Silage wrap: Round vs Squares

[Farmer_Joe]

I think you would be disappointed with the density of the rounds in comparison. You generally get around 22 bales out of a roll if 4’ but if your 4’6” you could be down to 18-20. I reckon you would probably be somewhere between 1.5-2 rounds to your squares.

Depends on size of big baler,

I get 6 ft by 4 ft by 3 ft from a krone big pack baler, dry matter high as it’s for sheep there’s some serious density in them.
When feeding you can tell how much more is in them compared to rounds as the sheep get through the rounds twice as fast,
I think vs the round bales I’ve had done ( contracted) there must be getting on for nearly double in them. The reason I get them is for that saving on wrap, easier to handle etc.

To be fair the smaller big square bales don’t make sense though I’ve never understood the advantage of them over round.

 

[Matthew Britton]

Depends on size of big baler,

I get 6 ft by 4 ft by 3 ft from a krone big pack baler, dry matter high as it’s for sheep there’s some serious density in them.
When feeding you can tell how much more is in them compared to rounds as the sheep get through the rounds twice as fast,
I think vs the round bales I’ve had done ( contracted) there must be getting on for nearly double in them. The reason I get them is for that saving on wrap, easier to handle etc.

To be fair the smaller big square bales don’t make sense though I’ve never understood the advantage of them over round.

Smaller ones are ok if your selling them for horses but other than that they’re a bit pointless.

 

[Skintagain]

Surely this has to be the year to test the wrapped bale to extinction.

i would rather put a shed up or a clamp than paying to dispose of thousands of pounds of wrap then have to repeat the year after.

1950’s farming from now on

 

[tr250]

Rectangular bales are for hay/straw
Round bales are for silage
The end

Wrong rectangle bales for hay/ straw
Silage belongs in a clamp the end

 

[Jim75]

We ran some over the weighbridge. Same field and working together, fusion 3 and 120x70 krone. 10-15% more material in the krone compared to the fusion. Most of ours goes into a pit and surplus baled.

 

[Henarar]

We ran some over the weighbridge. Same field and working together, fusion 3 and 120x70 krone. 10-15% more material in the krone compared to the fusion. Most of ours goes into a pit and surplus baled.

what was the cost of the different bales baled and wrapped per bale ?

 

[Poorbuthappy]

what was the cost of the different bales baled and wrapped per bale ?

And what density were the balers set at?
OP is talking about 4'6" bales too which will be bigger than from fusion 3

 

[nails]

Rounds are cheaper to make than squares . You can pull an a basic type round baler such as a Krone with very little horsepower, less wrap for the bales as well . The days of throwing money at shiny kit just for the sake of it are surely coming to an end.

 

[nails]

Surely this has to be the year to test the wrapped bale to extinction.

i would rather put a shed up or a clamp than paying to dispose of thousands of pounds of wrap then have to repeat the year after.

1950’s farming from now on

I reckon you are spot on with that. Unless some new type of easily recycled / biodegradable type of wrap comes along soon i can see a change in practices

 

[tr250]

Rounds are cheaper to make than squares . You can pull an a basic type round baler such as a Krone with very little horsepower, less wrap for the bales as well . The days of throwing money at shiny kit just for the sake of it are surely coming to an end.

Yes your right but we have a square baler for straw as you can get double in the shed cart them double as quickly and bake it quickly without having to stop. So when the clamps are full we square bale the surplus because that’s the baler we’ve got but our 120x70s are definitely less economical on wrap than rounds but they work for us as they stack nicely and chop better in the feeder as they immediately fall into wads opposed to rounds which take time to pull to bits

 

[ollie989898]

Yes your right but we have a square baler for straw as you can get double in the shed cart them double as quickly and bake it quickly without having to stop. So when the clamps are full we square bale the surplus because that’s the baler we’ve got but our 120x70s are definitely less economical on wrap than rounds but they work for us as they stack nicely and chop better in the feeder as they immediately fall into wads opposed to rounds which take time to pull to bits

The other advantage is pulling out strings rather than fudging with net which always seems to leave little bits here and there behind.

 

[Skintagain]

The other advantage is pulling out strings rather than fudging with net which always seems to leave little bits here and there

twine round baler

 

[Jim75]

what was the cost of the different bales baled and wrapped per bale ?

Hmm not sure it’s been a while without going back to look

And what density were the balers set at?
OP is talking about 4'6" bales too which will be bigger than from fusion 3

well made bales no doubting them at all. We notice we get better quality/less waste/mould with the squares than rounds plus can squares easier shifted and quicker to clear them, I digress

 

[fiat 9090]

I'm just after reading your post what would you think of 5 by 4 bales tube wrapped or even 4.6 bales half the plastic about 44 bales per roll but you would need to be using at least a bale every second day