NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Both haylage and baleage use the process of fermentation or ensiling to preserve forages, and require proper harvesting and storage techniques. Do you have equipment to do the job right?
Baleage can be confused with traditional dry hay because it is still a square or round bale in appearance. Inside, it’s hay that is higher moisture than dry hay so it is wrapped or otherwise sealed in plastic for storage. Baleage can be fermented as individual bales or in a tube/inline. Already we can see that added or changes to equipment will be need to utilize this high quality preservation technique. Haylage is wilted hay that is chopped and put into silos, bunkers, or bags.
Haylage is similar to corn silage from an equipment needs standpoint. For baleage, the equipment changes are not too significant but need to be considered. A different baler might be needed for some producers. Wrapping equipment is cheaper than a silage chopper, but handling the bales requires different equipment than the classic bale spear or grapple, unless the inline wrapping machine does all the wrapping. When picking up bales to take to the tube wrapper, some suggest using a double spear because it will reduce the large air pocket produced by the weight of the bale on just a single spear.
Plastic maintenance is needed if holes occur by the environment or animals and plastic requires disposal after use.
Make sure before the season starts, the plastic and equipment is ready to go or lined up to be rented.
— Brad Schick, Nebraska Extension
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