Can you round bale and wrap wholecrop?

[jackrussell101]

I suppose there would be issues like losing grains when you mow it if you were using a conditioner mower? But presumably you would take it earlier when the plant is still green? Does anyone on here do it with success?

 

[kiwi pom]

Used to square bale and wrap (tube line) wholecrop here when I worked for a contractor. A lot was cut with a self propelled windrower/swather but you could back the conditioner off on a mower or find someone with a straight mower.
It needed more wrap than grass from memory.

 

[Mickstup]

We mow it with a straight mower when the moisture is around 25 to 30%, bale out of the swath and use 4 + 4 wraps. keeping vermin out is the biggest problem. Don't cut it on a hot dry day (remember those) if its ripe, it needs some moisture. works for us.

 

[Andrew]

We’ve done squares before with good results. Best done before the grain is properly formed, the rats don’t go for it as much then.

 

[egbert]

I sure hope so, else I've got a stack of something else.
It was oats, cut with conditioner backed off, and baled next day straight from swath.
Left it a few days too long I consider, and the county's entire population of pigeons and rooks were grateful for the lost grains....

can I ask what you've got that's not flat and/or black? Round here, the straw element of the crop wouldn't be looking very appetising now.

 

[Jdunn55]

Wouldn't bother now, the grain will be hard and therefore needs cracking which a baler wont be able to do in order to get any benefit for whatever you plan on feeding it to.
Either clamp it with a forager or combine and bale it and feed the straw and grain.

Wholecrop bales can be done but the crop needs to be green not yellow.
We've done 200 bales this year and not a rat in them as of yet.
Plenty of poison around and net over the top to stop flying rats.
Chop the bales as well and also 6 layers of wrap not 4.

 

[steveR]

Did it once.

Rats!

 

[nails]

I sure hope so, else I've got a stack of something else.
It was oats, cut with conditioner backed off, and baled next day straight from swath.
Left it a few days too long I consider, and the county's entire population of pigeons and rooks were grateful for the lost grains....

can I ask what you've got that's not flat and/or black? Round here, the straw element of the crop wouldn't be looking very appetising now.

Yes that is how we do it. As long as you do not cut to late and mow it gently ,the losses are not too bad.

 

[DrWazzock]

Round baled and wrapped a triticale lupin mix at milky ripe stage. Kept well. Rocket fuel. Beast loved it. Needed to eat a bale in a couple of days though, or it heated up quickly and spoiled.

 

[Pistonbroke]

If you follow western seeds advice,cut after ten weeks when it's still green and no grains the sugar is higher,so it ferments better and not as much risk of rats. I aimed to do that this time but the weather broke and I have full grains now. Fingers crossed and slamming the poison down now

 

[Jdunn55]

If you follow western seeds advice,cut after ten weeks when it's still green and no grains the sugar is higher,so it ferments better and not as much risk of rats. I aimed to do that this time but the weather broke and I have full grains now. Fingers crossed and slamming the poison down now

Why not just combine it? You wont get any benefit from the grain as it will just go straight through the cows as it needs cracking

 

[Pistonbroke]

Why not just combine it? You wont get any benefit from the grain as it will just go straight through the cows as it needs cracking

1200 ft up,with a road less than 9 ft in places and no combine within ten miles anyway. Don't worry,I would if I could!

 

[Jdunn55]

1200 ft up,with a road less than 9 ft in places and no combine within ten miles anyway. Don't worry,I would if I could!

Fair enough, no chance of a forager either I suppose? Just seems a shame to waste the best part of the crop!

 

[Pistonbroke]

We do all bales now. It's not a big acreage so when we used to clamp it was such a thing layer it got lost. We did dig a narrow earth wall pit about 15 feet wide just for it once and it was brilliant stuff but had to do away with it

 

[Cnwch]

We do all our wholecrop baled and wrapped. The barley (if that's your cereal) needs to be harvested when the grain is at the "cheesy" stage. It really is a good way of reducing your concentrate costs, but do look out for rats (or just put the cats on "self catering")!

 

[nails]

Why not just combine it? You wont get any benefit from the grain as it will just go straight through the cows as it needs cracking

You can feed oats whole and at milky grain stage they are very digestible.