© 2022 Staheli West
88
Judging Bale Moisture After Baling
Judging Bale Moisture After Baling
● Regardless of the method you use to judge moisture during the baling operation, you
should always CHECK bales with a handheld moisture probe a day or two after they are
baled to be sure the moisture reading has “settled”.
□
If hay was dried completely before baling with steam (no stem moisture), the moisture level
reading on a handheld moisture probe will normally begin to drop after baling. Learn your limits
and bale-moisture characteristics on your own operation.
□
If you bale with stem moisture (whether you use steam or not), the moisture reading will generally
increase significantly over the first 24-48 hours as the stem moisture migrates from the stems into
the overall bale profile.
•
If you notice rising bale moisture readings over several days after baling you should monitor the
bale moisture and temperature readings daily until these readings peak and begin to fall.
•
If bale temperature and moisture readings continue to rise to dangerous levels, you should
consult your local hay association and/or fire department to avoid a stack fire. In this case, you
should find a reliable source of information to guide your actions.
Judging Bale Moisture is Your Responsibility
LEARN YOUR OWN LIMITS AND THE DEMANDS AND DESIRES 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, as well as the
bale formation characteristics you and you market want in the finished product.