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Little River, TX | The key to baling is the humidity inside the bale, and or stem moisture. Small Squares supposedly are ok with 18 to 20% moisture by weight. Round bales are roughly 2% below this and large square bales roughly 4% below small square requirements.
With the on the go moisture testers and or electronic testers is they may not be truly accurate. A loose bale will indicate lower and a really tight bale will indicate high. If you have extra labor and extra time you can prove this to yourself like the Universities have. Use the microwave to find what that 18% moisture hay really is. Thing is by the time you know for sure the baler is long past that point and in hay that is not the same moisture.
In theory if the humidity INSIDE the windrow is 70% the hay will bale at 20% moisture by weight. For small squares between 70% & 65% humidity INSIDE the windrow the hay will bale with minimal leaf shatter. Below 55% humidity leaf shatter will be significant.
Hay moisture can lead us down the primrose trail. We can have hay who's leaves are as dry as gunpowder, & the stems have more than enough moisture to mold. There are any number of little exceptions just waiting to bite our donkey. | |
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Proper moisture to bale at?
