How much does 1 bale hay cover?

COVERAGE GUIDELINES 1 bale covers an area approximately 80-73 square feet to a recommended depth of 2 inches.

How much is a bale of hay in UK?

Meadow Hay – Small Bales

How many kg is a bale of hay?

How much does a section of hay weigh? – Advice | Pavo The Pavo GroomingTeam receives a lot of questions about the correct feed composition. Many horse owners don’t know exactly how much energy and protein their roughage contains and how much they give to their horse.

• It is very important to know the weight and moisture content of your roughage.
• Advice is always based on the dry matter content of the roughage.
• Haylage contains more water, so you have to feed more of that than hay.
• If you want to find out how much you feed your horse, stand on the scales with a bale of hay.

An average bale of hay weighs 15 to 18 kg. When you have completed the FeedingGuide and the resulting advice is 6 kg of hay, then you know that you have to feed 1/3 of a bale. Be aware that the FeedingGuide calculates an advice based on your input. If your horse goes in the field during the day and also has a straw bed, then the calculation takes that into account. : How much does a section of hay weigh? – Advice | Pavo

How many bales a day does a horse eat?

Q: How many bales of hay does a horse eat per month? – A horse can eat anywhere from 15-25 pounds of hay a day, which generally equates to a half of a 45/50-pound square bale of hay per day (~15-30 bales per month). Always remember to take into consideration the quality of your hay. If the nutrient quality is poor, then the horse will require more hay (by weight).

How long will one hay bale last?

Hay bales stacked in the paddock – Hay is dried herbaceous plants such as legumes or grass. As such, its lifespan is anything but infinite. From the moment hay is harvested, it begins going bad. The average lifespan of a round bale of hay is five to six days, which isn’t very long.

Should you choose to cover the hay bale with a hay net that includes1.75-inch holes, then you can extend the life of the hay. Now you’d get between eight and 10 days from one rounded bale, which is a lot more time to work with. As we indicated in the intro, hay importers like yourself must be aware of how long a round bale of hay will last so you can expedite the shipping process.

After all, if the hay arrives to your customer too late, then they’ll have paid for a bad product. The customer might want a refund, which hurts the bottom line of your company. They’ll almost certainly leave a bad review, which can prevent other potential customers from wanting to do business with you.

How much hay is in a small bale?

Bale Size and Weight — High Desert Hay We primarily bale standard two-string bales that measure 16″x18″ and are approximately four feet long. Depending on the type of hay, our small bales typically average between 90 and 110 pounds. There is always variability and we cannot guarantee precise bale weights.

Is hay or straw cheaper?

Although prices vary by season and region, hay is usually more expensive than straw. Straw is more affordable because it’s the leftover plant material. Fresh and clean hay can fetch a higher price due to the nutritional content in its leaves and seeds.

How many bales of hay per hour?

How many bales can be wrapped per hour? Using an individual bale wrapper, experienced workers can wrap 25-30 bales or more per hour. This is approximately the same number of bales covered by a 20 in. x 6,000 ft. or 30 in. x 5,000 ft. roll of stretch- wrap plastic. Experienced workers can wrap 40-50 bales per hour with an in-line wrapper. : How many bales can be wrapped per hour?

How much hay should I buy?

Livestock Hay Needs for a Day

How big is hay bale in CM?

Bale types & Sizes Round bale Ø120 – Ø180vm / W:120cm – typical weight 200 – 300kg – density approx.85kg/m3. Hesston square bale H:130cm / W:120cm / L:220 – 260cm – typical weight 400 – 550kg – Density approx.135 kg/3 – Tied with 6 strings.

How big is a bale?

Round balers – “Large round bale packaging systems allow one person to harvest and store large quantities of hay,” says John Slocombe, Ph.D., Kansas State University. “However, a large round baler requires specific management practices to maintain hay quality and minimize loss during harvest, transportation and storage. “For safety reasons, the most important consideration when matching a tractor to a round baler is tractor size, not horsepower. The gross weight of the tractor must be greater than that of the gross weight of the fully loaded baler. This weighting scheme allows the tractor to maintain control of the baler even when operating on slopes.” Cost per hour ($/hour) to operate a round baler is about the same whether the baler is operated at 60 percent of design capacity (ton/hour throughput) or 90 percent.

