Stacking straw outside

[l'ordinary bonville]

It's getting to that time of year when I plan how much straw to bale and how much to chop.

I use both wheat and barley in big square and round and also considering baling some rape which can be baled earlier than wheat and allow more wheat to be chopped.

What is the best method of stacking to avoid wastage of top and bottom bales?

Are round bales best left in a long line?

Is it worth sheeting the top of a stack or are there ways of minimising wet bales?

 

[Suffolk Serf]

We stack everything outside, usually about 1200 quadrant, six string bales.
We sheet using "Performer Tarps" from the USA sold by the same people as Balers Choice from Devon ish way.
We stack so that the sheet is pitched by going ten bales high in the middle, the next bales each side of the middle eight high and six high at the outside.
We get nearly zero waste and the sheets last two years.
The beauty of it for us is that the straw is on site as we move around but if I had my own land the economics of a straw barn look pretty good.

 

[beltbreaker]

Stack 5ft rounds bean can 3 high 5 wide and cover with silage sheeting plastic and line the top with wheat straw 5ft rounds. The stacks are on a slight slope which helps water drain and the spaces in-between fill with water to help hold it down. Tried the balers choice tarps, did 2 years then blew away after much re tensioning, they would work well in a less exposed area I would think. I can cover 1000 bales in 3-4 hrs by myself given the right morning but normally 2 of us at it takes an hour and a half.

Cheers BB

 

[Derrick Hughes]

if you want to sell it to West Wales forget it WE dont want your shite

 

[Derrick Hughes]

if you want to sell it to West Wales forget it WE dont want your shite

That includes those who dont have a clue how to bale those who bale it damp those who stack it in shite those who have holes in their roof the 9 to 4 loaders

when harvest starts do us all a favour, go on holiday

 

[Wombat]

We put quite a lot outside, if its in rounds and you won't sheet stack it in lines end to end, don't let it touch another row on the side and don't stack. You will get limited wastage that way.

 

[7610 super q]

That includes those who dont have a clue how to bale those who bale it damp those who stack it in shite those who have holes in their roof the 9 to 4 loaders

when harvest starts do us all a favour, go on holiday

Blimey,thats told um

 

[Suffolk Serf]

if you want to sell it to West Wales forget it WE dont want your shite

You couldn't afford my straw.

 

[l'ordinary bonville]

I'm going to chop all my own spare anyway and I advise ALL other arable farmers to do the same.

Then @Forage Trader may get known as Ex Forage Trader

 

[Rob Holmes]

I'm going to chop all my own spare anyway and I advise ALL other arable farmers to do the same.

Thats our plan too

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I'm going to chop all my own spare anyway and I advise ALL other arable farmers to do the same.

Then @Forage Trader may get known as Ex Forage Trader

Thats Great, just had a phone call from one of the top bale contractors in the country, one of his merchants has retired and hes given me first chance of the straw, hes even building a big new shed to store it for me, more quality straw going to West Wales farmers, chop out the crap!

 

[l'ordinary bonville]

Stack 5ft rounds bean can 3 high 5 wide and cover with silage sheeting plastic and line the top with wheat straw 5ft rounds. The stacks are on a slight slope which helps water drain and the spaces in-between fill with water to help hold it down. Tried the balers choice tarps, did 2 years then blew away after much re tensioning, they would work well in a less exposed area I would think. I can cover 1000 bales in 3-4 hrs by myself given the right morning but normally 2 of us at it takes an hour and a half.

Cheers BB

When you say line the top with 5' rounds do you mean on top of the sheet? Is it just round the edges or the whole stack? and on their rounds? How do you get them across the top if the stack is already formed?

 

[An Gof]

With the rainfall we get there is only one sensible option ......... store it in a shed. Had to store some outside last year and despite double sheeting still had some damp patches.
New shed going up this year!

 

[czechmate]

if you want to sell it to West Wales forget it WE dont want your shite

That includes those who dont have a clue how to bale those who bale it damp those who stack it in shite those who have holes in their roof the 9 to 4 loaders

when harvest starts do us all a favour, go on holiday



Bad day Derrick?

 

[beltbreaker]

When you say line the top with 5' rounds do you mean on top of the sheet? Is it just round the edges or the whole stack? and on their rounds? How do you get them across the top if the stack is already formed?

Yes, on top of the sheet and just round the edges. The rainwater in the hollows hold it down, wastage is next to nothing, edge to edge wrap works better as rain water runs down the side and not into the bales. 4ft rounds blow off.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

No quite a good one

I am sure if farmers looked after their grain like some their straw they would betrully bankrupt, yet farmers pay more now for straw than they did their grain not so many years ago,

Every other farm is picking up silage here today, wonderful crops wonderful weather

 

[czechmate]

Yep - silage all around here. Except me, waiting to make hay