Combines 2004 Hay crop

I'm not from Ontario, I'm from MO. However, we have our share of crappy hay weather. Are any guys up there wrapping much hayIJ Around here, silage wrapping is catching on pretty big. You can also wrap tougher dry hay, and keep it from moulding. It won't ensile, but it'll keep just fine. We've done that with some alfalfa that was too dry to ensile and a rain was coming. looked just like the day it was wrapped. Hope this helps Chads

chat what exactly do you mean by wrap the baleIJIJ with something other then net wrapIJIJ

I'm talking about plastic wrap. As in a tubeline or similar wrapper. We have a 3 pt mounted wrapper, based of a Haywrap, that we built, and wrap about 400-600 bales_year. You're basically making a horizontal harvestor. Chads

I see quite a few people wrapping round bales, mostly for dairy and beef operations. I'm all small squares for horses, both hobby and race. Not in a big way, but I would like to gradually expand. Wrapping is probably out for me. I may have to set up a form of a dryer. I'm using an organic preservative from Nuhn Bio-tech. They have been really helpful, but I just wondered if anyone else uses this product. This year the hay would dry during the day, then suck moisture out of the ground at night. Even with the preservative, I don't think the hay had a chance.

The only preservative I've ever been around that actually worked was buffered propionic acid. Most everything else, if it's dry enough for the preservative to work, it's really dry enough to bale anyway. There's a company out of St. Joe MO who has an inoculant that's supposed to work good, but I haven't tried it myself. If you are going to expand, and could convince buyers to use medium squares, you could wrap those. That's what we're trying to do here. One flake out of a 3x3 will be about 40 lbs. Solves a lot of problems on both ends if the system can be set up between parties. Small squares are a problem unless conditions are near perfect. Dryers for hay sound expensive and problematic, but I've seen articles where they're supposed to work. A company in MO is selling driers for large rounds and large squares, but they're over $100,000. Chads

Make sure you use a good preservative - there probably is a reason why it is one of the least expensive products in the market. Just ask around and find out what products really work.

Because of our unpredictable weather here in the UK we have been wrapping hay_silage bales with plastic wrap for the last 20 years or so!!!! Check out www.mchale.net for the latest types of wrapper available here in the UK.

I went with the organic stuff because I had understood that the acids were bad for the horses. I've got a couple of customers that don't want hay with any preservative on it. Phil, you sound like you are familiar with the Nuhn product. I don't want to put you on the spot, Is there something else you might recommend. I didn't choose it for the price, it was the non-acid thing. Thanks.

I know there are other products in the market, but I have seen results with a product called HayPro (America Farm Products Inc.)and it does not hurt horses. The important thing the guy said was to apply the right amount of product - which should be true with all. Check concentrations of all! Best of luck

HayPro is available at Growmark Co-ops in Ontario.