Cost per bale is calculated as: Baling cost ($/ton) = Cost to operate ($/hour) ÷ Throughput (ton/hour) There are cost advantages in operating a baler at maximum design capacity; however, other factors need to be considered. Operators must learn not to drive too fast along a heavy windrow. If a baler becomes jammed, it may take 30 minutes or longer to correct this problem.

Most balers are equipped with a slip clutch on the pickup mechanism. As the slip clutch is engaged due to overloading, the operator can hear the noise and knows to slow down forward progress. Most operators need to keep the baler operating at 90 percent of design capacity to obtain maximum efficiency. The bale is then wrapped, tied and ejected. These bales tend to have a soft core. Internal working parts of the fixed chamber are normally belts, chains, rollers or drums. “In a variable chamber, flat belts or chains with slats contain the bale from its initial formation until completion, and can make a bale with uniform density.

Some round baler models have twin bale chambers. In one chamber, formation of a new bale begins while a bale is being wrapped, tied and ejected from the second chamber. All of these operations occur without stopping the forward travel of the tractor. “Data suggests that hay losses are lower for variable chamber balers with belts than for fixed chamber balers with rollers,” says Slocombe.

“However, rollers may require less maintenance than belts or chains. “Large round balers come in a wide range of sizes. The smallest balers produce a full-sized bale that is approximately 4 feet wide by 5 feet in diameter. The largest balers make bales that are 8 feet wide by 6 feet in diameter.

1. Bale weights vary from 500 to 2,500 pounds in properly conditioned hay.
2. Bale weights also vary with type and species of forage and cutting time (first, second or third).” Mini-round balers, also called roto-balers, are available for people with a small number of acres on which to produce hay.
3. The compact round baler works on the same principle as its bigger cousin, rolling the hay inside a chamber until it reaches a certain size, then wrapping the bale with either twine or net, and ejecting it out the rear of the machine.

A mini-round bale generally weighs 40 to 55 pounds and can be easily lifted by one person.

How much hay do I need to feed a 500kg horse?

Horses have evolved to graze frequently on small amounts for up to 15 hours a day. But today, horses and ponies are frequently stabled for part or all of the day and fed a limited supply of preserved forage, such as hay or haylage. This ultimately restricts their natural feeding pattern.

1. If this is not adequately addressed, it can increase the risk of disease and/or abnormal behaviours.
2. Historically, the quality of forages, such as grass or hay, was too poor to meet the high energy demands of working horses, so their diet was high in cereal grains.
3. Today, cereals are frequently included in daily rations, although they are now more common in complementary feeds.

But this can mean less forage is provided, particularly for performance horses. If the nutritional or behavioural needs for chewing or eating forage aren’t met, then the health of the horse may suffer. Potential consequences include gastrointestinal diseases, such as ulcers, colic and diarrhoea, or the development of behavioural vices.

These needs are now better understood and have been agreed in the form of recommendations recently published in the scientific journal, ANIMAL. “Significant changes were agreed to the recommendations for feeding hay or haylage to horses” explain Dr Pat Harris. “We now have a much better and deeper understanding of the nutritional needs of horses, so it seemed wise to update the guidance for all those feeding horses to reflect this”.

Dr Harris, who is Head of Equine Studies at the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, joined other equine nutrition experts to review the large body of research. “Together we agreed to update the recommendations, which we hope will ultimately improve the health and welfare of all horses”.

• In Europe, feeding haylage is increasingly common.
• It is not unusual for owners to underfeed haylage as it is commonly used to replace hay on a weight for weight basis, or when there are concerns over potential weight gain or unwanted behaviour due to its higher energy value.
• With the new minimum recommendation for forage intake increasing dramatically to 15g dry matter per kg body weight (g DM/kg BW) from 10g based on this review, it is even more important to ensure horses are fed sufficient forage, especially haylage.

But what does this actually mean? “Ultimately this translates as an increase in the minimum amount of hay for a 350kg pony from almost 4 to nearly 6kg per day (assuming 90% dry matter), or a rise from 5kg to 7.5kg for haylage (assuming 70% dry matter)” highlighted Dr Harris.

