Tanco 1400 Autowrap, Operator'S Handbook Manual, Page: 11 / 132

Tanco Autowrap - 1400
Operator’s Manual
10
5. Bale Wrapping
Bale Wrapping Principles
The advantages of round bale silage are many, and include fewer feed units, a flexible harvesting system,
large capacity and the possibility of selling feed units.
In principle, the same fermentation processes occur whether the fodder is placed in a silo or pressed into
bales and packed in plastic, i.e. lactic acid fermentation in anaerobic conditions. The oxygen in the bale
must be exhausted before fermentation begins.
The grass should be dried to approximately 30-40% solid content. The solid content can be determined
by twisting the grass by hand. If drops of liquid are forced out of the grass, the solid content is less than
25%. Low solid content (wet grass) can lead to increased butyric acid fermentation if preservatives are
not added to the grass. If the solid content is too high, (over 50%), normal fermentation will not take
place and there will be enough oxygen in the bale to produce mould fungus.
The Baler
It is vital that the baler produces compact, well-formed bales, as misshapen bales can be difficult to wrap.
Wrapping will also often take longer, thereby increasing the amount of plastic used.
Difficult Bales
When a misshapen bale is wrapped, it will have a tendency to move outwards or inwards on the roller. If
the bale begins to move outwards, the machine must be lifted slightly at the rear edge to get the bale to
rest against the support roller on the main frame. It can therefore be useful to use a hydraulic top link to
make this adjustment easier. (See Chapter 5; ‘Hitch Height’).