The past several Summers have not been kind to the local dry bale hay farmers. Long, wet Springs and sporadic showers arising within very short spells of decent baling weather has driven those dry bale prices to outrageous levels. Late Fall pricing at our local farm store was over $10 per bale for first cut hay. Second was obviously higher and, with greater demand due to the abundance of horses and ‘pet‘ goats, nearly impossible to obtain in satisfactory quantity.

For many small farms, turning to baleage rounds has provided a solution to the availability, storage and handling issues of dry bales. Baleage is partially dried forage, preferably 45-55 percent moisture, which is baled and wrapped with at least 6 layers of 1 mil plastic. Rounds are typically left out in the Winter grazing area, eliminating the need for cover. Some advantages over dry hay include less loss during storage, fewer weather delays at harvest, and faster turnaround from when the forage is down in both regrowth and time on the ground. The equipment changes are not significant but need to be considered.

Since the rounds typically weigh between 600 to 800 pounds, an adequate tractor is a requirement. A round bale feeder is also beneficial to reduce waste.

The process of fermentation in baleage is the key to nutrient preservation so once exposed to oxygen, they decay quite rapidly. Ideally the round should be consumed within ten days to avoid waste. Our cows will each consume about 50 pounds per day while the goats will each enjoy 4 to 5 pounds per day. This will increase as the Winter temperatures drop, but is a decent guide to determine if this feed alternative is right for you.

We’ve paid on average $50 in recent years for each round, equating to the equivalent of 15 to 20 dry bales. Since both cost and labor are considerations in our choices, consider this as potentially a viable option.

With that, we wish you all a happy and productive New Year.