Obviously, for a larger thoroughbred horse the increase in daily amount of haylage is more dramatic, A 550kg thoroughbred requires an additional 4kg to meet the minimum recommendation of nearly 12kg (if the dry matter content is 70%). To further recreate the natural feeding behaviour, food should ideally be freely available through the day.

When this is not possible, at the very least, horses should not be left without the opportunity to eat for more than 4-6 hours. Although different recommendations were made for those horses who require a dramatic reduction in calorie intake, the need to forage and chew still remains important.

1. To read the full review paper, Harris et al., 2016.
2. Review: Feeding conserved forage to horses: recent advances and recommendations. ANIMAL.
3. Available online.
4. What is dry matter? Dry matter (DM) is the content of a feed or forage that remains after the water or moisture has been evaporated.
5. Hay typically has the highest dry matter content, with the new terminology defining this as over 85% DM.

Haylage has a much lower DM content that may be as low as 50% according to this new publication. How do I find out what the dry matter of my hay or haylage is? Commercially sourced haylage may have the dry matter content displayed on the feed bag or available through the company’s website.

However, haylage and hay bought directly through farmers are unlikely to have this information. There are a number of feed analysis services available, and they will be able to give you basic nutrition information for a small charge. What does g DM/kg BW mean? “g DM/kg BW” means how many grams of dry matter you should feed per kilogram of your horse’s bodyweight.

How do I calculate how much DM my horse is getting? To calculate the minimum value for your horse, multiple their bodyweight (in kg) by 15. This is how many grams of DM they need a day. If you know the DM content of your forage, multiple the grams by 100 and then divide by the percentage DM.

How much hay does a Belgian horse eat?

Feeding the Mature Draft Horse – LMF Feeds, Inc. In recent years, the popularity and the use of draft horses has increased in the United States. Draft Horses can be categorized into three distinct types, namely Farm, Hitch, and the Pulling horse. The “Farm” horse will weigh around 1500 pounds and stand 16 hands or less.

The “Farm” horse is used for a variety of activities and is quite versatile in that it can be used for both driving and riding in a number of activities on the farm. The “Hitch” horse will exceed 17 hands and weigh 1800 pounds or more. The “Hitch” horse is the draft horse version of a show horse. This horse typically pulls carts and wagons in single, pair, unicorn, four, six and eight horse hitches.

The “Pulling” horse will vary in height and may weigh from 1600 pounds or less to 1700 pounds or more. These horses are used competitively in weight pulling contests and also in environmentally friendly farming and logging operations. Much of our knowledge for feeding draft horses originated when draft horses were used as the mechanical power on farms.

Traditionally, the farm and pulling horses were fed home grown grains and roughages. Farmers and ranchers often feed what they had on hand. Common feed grains provided to draft horses included oats, corn and rolled barley. These may have been fed with protein and mineral supplements to avoid obvious nutrient deficiencies.

Harvested forage that was traditionally fed to draft horses included timothy, alfalfa, grass or alfalfa-grass mixture hay. Grazing on native range, reseeded pastures, and crop aftermath was also typical. The hitch or show horses used on city carriages and in parades and competition were fed some of the first formulated rations.

These rations were designed to enhance hair coat, hoof quality and maintain show condition. These formulated rations included grains, protein supplements and vitamin/mineral fortification. These rations were the front-runners to today’s diets fed to horses. Modern feeding of draft horses requires an understanding of nutrient requirements according to age, size, stage of reproduction and work.

Like light horses (Quarter Horses, Paints, Morgans, etc.), draft horses require a suitable combination of hay, pasture, grain and supplements to meet the nutrient and energy requirements for the type of activity being performed. Energy, or the calorie content of the diet, will vary greatly depending on the activity of the horse.

Draft horses will have dramatically different energy requirements depending on speed and duration of work being performed. For example draft horses working at a walk will require less feed than horses working at a trot. Hitch horses performing at a rapid trot with high leg action may require twice the energy.

Similarly, horses used in pulling contests will require large amounts of energy to fuel the short bursts of intense work. Energy is the only nutrient that dietary adequacy can be determined by visually looking at the horse. If a draft horse is being fed too much energy (calories) it will gain body weight.

1. On the other hand, if it is being fed less energy than it is expending the horse will loose body weight or condition.
2. Feeding the proper amount of energy will also depend on the rate of metabolism of the draft horse.
3. Generally, draft horses have a very slow metabolism meaning they do not burn excess calories with unnecessary movement.

Some horsemen translate their slow metabolism into the phrase easy-keeper, meaning the horse does not require a large amount of feed to maintain condition. However, not all draft horses are easy-keepers. Many of the horses used in show hitches require a tremendous amount of feed to maintain condition.

• In addition to energy, draft horses require protein, vitamins and minerals.
• The requirement for each nutrient depends on the physiologic function (pregnancy, growth, lactation, work) of the horse.
• Therefore, just as with light horse breeds, we can not feed all draft horses the same diet.
• Many modern draft horse owners tailor their feeding programs to compliment different climates and geographic locations.

These draft horse owners select grain concentrates that not only compliment the horse, but also the geographic region of the country. The following are general feeding guidelines for mature draft horses. Approximate Feed Consumption Idle Horses : can maintain body condition on good quality forage such as grass pasture, grass hay, alfalfa hay or grass, alfalfa mixed hay.

This is typical when horses aren’t being worked between seasons. Horse should be fed 1.5 to 2 lbs of hay per 100 lbs of body weight along with a low intake, protein, vitamin and mineral pellet. Light work : horses typically can not maintain body weight without the additional calories provided by grain.

Feed 1.5 to 2 lbs of hay per 100 lbs of body weight along with 0.3 to 0.5 lbs of fortified grain per 100 lbs of body weight. Moderate work: feed 1.25 to 1.5 lbs of hay per 100 lbs of body weight along with 0.75 to 1 lb of fortified grain per 100 lbs of body weight.

• Hard work : these horses are typically fed 1.25 to 1.5 lbs of hay per 100 lbs of body weight along with 1 to 1.25 lbs of fortified grain per 100 lbs of body weight.
• Defining the amount of work, accomplished daily is relative.
• It may range from horses pulling an empty wagon in a parade to 8 to 10 hours plowing, haying or logging.

The teamsters experience will determine the level of work performed and the necessary modifications to the amount of feed provided to maintain body condition. As with any horse, the feeding management is critical to maintain proper health. Traditionally, working draft horses would be provided with the majority of their daily grain intake in the morning prior to work and at noon during rest.

• They would be provided with approximately 25% of the daily forage intake during these two meals.
• At night, draft horses would be provided with free-choice forage and small amounts of grain.
• Modern draft horses are typically fed both the grain and forage portion of their diet in two meals provided in the morning and evening.

In any draft horse feed operation, several other feeding management practices should be followed:

Feed horses regularly Keep managers free of dust and dirt On days off from work, reduce the consumption of grain the night before and during the day off Ration changes should be gradual and not abrupt Follow the feeding recommendations of commercial prepared concentrates. Horses need free access to fresh water During the winter, water in the tank should be ice free Horses should have free access to salt Most draft horses prefer loose salt over block salt All horses require vitamin and minerals supplementation to balance deficiencies in hay and pasture

The successful feeding of draft horses requires sound judgment and experience. Many of the feeding recommendations and rations formulated by animal husbandry professors in land – grant universities during the 1900’s form the basic guidelines for feeding draft horses today.

Can horses eat just hay?

Provide plenty of roughage – Many pleasure and trail horses don’t need grain: good-quality hay or pasture is sufficient. If hay isn’t enough, grain can be added, but the bulk of a horse’s calories should always come from roughage. Horses are meant to eat roughage, and their digestive system is designed to use the nutrition in grassy stalks.

Can hay go bad?

Check Hay’s “Freshest By” Date – Hay is a natural product that doesn’t expire in the traditional sense of the term. When stored in the proper conditions, hay will retain its nutritional value for many months. Hay is required to feature a “freshest by” date that you will typically find on the back side of your hay packaging.

Is 2 year old hay good?

