Baleage as a Forage Production Option

Rory Lewandowski, OSU Extension Educator Wayne County

Common challenges to hay production include drying time and harvest losses. At every step in the hay making process dry matter (DM) is lost. Mowing the forage crop results in a 2 to 4 percent loss in DM. Energy used by the plant in the respiration process as the plant dries down to a baling moisture of 15 to 20% accounts for another 4 to 5 percent loss in DM. Preparing the forage for baling and baling results in further dry matter losses, mainly due to leaf shatter. Depending upon when in that dry down process forage is raked, what species of forage is being harvested, and the action of the rake, another 3 to 25% loss in DM can occur, and the average DM loss due to raking is 5%. Tedding can account for another 2 to 8% loss in DM with an average DM loss of 3%. Finally baling that forage will result in an additional 1-9% DM loss. If I use the averages of all those dry matter losses, this sums to 20 percent. That is before rainfall is factored in. A one inch rain can be responsible for yet another 8 to 17% loss in DM.

A stored forage production option that is attractive to many livestock owners is wrapped bale silage, commonly known as baleage. Baleage is high moisture forage that is wrapped in plastic and that undergoes a fermentation process. Forage made as baleage does not have the leaf shatter losses associated with dry hay production. In addition, because the drying time to baling is one-half to one-third of the time required for hay production, losses due to rainfall can often be avoided. The ensiled forage, if handled correctly is very palatable and feeding losses and refusals can be lower than dry hay.

Ideally the forage is baled at a moisture content of 45 to 55%. The upper limit to make a good quality baleage product is 65% moisture and the lower limit is 35% moisture. Forage baled at 35% moisture for baleage will require more layers of plastic wrap and storage life may be reduced. Besides moisture content, the other important factors in making a good quality baleage is the time between baling and wrapping, the number of layers of plastic used, and how wrapped bales are stored. The sooner a bale is wrapped after baling the better because wrapping produces the anaerobic environment that is needed for good ensiling and reduces the time that losses due to heating can occur. A University of Kentucky fact sheet on baleage production says that wrapping should occur within 12 hours of baling.

It is generally accepted that a minimum of 4 layers of plastic need to be used. The goal should be to have 5 mil or greater of plastic covering the bale. Many custom operators are providing 5 to 10 layers of plastic. More layers of plastic are needed as the moisture content decreases below the ideal moisture range and as forage maturity increases. As forage maturity increases the plant generally becomes more fibrous and those stems can more easily puncture the plastic. Wrapped bales should be stored where the plastic will not be punctured by stubble or other sharp objects.

While baleage has a number of advantages over dry hay there are additional production expenses for the plastic and wrapping. Disposal of the plastic is another factor that must be considered. Fortunately, here in Wayne County we now have a system in place to recycle the plastic used to wrap forage.