Large square bales: how well do they store left outside for months

[Hay Dude]

Not all that bad! These bales sat outside, uncovered for 2 months. All of June & July, which were both hot & rainy.

These bales above were unloaded and opened. I have been noticing lately how well they store, even outdoors, when they are baled tightly, under a lot of pressure. It’s difficult for rain to penetrate.

Even the edges, most subject to rain damage show very little deterioration.

None of this hay was designated to be feed hay, yet there was no dust, no mold and the green color was largely preserved.

I have already sold several loads stored this way to customers with no complaints whatsoever.

 

[oosik]

There is a field down south of me. I have no idea what happened but there are round bales scattered around the field. They have been there five plus years. They have turned black. I see that somebody is gathering them up and burning them. I would guess they are infested with mold and whatever and aren't even any value as mulch.

 

[jaxs]

Not all that bad! These bales sat outside, uncovered for 2 months. All of June & July, which were both hot & rainy.

None of this hay was designated to be feed hay, yet there was no dust, no mold and the green color was largely preserved.

I have already sold several loads stored this way to customers with no complaints whatsoever.

Cattlemen would buy baled tumble weed in Texas right now if they could find any. Saw an ad from SW Ok last week for thin range cows $300 per head.

 

[oldnslo]

If not feed hay what was intended use?

 

[deserteagle71]

Out in the open is how most ranches in Nevada store all their big bales, seems to work fine. That white forklift looking piece of equipment is called a "squeeze" and it is used to load the bales on wagons or trucks. Instead of forklift forks there are two arms on the mast that are hydraulically "squeezed" together when grabbing a bale to pick it up and load it.

 

[Torvy]

Out in the open is how most ranches in Nevada store all their big bales, seems to work fine. That white forklift looking piece of equipment is called a "squeeze" and it is used to load the bales on wagons or trucks. Instead of forklift forks there are two arms on the mast that are hydraulically "squeezed" together when grabbing a bale to pick it up and load it.
View attachment 758129

You can buy bale grabbers for your tractor, too.

Round Bale Grabbers for Skid Steer Loaders and Tractor Loaders | Premier

A perfect way to carefully move and stack film wrapped, net wrapped or conventional twine tied bales without worrying about damaging them. The Premier round bale grabber will be a durable and productive attachment for years of use.

www.premierattach.com

Nice picture. I do miss the mountains sometimes.

 

[Hay Dude]

We get a lot of rain here, so they get spoiled faster.
I sold a bunch and the buyer was not concerned.

We typically only use squeezes here for wrapped bales, so we don’t puncture the wrapping.
Thing about a squeeze is you cant grasp or ungrasp the bales without space between them, so we just use bale spears on unwrapped hay.

 

[Citydude]

Wyoming isn't known for their hay but very seldom do we see large square bales here. Mostly rounds.

 

[sd455dan]

Pic of the field we pulled off of this year, one of the large square bale piles in the distance.

 

[JESSE1]

I'd hate to see lightning hit that pile of hay. I divide my round bales into several separated sections in case of fire or lightning strike. Hopefully keeps all of it from being destroyed.

 

[Hay Dude]

I'd hate to see lightning hit that pile of hay. I divide my round bales into several separated sections in case of fire or lightning strike. Hopefully keeps all of it from being destroyed.

I worry more about kids and vandalism, but yeah i usually keep my bales limited to about 20-30 in a stack.
My insurance limits me to $10K per loss, so he also reminds me not to make the stacks to big.

 

[sd455dan]

They sell everything and mainly transport by semi loads except what they store to feed their beef cows and some horses. In another couple weeks it will all be in barns. They bring the big loader tractors over and round robin the big trucks.

 

[Hay Dude]

Here’s some more delivered last week. Sat outside for 8 weeks. Look fine.

 

[japody]

How much do those big square bales weigh?

 

[redman135]

Slightly off topic, what is the approximate ratio of hay to silage made?
What is the ratio of round bales to large squares?
Observation, sometimes you see round hay left out, but I have NEVER seen square hay left out.
In Waikato New Zealand the weather does not allow large scale hay making when the grass is in excess,(spring) as it is to wet. So we mostly make silage and mostly (95%)round bales, many farms don't have any hay.
Spring here starts about early august, silage starts mid/late september and goes to early december. Hay runs mid december to early february, although the hay season is getting later as the Reliable, stable ,dry weather pattern is getting later and later.
Spring gets later as you go south.

 

[Hay Dude]

How much do those big square bales weigh?

1,600-2,000 lbs

 

[Hay Dude]

Slightly off topic, what is the approximate ratio of hay to silage made?
What is the ratio of round bales to large squares?
Observation, sometimes you see round hay left out, but I have NEVER seen square hay left out.
In Waikato New Zealand the weather does not allow large scale hay making when the grass is in excess,(spring) as it is to wet. So we mostly make silage and mostly (95%)round bales, many farms don't have any hay.
Spring here starts about early august, silage starts mid/late september and goes to early december. Hay runs mid december to early february, although the hay season is getting later as the Reliable, stable ,dry weather pattern is getting later and later.
Spring gets later as you go south.

Here in my area silage might be 5% of the total.
It gets greater as you go north because they have more damp & cold weather