September 19, 2017 September 24, 2020 An age-old question: when is hay too old to feed to horses? Hay doesn’t come stamped with an expiration date, so sometimes it’s hard to know when to use it and when to toss it. Consider these points:

If the hay was of good-quality when harvested and stored in a dry place with sufficient airflow, hay is likely suitable for consumption for two to three years. Keep in mind that hay, even premium forage, loses much of its vitamin content in the first few months of storage. “Hay stored in hot environments, such as haylofts, can lose half to three-quarters of its vitamin E content over a three-month period,” said Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., nutritionist with Kentucky Equine Research (KER). Do not expect two- or three-year-old hay to contribute significantly to vitamin A nutrition. “About 75% of vitamin A disappears within the first 24 hours of cutting and then loses another 10% monthly. Because forage is rich in vitamin A, this is not a concern for hay fed in the first year or so following harvesting,” said Crandell. Because vitamin D is more stable than vitamins A and E, hay loses very little of vitamin D in storage, according to Crandell.

What’s the best way to handle nutrient deficiencies if old hay is fed? If horses are consuming green pasture and a well-fortified concentrate, there is no need to worry about the vitamin and mineral content of whatever old, well-preserved hay horses may be nibbling on.

A fortified concentrate should be fed if horses require additional calories on top of the hay to maintain body weight. Feeds are available for every life stage, and an appropriate one should be purchased and fed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This might be the case with horses that are in moderate to heavy work and horses known to be hard keepers, If horses hold optimal body condition on hay alone and do not have elevated protein requirements (such as mature horses at maintenance or those light work), a vitamin and mineral supplement such as Micro-Max from KER would be appropriate. In Australia, look for Gold Pellet or Nutrequin SE, If horses require protein as well as minerals and vitamins for optimal health and performance, which is usually the case with easy keepers who serve as broodmares (barren or early gestation) or riding horses in near-daily work, consider feeding a balancer pellet.

Under no circumstances should old hay be fed if it has been compromised by dust, moisture, mold, or foreign objects. Undisturbed hay may also have been infiltrated by nesting rodents or wildlife. If raccoons, opossums, or rodents have run amuck in the loft, consider chucking the hay, as it could harbor disease-causing organisms, including those that cause equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM).

Does hay go bad if it gets wet?

What to Do with Wet Hay With the wet weather this year, putting up quality hay and keeping it protected from the elements has been a challenge. While some weathering of bales is to be expected, those that were put up a bit wet, have been sitting in water, or were otherwise saturated need some special considerations.

1. The first thing to keep in mind when dealing with wet hay is that moisture can easily lead to combustion.
2. Twenty percent moisture is about the highest level that bales should reach.
3. Above this, microbes begin to break down plant matter and mold growth occurs.
4. This breaking down of the hay produces heat and leads to the danger of combustion.

Store bales that have a risk of overheating away from other bales and outside to limit the risk of a fire spreading. Check temperatures on these bales by using a long stem compost thermometer or driving a metal pipe into the bale and lowering in a non-mercury thermometer.

1. Any bales at 170°F or higher should be closely monitored, at this point temperatures will most likely continue to rise.
2. Bale combustion can begin at temperatures as low as 190°F, especially in coarse hays like sorghum-sudangrass hybrids.
3. Increased oxygen flow in these bales due to the coarse stems means higher risk.

Moving hot bales can also open them up and increase oxygen flow, once again increasing the risk of combustion. Even in bales that are not at risk for fire, wet bales will continue to decrease in quality. Mold will often occur, which uses plant tissues as an energy and protein source for growth, resulting in decreased quality.

Hot temperatures denature cell structures, which changes the nature of proteins and carbohydrates, making them less useful for the animal when digested. In some cases when we have anaerobic conditions, hay may “caramelize” becoming golden colored and sweet smelling. While highly palatable, this heat fermented hay is also lower in quality due to the nature of the fermentation process.

So, if you have wet hay showing one or more of these signs, what do you do? Mold is one of the first issues on most producer’s minds. Mold has the potential to produce mycotoxins which in high enough levels could be deadly to animals that ingest it in the extreme circumstance.

1. The moderate side effect is reduced intake, a decrease in ruminal function, and overall reduced performance of the animal leading to economic losses.
2. While this may seem minor in the scope of a year’s time for a cow, the lowered feed values of forages due to increased rain and extended winters amplify the potential for poor breed-up and decreased calf weights.

