Extension Update

Travis Meteer, University of Illinois Extension Beef Specialist

Baleage an Option for Better Haymaking

Baleage, baled silage, is forage baled at a higher moisture and then wrapped with plastic to create an anaerobic environment to ferment and ensile the high moisture forage. The practice of making baleage is steadily gaining traction on cattle farms.

In Illinois, spring rains result in challenging conditions to make quality dry hay. Making hay at a higher moisture allows baling closer to cutting and shortens the window of dry weather needed to get hay up. It also leads to less leaf loss, and less nutrient leaching,which makes for better quality hay. Wrapping bales also leads to less storage loss. These advantages can help overcome the additional costs of plastic and labor involved with wrapping.

Waiting on dry weather can also impact forage quality. As forage continues to grow and mature, the quality will decline. When producing dry hay, traffic is still an issue on fields as much as five days after cutting. Increased traffic can decrease yields for the next cutting. Baleage allows for a quick on and off of the field, which is ideal for alfalfa fields.

Timing is crucial in making baleage. Cutting forage in the afternoon is recommended, as the sugars will be the highest in the plant during the afternoon. Baling should occur with a target of 50% moisture in the bale. The targeted range should be no more or less than 40% to 60% moisture. When bale moisture gets on either side of that range, fermentation patterns will be poor. Bales too dry could mold and pose a higher risk of clostridium botulism and listeria. Bales too wet could result in high butyric acid, seepage and more spoilage at feedout.

Proper wrapping is very important. If the wrap is too thin, torn, or poor quality plastic is used, baleage will be sub-par. Baleage is only as good as the integrity of the plastic. Using net wrap will provide a smooth surface to apply plastic wrap. This results in less air pockets and less damage to the plastic from coarse stems.

Storage of baleage needs to be in an area that can be monitored for rodents, raccoons and birds. Anything that tears plastic or compromises the anaerobic environment can result in ruined baleage. Storing bales close to where they will be fed is wise. Moving bales after wrapping can be difficult. Spearing bales or poking holes in the plastic will compromise the anaerobic environment and negatively impact the baleage. A bale grabber that does not compromise the plastic is an important tool if moving bales.

Finally, I encourage you to think outside the box and investigate baleage and bagged silage opportunities on your farm. Elevated commodity prices will lend to lower hay acreage, less hay availability and higher hay costs. As I see it, utilizing winter cover crop forages with a base of cereal rye, triticale or wheat will be the best option to harvest more forage for cattle. Baleage or bagged hay silage is the best option to harvest and store these forages. At the University of Illinois we have even bagged cornstalks following a high moisture corn harvest and were successful in creating a palatable base forage for cow rations. Small grain silages that require less fertilizer inputs are becoming popular in least-cost rations, but they need to be harvested and stored as baleage or bagged silage to maximize feed value. Now is the time to look into baleage for maximizing on-farm forage opportunities.

• Monitor bale size. Large bales can weigh too much and be difficult to handle. • If using a tubeline wrapper, uniform bale size will help eliminate air pockets in the tubeline. • For balers with knives, think about removing half of the knives to improve bale integrity and limit bales that “blow apart” once opening. • Bale density is important to aiding a quick fermentation and maintaining stable pH at feedout. • Use inoculants - especially following a frost or in drier weather. • Avoid dirt and manure contamination. Listeria and

Clostriduim can be an issue and cause serious risk to animal health. • Monitor and always maintain integrity of the plastic during storage. Rodent control is likely needed. • Don’t short the layers of wrap needed to get a good seal. • When doing a feed inventory or selling hay, remember half of the bale is water. Dry hay is only 15% moisture.

Tips when making baleage: