© 2022 Staheli West
79
Judging Bale Moisture
Managing and Judging Bale Moisture Is Your Responsibility
LEARN YOUR OWN LIMITS AND THE DEMANDS OF YOUR HAY MARKET
There is an acceptable range of bale moisture where bale density, flake wafering, and
other characteristics can be manipulated and controlled according to the demands of your hay market. We
recommend that you and your hay buyers and consumers become familiar with the characteristics of hay baled
with steam at different moisture levels to determine what best suits the needs of all concerned parties.
The beauty of DewPoint technology is that you can choose the way you want to bale your hay and the bale
formation characteristics you and you market want in the finished product.
● REMEMBER: Steam applied to hay using the DewPoint machine will simulate a higher moisture effect than
the actual moisture percentage that is applied.
□ FOR EXAMPLE: Hay that is 8% moisture in the windrow can be baled at around 12% using steam
from the DewPoint machine but will look like it was baled at 16-18% with natural dew.
□ This moisture effect allows a producer to bale hay that has superior leaf retention characteristics
and high bale density with a relatively low bale moisture level.
The next few pages contain information regarding different ways to judge bale moisture.
We highly recommend the GAZEEKA Moisture Gauge as your primary moisture-measuring instrument while
baling hay using the DewPoint system.
We also recommend that you watch bale chamber pressure readings and visually observe the bales you are
making as you pass by them on the next windrow. These redundant observations will help assure that you are
making the best hay possible.