The best way to use moldy hay is to spread out the bales and let the animals pick through, with a second source of clean hay for them to select from as well. Mold often reduces palatability and animals will avoid especially bad chunks. Having clean hay available ensures animals aren’t forced to eat anything they don’t choose to.

Pregnant animals are more sensitive to mycotoxin poisoning, which can lead to fetal abortion, so consider limiting how much moldy hay these animals receive. Horses are highly sensitive to mold in hay, with danger of both respiratory and toxin issues. As such, keeping moldy hay away from horses is advisable.

Mold can also be a health risk to the producer. Frequently breathing in large amounts of dust and mold can cause respiratory issues such as farmer’s lung. To protect against this, wear a dust mask when working with hay that may have high amounts of mold.

Last and arguably most important, hay testing is going to be especially critical this year. Determining actual, as-fed hay quality is important to meet animal nutrition needs through the winter. If moldy hay is being ground for a diet, getting the correct dilution rate to ensure bad hay isn’t being over fed will be critical, since these animals don’t have the option for refusal.

Mold and mycotoxin tests can be a bit expensive and not all labs even offer these tests. Your local Beef Extension Educator would be happy to help with finding a lab and determining a cost effective sampling strategy. Until bales cool off and moisture content drops below 20%, quality of hay will continue to drop through the year.

To make sure we are getting an accurate assessment of hay quality, sample by lot (hay harvested from the same field within a 48 hour period) a few weeks before you plan to feed. An earlier sample could be done to get a general idea of quality for planning purposes, but since the degradation process in these bales is ongoing, we won’t be able to get a true reading until right before feeding.

This should give you an accurate idea of what the quality of hay will be while still giving the lab time to get results back to you. Knowing the quality of your hay allows us to make better decisions about how to use low quality forage and prevent animals from being under fed.

Wet bales are at risk for combustion, store appropriately and check temperatures. Anything above 170°F is high risk. Mold may produce mycotoxins, so roll out and let animals select good portions of moldy bales. Make sure other clean feed is available. Protect yourself from respiratory issues while working with moldy bales by using a dust mask. Wet bales will continue to loose quality over the course of the year, so sample a few weeks before you plan to feed for accurate results.

Interviews with the authors of BeefWatch newsletter articles become available throughout the month of publication and are accessible at, : What to Do with Wet Hay

How do you store hay?

Moisture – Bad for Hay –

Mold and moisture go hand-in-hand. As mold can cause significant health problems and even death for horses, it’s essential to protect your hay from moisture. Hay should ideally be stored indoors and away from moisture. It’s a good idea to check your roof for possible leaks to avoid moisture contaminating your fresh hay. And regularly check for signs of mold in your hay. Moldy hay is often darker than fresh hay. You should also smell the hay. If it smells musty or sour, it’s probably moldy and should be thrown out. Finally, feel the hay. If it’s damp or clumpy, it’s probably moldy, and you shouldn’t feed it to your horse.

How big is a bale of hay UK?

To meet UK building regulations use the written Standard below to ensure the bales are good enough for construction. Building Inspectors should use this standard when visiting site, and should read the book ( Building with Straw Bales by Barbara Jones ) on good installation details in order to make sure that the straw is being installed correctly.

What is a square bale of hay called?

First, a bit of History – Back in the 1950s and ’60s, most hay was put up in small square bales (also called conventional bales in some parts of the world). These small rectangular-shaped bales usually weighed 20-25 kilos (50-60 pounds). They were shaped in a way that they could be stacked by hand in a hayloft or barn until they were needed.

• Starting in the 1970s, new machinery caused a revolution in haymaking.
• Large round balers and soon large square balers became available, starting with the first modern round baler, the 605 manufactured by the Vermeer Company in 1972.
• The first large square baler has been introduced a bit later on, in 1978 by Hesston,

Today, much of the hay put up across western countries is in large, round bales – becoming bigger and heavier every decade – and the use of large square bales is developing more and more.

How much space does 200 bales of hay take?

