Waiting days for a good-quality hay crop to dry and then have it rained on just as it was getting close to baling moisture can be demoralizing. It’s like losing a baseball game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth but with greater economic consequences. A growing number of haymakers have said, “Enough is enough,” and they’ve turned to baleage as a solution.

Although baleage can help counter the wrath of Mother Nature, it demands a high attention to detail, beginning with the proper moisture content at baling.

“The ideal moisture for baleage is between 40% to 65% and have it wrapped within four hours of baling,” says Jason Hartschuh, an Ohio State University Extension dairy management and precision livestock specialist. “Along with anaerobic conditions, baling at the proper moisture allows for acid production and a proper fermentation to preserve hay.”

While keeping oxygen out of the bale is paramount to making high-quality baleage, Hartschuh says good results begin at the time of mowing. This is because your ability to wrap bales factors into how much hay can be cut down at a given time. Based on research done at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Hartschuh recommends laying swaths as wide as the mower will allow, which helps preserve forage quality and speeds up drying.

When baling, strive to make the highest density bales possible. Boosting bale density from 6 pounds per cubic foot to 8 pounds per cubic foot adds an extra 12 hours of bunk life, which is mostly due to better bale fermentation.

Hartschuh explains that most bale wraps are 1 mil, low-density polyethylene, and bales need a minimum of 5 mils of plastic to seal out oxygen, requiring a minimum of six wraps.

“The types of plastic vary greatly in their stretchiness, which can reduce thickness by up to 25%,” he says. “Some stretch is necessary so that the plastic stays sticky and seals well between the layers of plastic, but you need to be cautious when wrapping in the rain, as this will reduce the stickiness and allow more oxygen to penetrate, causing spoilage.”

Hay types with thick stems may puncture the bale wrap. In these situations, more wraps of plastic may be needed. If oxygen enters the bale, it starts to heat, and quality declines when temperatures are over 120ºF. The amount of time between baling and wrapping and the number of mils of wrap significantly affect internal bale temperature, according to Hartschuh.

“After bales are wrapped, handle them carefully using a squeeze so that plastic is not torn,” the dairy specialist says. “If plastic is torn in storage, tape the tears with a vinyl tape designed to stop oxygen penetration as soon as you notice them. Inspect bales weekly while they’re being stored. Never use bale spears to move wrapped haylage until the day you are going to feed it,” he adds.

It is recommended that bales be fed within a year of wrapping. Baleage that is too wet, over 60% moisture, should be fed within three months, and baleage that is below 40% will not ferment well and needs to be fed within six months.

Bale uniformity is critical for those using an in-line wrapper to prevent oxygen pockets from developing between bales. “Baleage can be utilized as a plan or as a backup, but the best baleage is a plan and not a rescue attempt,” Hartschuh says.

Sweet hay

Hartschuh notes that baleage fermentation is slower than that of haylage, often taking six weeks. Although many haymakers will wrap hay between 25% and 40% moisture, this will not result in a full, if any, fermentation. Wrapped low-moisture hay is sometimes referred to as “sweet hay.”

“Bales put up at these [lower] moisture levels should be considered for shorter-term storage,” Hartschuh asserts. “At lower moisture levels, preservation is primarily a function of maintaining anaerobic, oxygen-limiting conditions. Mold is more likely at this moisture, so higher bale densities and more wraps of plastic are required to better seal out oxygen.”

Hartschuh cites a recent study conducted at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center that investigated the storage characteristics of wrapping 25% moisture hay. The study investigated heating of the wrapped hay versus unwrapped hay with preservatives.

Wrapping hay significantly reduced heating with no protein degradation compared to unwrapped hay. When propionic acid was added at baling to the wrapped bales, not only was heating reduced, but after 84 days in wrapped storage, the bales exhibited improved aerobic stability for the following 33 days.

“When done right, baleage can last a year and make excellent feed,” Hartschuh notes. “When done wrong, baleage can spoil, mold, and grow organisms that will make animals sick. Use your eyes and nose to be sure that the forage you’re going to feed is of high quality. Don’t force animals to eat forage they don’t want,” he concludes.