Anderson WRAPTOR, Operator'S Manual

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18
When Is the Best Time for Baling?
After the drying period, the decision of when to bale your fodder depends above all on the time
when the amount of humidity in the cut hay has decreased just enough. If you want your
fodder to stay good for at least a year, the ideal level of humidity is around 50% for both
grasses and legumes, with a possible range of 40% to 55%. Two easy and effective ways to
determine the level of humidity in the hay are an easy, well-know test using a microwave or
using a humidity tester. If there is too much water in your baled hay, the formation of butyric
acid could prevent some of the fermentation necessary for conserving your silage from taking
place. Such hay must be used within 3 months.
During baling, the tractor driver has a large impact on the quality of the future silage. We
recommend proceeding slowly and keeping the tractor’s power take-off at high rpm to obtain
high-density bales. You should also ensure that your bales are firm and regular. They will then
be easier to wrap and will produce continuous bale rows that are more airtight and silage that
is more effective.
When Is the Best Time to Produce Continuous Bale Rows?
It is advisable to wrap bales as soon as possible after baling because fermentation inside the
bale begins as soon as it is produced. We recommend a waiting period of 12 hours maximum,
and a much shorter time period if the outside temperature is relatively high. Studies on
potential heating of hay and changes in ph show significant differences between the quality of
hay wrapped the same day as baling and hay that is wrapped the following day.