You get a smoother bale surface that contains the stems and reduces the chance of poking holes in the plastic film.
Wrapping hay bales in plastic.
These bales tend to have lower forage quality and greater mold throughout the bales.
Select blown low density polyethylene film around 1 mil thick.
If the hay is in string tied bales and to be stored outside then a couple turns of plastic may be an economic advantage as long as the gain due to reduced storage losses outweighs the loss in increased expense.
Wrapping dry hay allows farmers to protect feed from the weather without building more structures.
Some of the inline systems require end caps or plastic hay bags to seal the ends of the lines.
Single bale wrappers cost less than inline systems but they require more wrapping time and plastic film per bale.
For optimal preservation wrap bales within 24 hours of baling using 6 to 8 mil thick plastic.
Bales left unwrapped for more than 48 hours can reach internal temperatures over 130 degrees f.
The finished bales look like giant white marshmallows.
In this method the forage crop is cut sooner immediately baled and wrapped in plastic to ferment like silage.
Wrapping bales can be an economical answer when quality counts when haying on rented properties and when silos are not available.
Pre tension the film to stretch 55 to 75 percent.
Wrapping plastic or a tarp around the hay bale will make the cover more secure and less likely to be affected by the wind.