Wrapping bales

[pt756]

Around this time of the year the only way to make some drier hay is to wrap them, we have been getting a guy with the Anderson wrapper, those machines have sure come a long way from when we first hired one years ago, it would wrap a bale every 15 to 20 seconds.

[1256pickett]

I just bought an individual bale wrapper and used it for the first time tonight. It’s the bare basic economy kind but it was cheap and I was able to get some hay off that I desperately need after a horrible first cutting. I have hired/borrowed wrappers before but now I’m not limited to someone else’s schedule. Basically 10 hours to bale and wrap 39 bales but so glad I have it done. 

[acem]

Wrappers give you more options.

Very handy.

 

[pt756]

In our local paper, shopper, there must be at least 5 guys mostly mennonite that advertise wrapping, plus a few that dont, so you can usually get somebody, we use a non mennonite guy , just in case there is a sunday involved which we try to avoid

[Lars (midessa)]

‘Back in the day’ as a hired hand, the farm operator was fortunate to have a herd of beef cows, 3rd cut generally went into silos for the beefers, dry cows, and heifers. Although I do remember once or twice over those years baling hay(small squares) in October and November.

[Alan Dinan]

A friend of mine bought an inline. They wrapped around 400 silage bales the first year and rented it out to a couple of neighbors who wrapped around another 600 bales. They’ve had it for three years now and just from renting it out, they have just about paid it off. Plus the time saved for weather. They can mow alfalfa in the evening, start raking late morning early afternoon and bale it that evening. It helps that it’s father, son and 12 year old twin boys. They all have a job and get it done that night. Most of their ground is at home, so the boys are in charge of loading and hauling to the wrapper, dad’s baling and grandpa is feeding the wrapper.

[acem]

A wrapper is a good tool but it does include more work, costs and potential waste from torn wrap.

Everything is a balancing act.

[12_Guy]

I never understood why people would want to wrap bales. It’s just another step in the process and another expensive piece of equipment. We had an M&W baler that would put twine on or full width black plastic. It worked great. Nearly zero waste. Better than the net wrap. I never thought much of that. Wrap it with something full of holes?? We set the bales tight end to end and the only loss was a tiny bit on the top at the joints. Too bad M&W is no more now. 

[TN Hillbilly]

9 hours ago, 12_Guy said:

I never understood why people would want to wrap bales. It’s just another step in the process and another expensive piece of equipment. We had an M&W baler that would put twine on or full width black plastic. It worked great. Nearly zero waste. Better than the net wrap. I never thought much of that. Wrap it with something full of holes?? We set the bales tight end to end and the only loss was a tiny bit on the top at the joints. Too bad M&W is no more now. 

They are wrapping high moisture hay to make haylage when they don't have the weather window for dry hay. 

[Gearclash]

10 hours ago, 12_Guy said:

I never understood why people would want to wrap bales. It’s just another step in the process and another expensive piece of equipment. We had an M&W baler that would put twine on or full width black plastic. It worked great. Nearly zero waste. Better than the net wrap. I never thought much of that. Wrap it with something full of holes?? We set the bales tight end to end and the only loss was a tiny bit on the top at the joints. Too bad M&W is no more now. 

New Holland sold balers that could film wrap also.  Not sure if the latest generations can do it, but I know it is mentioned in the ops manuals for the BR series.

[pt756]

Around here with Cloverdale equipment they use Mc Hale balers wrap and bale with one baler, but then you have to be careful when picking up bales,

[1480x3]

15 hours ago, 12_Guy said:

I never understood why people would want to wrap bales. It’s just another step in the process and another expensive piece of equipment. We had an M&W baler that would put twine on or full width black plastic. It worked great. Nearly zero waste. Better than the net wrap. I never thought much of that. Wrap it with something full of holes?? We set the bales tight end to end and the only loss was a tiny bit on the top at the joints. Too bad M&W is no more now. 

I bought my wrapper in 1995 after 4 years of renting line & individual wrappers. My 1st net baler was in 1988. I did not buy it cause i wanted wrapped hay, it was a tool used to buy time. There were times the mower & baler were working in the same field with hay only laying a couple hours. I was 500+ acres of hay with a growing beef cow herd but most of my hay was marketed. As my herd grew towards 150 cows the need for higher quality diminished therefore less wrapping of my own hay. Dad had dairy with 200+- acers of hay. I can think of 10 dairymen who rented it from me till the quit milking & there was some i dont recall right now. There are  3 farmers who still use it, keep/store it and bring me a check for using it at year end, sometimes i dont see it for 2 years or so. I have not used it myself for about 20 years but i no longer have any beef cows, so no outlet for "salvage hay" so i may begin wrapping some to beat the rain again for high quality when selling. You are right on as far as another step & expense i would rather skip. Kind of like tillage. Less is more if it works for you.

[1480x3]

Forgot to mention i only have 150 acres of hay anymore of my own.