Disadvantages: –

It’s hard work to move the hay to the second level to stack it, (purchasing a conveyor is best or your hay vendor may bring one along and stack it for you) Ensuring adequate weight bearing capacity of the loft floor. Making sure that the environment – directly above the stalls discourages vermin and dust accumulation.

Many older barns have loft storage but it may not have been intended for machine made bales. Back in the day the hay was forked loose into the space and had less weight. If you have an old barn be certain to check the viability of the floor and its strength to be certain not to overload the structure.

1. At Horizon Structures the loft floors will take 60 pounds per square foot.
2. Nowing that, if your bales weigh an average of 40 pounds, 36 x 16 x 18 inches in size (6 cubic feet), and you have a loft space 10-foot high and 12-foot square, you should comfortably fit 200 bales at 56 lbs.
3. Per square foot.
4. If you have ground level storage space in the barn, for example a 12 x 12 stall with a 10-foot wall, then the number will be the same.

If you are possessed you could possibly fit more, even 216 and still maintain a 10% margin of safety, but it is advisable to err on the side of safety. Naturally if the bales are larger the number will be less. For example, a Horizon Structures customer explained she was able to store 150 bales in the same space.

How big is a bale of hay?

Round balers – “Large round bale packaging systems allow one person to harvest and store large quantities of hay,” says John Slocombe, Ph.D., Kansas State University. “However, a large round baler requires specific management practices to maintain hay quality and minimize loss during harvest, transportation and storage. “For safety reasons, the most important consideration when matching a tractor to a round baler is tractor size, not horsepower. The gross weight of the tractor must be greater than that of the gross weight of the fully loaded baler. This weighting scheme allows the tractor to maintain control of the baler even when operating on slopes.” Cost per hour ($/hour) to operate a round baler is about the same whether the baler is operated at 60 percent of design capacity (ton/hour throughput) or 90 percent.

Cost per bale is calculated as: Baling cost ($/ton) = Cost to operate ($/hour) ÷ Throughput (ton/hour) There are cost advantages in operating a baler at maximum design capacity; however, other factors need to be considered. Operators must learn not to drive too fast along a heavy windrow. If a baler becomes jammed, it may take 30 minutes or longer to correct this problem.

Most balers are equipped with a slip clutch on the pickup mechanism. As the slip clutch is engaged due to overloading, the operator can hear the noise and knows to slow down forward progress. Most operators need to keep the baler operating at 90 percent of design capacity to obtain maximum efficiency. The bale is then wrapped, tied and ejected. These bales tend to have a soft core. Internal working parts of the fixed chamber are normally belts, chains, rollers or drums. “In a variable chamber, flat belts or chains with slats contain the bale from its initial formation until completion, and can make a bale with uniform density.

• Some round baler models have twin bale chambers.
• In one chamber, formation of a new bale begins while a bale is being wrapped, tied and ejected from the second chamber.
• All of these operations occur without stopping the forward travel of the tractor.
• Data suggests that hay losses are lower for variable chamber balers with belts than for fixed chamber balers with rollers,” says Slocombe.

“However, rollers may require less maintenance than belts or chains. “Large round balers come in a wide range of sizes. The smallest balers produce a full-sized bale that is approximately 4 feet wide by 5 feet in diameter. The largest balers make bales that are 8 feet wide by 6 feet in diameter.

1. Bale weights vary from 500 to 2,500 pounds in properly conditioned hay.
2. Bale weights also vary with type and species of forage and cutting time (first, second or third).” Mini-round balers, also called roto-balers, are available for people with a small number of acres on which to produce hay.
3. The compact round baler works on the same principle as its bigger cousin, rolling the hay inside a chamber until it reaches a certain size, then wrapping the bale with either twine or net, and ejecting it out the rear of the machine.

A mini-round bale generally weighs 40 to 55 pounds and can be easily lifted by one person.

How big is a normal square bale of hay?

What Size Is A Square Bale Of Hay? – A square bale of hay can vary in size. Depending on the machine operator, a square bale of hay’s length can be adjusted. Although this may not be entirely across the board, square bales are around 32″-44″ in length, 16″-22″ in width, and 14″-16″ in height.

How much hay do I need?

Livestock Hay Needs for a Day