Round Bale Preferred Size

[rotirahn]

Hello,

I have some questions regarding the optimal bale size, both for silage and hay round bales.
Based on which criterias should I choose the size of a bale?
What sizes are mostly preferred by farmers around the world today, both for silage and hay?
Is there a trend going towards bigger bales like 5x6 or smaller bales?
Are there special bale sizes for dairy cow feeding?

Thank you for any help.

 

[RickB]

Equipment available to move the bales and travel distance are the two primary considerations. 99% of silage round bales are either 4x4 or 4x5; a 4x5 silage bale can weigh 2000lb easily. 5 foot wide bales don't stack two wide on a truck legally anywhere in the US. A 5x6 bale of dry hay can weigh 1800-2000 lb.You don't post your location, and overwidth loads are more of a problem in some areas than others. Generally speaking, bigger bales mean less numbers to make and haul, but there are other considerations, as mentioned.

 

[Dill]

For me its a 4x4, not all of my customers have tractors and I can roll a dry 4x4 by hand. Also they fit on my trailer better.

 

[Soundguy]

ditto that. call your potential clients and see what their machines can handle. many like 4x4 or 4x5 due to tractor size and lots of people with CUT's and not ag tractors doing lil farming operations.. etc.

soundguy

 

[HayDR]

Hello,

I have some questions regarding the optimal bale size, both for silage and hay round bales.
Based on which criterias should I choose the size of a bale?
What sizes are mostly preferred by farmers around the world today, both for silage and hay?
Is there a trend going towards bigger bales like 5x6 or smaller bales?
Are there special bale sizes for dairy cow feeding?

Thank you for any help.

If you purchase a 5 x 4 or a 6 x 4 variable chamber baler you can bale a 4 x 4 silage bale and then bale a larger dry hay bale. A dense 50% moisture 4 x 4 bale will be close to 2000 lbs. In the long run when you go over 2000 lbs. you start to increase the wear on tire, spindles, axles, etc..

• What size tractors do you have?
• What type of wrapper are you going to use?
• Will you feed in multiple areas? Highway travel?
• Will you use a skid-steer to feed?

This might help you start the decision process.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Are you buying or selling?

Seriously, I presume that you are asking for the purpose of selling hay and/or custom baling for other people.

As already pointed out, over-width loads are a headache. Most standard trailers are 8' wide. (including 18-wheelers) I don't want any roll over 4' in width. That way, two will sit side-by-side without hanging over the trailer deck. Also, you need to be able to see what's behind you. Standard towing mirrors are set up for 8' loads. If you use 5' or 6' wide rolls, you will have HUGE blind areas and that's dangerous.

 

[canoetrpr]

My preferred size as a consumer of hay is 4x5 dry hay. With a ~30 HP tractor and a loader that can lift ~1000 lb, this is what my tractor can handle safely when properly ballasted.

If your customers are hobby farms then in my area 4x5 is a good size to go with.

 

[art]

The 4 x 5 is the most common unit sold.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I spent a couple years fretting over which bale size/which round baler to buy. ALL my hay gets sold. Until late last year, all of it was small squares. @ 64 years old, I've tossed enough idiot cubes! So round bales it is! After several of my best customers expressed their desire to switch to rounds, it was an easy decision. Just what size?

I ended up with a Vermeer 5410 Rebel. 4X5. That seemed to be the best choice of balers and the best choice of bale size for my needs. I bale the majority as 4X4's. TWO reasons. My customers like that size due to weight (handling) and size (hauling in small pick-ups/small trailers)

Funny thing, we seem to get about the same price for 4X4's as with 4X5's. By doing 4X4's I get more bales per cutting. More or less the same gimmick most of the fast food joints use these days....Smaller portion size instead of raising the price.

I don't do silage bales.

 

[foreman Etexas]

I like the big 5x6 when I bale mine but seems like everyone that is selling hay its the 4x5 so they can make more bales,charge same money...

 

[mlauk]

I like a 4x6 roll, the 3 - 4x6's are roughly equivalent to 4 -4x5's so I can move less hay from the field to storage and from storage to feeding.

 

[slowzuki]

Drove me nuts picking up all the little 4x4 round bales. There are basically 2 4x4's in one 5x4. We went back to idiot cubes.

Funny thing, we seem to get about the same price for 4X4's as with 4X5's. By doing 4X4's I get more bales per cutting. More or less the same gimmick most of the fast food joints use these days....Smaller portion size instead of raising the price.

I don't do silage bales.

 

[Duffster]

Hello,

I have some questions regarding the optimal bale size, both for silage and hay round bales.
Based on which criterias should I choose the size of a bale?
What sizes are mostly preferred by farmers around the world today, both for silage and hay?
Is there a trend going towards bigger bales like 5x6 or smaller bales?
Are there special bale sizes for dairy cow feeding?
Thank you for any help.

Square. :thumbsup:

 

[cowski]

4x5 for silage or sale.6x5 for u to feed.

 

[rotirahn]

Wow thank your for all your infos, i did not expect this much replies!

I am living in Turkey and I want to start up a small dairy farm business. I was making a research about the feeding of dairy cows and I wanted to know what size of bales farmers prefer in their business, what are the pros and cons of different sizes? Thank you all for your answers.

I still wonder if there is a trend going towards bigger bales, because from what I see there are some balers like Lely Welger RP 535 which can produce 6.5 foot (2 meters) diameter round bales. Are these practical?

Thank you again.

 

[tessiers]

Wow thank your for all your infos, i did not expect this much replies!

I am living in Turkey and I want to start up a small dairy farm business. I was making a research about the feeding of dairy cows and I wanted to know what size of bales farmers prefer in their business, what are the pros and cons of different sizes? Thank you all for your answers.

I still wonder if there is a trend going towards bigger bales, because from what I see there are some balers like Lely Welger RP 535 which can produce 6.5 foot (2 meters) diameter round bales. Are these practical?

Thank you again.

two things first you want a small dairy, that means small equipment and overhead

the current trend in the world is bigger and better.

I still make hay with tractors in the 30 hp range, 60 years old and still getting it done. We do 4x4 silage bales simply because they are all we can handle with the equipment we have. the other thing to consider is with the big bales comes big balers and big tractors and lots of fuel.

 

[TexKubota]

Feeding 5x6
Selling 4X5

 

[IHCman]

We use the 6'x5' rounds. Wouldn't have anything else for the amount of hay we put up. Around 3000 to 4000 bales a year averaging 1600lbs to 2000lbs. I use a Case IH 7220 tractor and a 605 M Vermeer baler. Normally use a 5088 International but so wet this year wanted to use the front wheel assist to prevent getting stuck.
Here in North Dakota I'm not sure on the overwidth laws that people are talkig about in other states, maybe we have the laws but just not enforced as everyone uses 6'x5' bales and hauls em with semis. I move all my hay with chain movers so my bales are three wide the flat side out but I'm also not hauling on the highway just gravel roads.
I think the con to using smaller bales might be more of a spoilage issue than with larger bales, but if your storing them inside of a hay barn this wouldn't be a concern. Here everyone leaves there bales outside.
In my opinion you have to look at your own operation and decide what would work best for you. If you have a large enough tractor and loader to handle the 6'x5' bales that'd probably be the best bet. But the smaller bales would also work well if you use smaller equipment. If you sell hay, it all depends on what your buyers want.

 

[creekbend]

I do not bale hay personally, but I mainly buy 4x5's and some 5x6's. It depends on the freshness and the price. Most hay farmers in the triad region of NC bale these two sizes. Hope this helped. Happy Tractoring.:tractor::tractor: