Anyone making silage in 1.5m diameter round bales

Rhun

New Member
Location
Ceredigion
Following on from the forum discussions on reducing plastic usage on farms, I was wondering why there is very little silage ensiled in 1.5m round bales.
I admit that they may not suit a lot of operations due to weight and size, but for larger scale systems there must be something going for them?
From some quick calculations I’ve made, 1.5m bales have 56% more volume than ‘standard 1.2m round bales’, but use only 25% more film.
So on that basis, a farm producing 1000 ‘standard bales’ would reduce bale numbers to 640 and use 7 less rolls of bale-wrap (assuming 6 layers of film).
For a contractor with a stand alone wrapper, i'm guessing that it would not be an easy task to change from one size to the other. But for an automated combi variable chamber baler, quite an easy task to adjust?
Is this another step in improving the efficiency of baled silage that should be promoted where feasible - reducing on plastic use and handling costs?
Do any of you do this and what are your experiences?
Thanks,
Rhun
 
Not a bad idea, bigger bales would make more sense as long as haulage and feeding weren't a problem.

The issue may be with the wrapper though, I'd do a trial run before committing to a days baling.

Also maybe worth keeping weight and plastic damage in mind when handling.
 

Blue.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Was only talking about this the other week,ideally I want a 2t bale,thought about tubelining them,realised I'd need about 2miles.:banghead:
 

DrDunc

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Dunsyre
Following on from the forum discussions on reducing plastic usage on farms, I was wondering why there is very little silage ensiled in 1.5m round bales.
I admit that they may not suit a lot of operations due to weight and size, but for larger scale systems there must be something going for them?
From some quick calculations I’ve made, 1.5m bales have 56% more volume than ‘standard 1.2m round bales’, but use only 25% more film.
So on that basis, a farm producing 1000 ‘standard bales’ would reduce bale numbers to 640 and use 7 less rolls of bale-wrap (assuming 6 layers of film).
For a contractor with a stand alone wrapper, i'm guessing that it would not be an easy task to change from one size to the other. But for an automated combi variable chamber baler, quite an easy task to adjust?
Is this another step in improving the efficiency of baled silage that should be promoted where feasible - reducing on plastic use and handling costs?
Do any of you do this and what are your experiences?
Thanks,
Rhun
Weight

A 4 foot bale of silage properly made will be 900kg plus.

Even 4 foot haylage from a solid centre baler is near 700kg.

Tedding the grass to increase dry matter has a more easily achieved reduction in plastic use. Bales retain their shape better and there's less spoilage than (the already very low amount wasted compared to clamp) silage.

I intend to alter my wrapper film spool position for next year and make 1.35m bales of 50% plus haylage, weather permitting. The solid centre bales will be around 900kg which will further reduce plastic use.

What I have yet to calculate is the reduction in feed value in comparison to 30% DM silage. My cattle are certainly doing well on haylage this winter. It is also saving a significant amount of (bought in) straw ad their dung is much drier. When straw is £100 a tonne before delivery, it is not long in paying for the purchase of a tedder!
 
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Agrispeed

Member
Location
Cornwall
You can get 1200-1500kg in a 4' round bale if you're trying hard enough... Not sure you could handle 56% more weight than that. I imagine they would collapse quite easily - our contractor uses a kuhn drive over wrapper, but I could easily imagine a wrapper that lifts them onto the table struggling!

With 750mm wrap, what would the usage difference be? I imagine it would be fairly significant, although there would be even more overlap on the ends.

Will be trying high density 6 stringers this year. We do a fair amount in 3x3x6 but they hold a lot less than a fusion bale.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Weight

A 4 foot bale of silage properly made will be 900kg plus.

Even 4 foot haylage from a solid centre baler is near 700kg.

Really? I’ve weighed a few 4’ bales that were chopped/baled with a Fusion and they’ve never been much over 650-700kg, even lower DM ones. Personally i’d Be far happier if I could get 900kg in a bale. How can I make them more ‘properly’?:scratchhead:
 
I make my first cut (usually fairly wet) at 1.4m and second cut in 1.5m bales. Saves a lot of plastic and time baling, wrapping, hauling and feeding over small bales. Tried doing 1.5m first cut at 70% moisture baled with knives in, too much for wrapper to lift and a lot harder to handle. As long as you have equipment to handle the bigger heavier bales it makes sense to make them.
 

DeeGee

Member
Location
North East Wales
Really? I’ve weighed a few 4’ bales that were chopped/baled with a Fusion and they’ve never been much over 650-700kg, even lower DM ones. Personally i’d Be far happier if I could get 900kg in a bale. How can I make them more ‘properly’?:scratchhead:

Such advice does not come cheap Neilo.
I generally charge £150 an hour plus expenses with a minimum initial consultation fee of £250.
However, for whatever reason, and rather surprisingly, things are quiet at the moment, so just bung us a tenner and I’ll see what I can do.
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
Really? I’ve weighed a few 4’ bales that were chopped/baled with a Fusion and they’ve never been much over 650-700kg, even lower DM ones. Personally i’d Be far happier if I could get 900kg in a bale. How can I make them more ‘properly’?:scratchhead:

When I had a weighbridge where I last worked we’d way everything because you had to drive past it anyway.. fusion 2 on first year ley, 30% DM were 810kg, a few cuts later and we had squares done ( 4x 2.5 x 6?) and they were 820kg and I think they were 30% DM too. This wasn’t individual bales being weighed this was average over 400 bales each cut.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Such advice does not come cheap Neilo.
I generally charge £150 an hour plus expenses with a minimum initial consultation fee of £250.
However, for whatever reason, and rather surprisingly, things are quiet at the moment, so just bung us a tenner and I’ll see what I can do.

I wasn’t born yesterday. The last time I paid for your ‘consultancy service’, you just told me to stick the hosepipe on before wrapping them.

I’m not daft you know. I learnt, after three years, that following your advice seemed to be making my bales wetter somehow.:scratchhead: That said, it did increase my bale weights, as you said it would.

You should be getting on the Farming Connect gravy train.(y)
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
I wasn’t born yesterday. The last time I paid for your ‘consultancy service’, you just told me to stick the hosepipe on before wrapping them.

I’m not daft you know. I learnt, after three years, that following your advice seemed to be making my bales wetter somehow.:scratchhead: That said, it did increase my bale weights, as you said it would.

You should be getting on the Farming Connect gravy train.(y)

Nuffield Scholar next?
 

DrDunc

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Dunsyre
Really? I’ve weighed a few 4’ bales that were chopped/baled with a Fusion and they’ve never been much over 650-700kg, even lower DM ones. Personally i’d Be far happier if I could get 900kg in a bale. How can I make them more ‘properly’?:scratchhead:
Ahhh now, ask yourself why a contractor charges by the bale, and then think how they can get more £ per acre....;)

I bought this wee thing for last summer, and it doesn't half pack stuff in when you screw up the pressure! :love::D

Top tip for clean underwear: don't lift two haylage bales it's made if travelling across slopes without a rear counterweight. The loader tractor rapidly tries to imitate a reliant robin:eek:


baler.jpg
 

DeeGee

Member
Location
North East Wales
I wasn’t born yesterday. The last time I paid for your ‘consultancy service’, you just told me to stick the hosepipe on before wrapping them.

I’m not daft you know. I learnt, after three years, that following your advice seemed to be making my bales wetter somehow.:scratchhead: That said, it did increase my bale weights, as you said it would.

You should be getting on the Farming Connect gravy train.(y)

You really can be very catty at times Neilo.
Anyway, thank you for the tenner, and the attached brick.
 

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