Can small square balers bale silage?

[Farmer Brendan]

Can small square balers bale silage? Have never seen one bale silage.

 

[bravheart]

Can small square balers bale silage? Have never seen one bale silage.

Could you lift them?

Believe some small square balers could use wire instead of string for silage

 

[john432]

There's a wrapper available for small bales... Horsey people like them...baled shorter in length... Hard work I'd say...

 

[Boohoo]

Some will bale it others won't. Why would you want to?

 

[jimred]

Done it in the past. Baling them was no problem but everything else was a proper PITA.

 

[Farmer Brendan]

Some will bale it others won't. Why would you want to?

Any specific types that would?

 

[AnyOldName]

Can small square balers bale silage? Have never seen one bale silage.

Not sure, but I do know there’s F all chance of me offering to help you stack them!

 

[steveR]

There's a wrapper available for small bales... Horsey people like them...baled shorter in length... Hard work I'd say...

Better as little rounds?

 

[Farmer Brendan]

Better as little rounds?

Have a New Holland Small Square Baler so I would want to use that.

 

[robs1]

Haylage possibly but not silage, I don't think a small baler would survive baling silage very long

 

[bravheart]

Have a New Holland Small Square Baler so I would want to use that.

Carry on then and let us all know how you get on.

As above think the sledges and grabs will struggle a bit so shifting them might be a problem

 

[puppet]

A neighbour baled hundreds of small bale haylage then wrapped them for horses. Each about 30 inches long

 

[Kidds]

I've baled haylage with a 276 New Holland and wrapped it.
As said, you can't lift the fecin things, even harder once wrapped and went mouldy by Christmas.
Only did it once and so did the guy who owned the wrapper.

 

[Lincsman]

Isnt the wrap worth more that the grass inside... lots of layers on spiky side.

 

[Mc115reed]

Baled into baron packs then wrap the baron pack could be an option?

 

[davidroberts30]

ol man tried it years ago,,,,youd grab the strings and if the string didnt break the bale would sag that much it didnt come off the floor


dont just dont

 

[Dave W]

You can bale haylage but it knocks sh!t out of the baler.
Typically (but not a hard and fast theory) you need a baler that that doesn’t use a stripper arm but retains the knot in the billhook and is pulled off and tight abs the bale moves down the chamber.
as I understand knotters with stripper arm make and release the knot but it isn’t pulled properly tight and just sits there on top of bale until the bale expands properly to tension the knot. In hay and straw that expansion happens pretty instantly but with haylage it takes a lot longer and the knot often works loose before it’s pulled tight

 

[Boohoo]

Any specific types that would?

I'm told a Jones will bale anything. The Masseys we've had struggle with haylage at times, it sticks at the top of the pickup. Only New Holland I've used is a 945 and that was in hay. I'd imagine bale shape could be an issue with a NH, it's not their strong point.
I've seen old videos of conventional balers baling fresh grass for silage. They were likely from the 60s. Think they stacked the bales then sheeted the stack. A neighbour used to tell stories about it being done, some stacked the bales in a pit and rolled them the way you would with clamp silage. Apparently you had to be careful not to let the tractor's front wheel drop between the bales

 

[L P]

Did 14000 haylage bales with an AP630 one year. Baled them at 2/3 length to keep them in the strings and liftable, you've got to man handle them on to the wrapper. Used a hydraulic belt sledge to get them away fast enough and stop soil contamination. Would not rush out to do it again.

 

[Hampton]

Any specific types that would?

The Massey in line would