken Sweet

Thank you. I was hoping you'd say that. There is a thread going about using 1000 speed on 540 equipment.

 

[Builder]

Switching gears slightly, but staying on hay: These rectangular hay bale accumulators look really slick if you have limited hay baling help.

 

[blueriver]

I use an accumulator and a grapple system to handle square bales ... the only way to go.

 

[rasimmo]

I would love to have one. We don't put up enough squares to justify cost though.
The accumulators I use is on the ends of my arms.:laughing:

 

[slowzuki]

4x4's are almost always around 400-500 lbs. A silage 4x4 bale weighs 1000 lbs or so. 5x4 is 800-1000 lbs.

 

[Builder]

I would love to have one. We don't put up enough squares to justify cost though.
The accumulators I use is on the ends of my arms.:laughing:

That's funny. :laughing:
I wish I could grease my shoulder joints like loader arms and get them working again.

I found an accumulator & small rect. baler for sale near me. Looks like a nice package.

 

[jimmyj]

That's funny. :laughing:
I wish I could grease my shoulder joints like loader arms and get them working again.

I found an accumulator & small rect. baler for sale near me. Looks like a nice package.

Ha ha ha ha! Around here it's about what you all are saying, 4x4 take about 400 to 500 lbs and 4 x 5 run about 900. Squares are usually 40lbs so the math is easy. Some guys bale really light or heavy but that would be a good average. I don't do hay but have lots of pals who do and they get 2 cuts, with the 2nd cut being about 40 percent the yeild of the first. Depends widely on what you're growing though and how you treat the field. Some dairy guys get 3 cuts of alfalfa every year but they fertilize a lot, reseed regularly and the last cut is way small compared to the first.

The big squares are coming into favor now, usually 800 to 900 lbs. I've never seen a bale handler system in action for small squares, sure would be neat to see.