Cheap Way To Make Silage Bales

Cheap way to make silage bales CROP STORAGE Bag Silos 14-1-8 Alan Schaefer, inventor of the tractor-powered "Haywrap" attachment that lifts and turns round bales to wrap them in plastic, says you can use the same rig to make silage bales - by storing the bales in a row end to end. The Haywrap, first featured in FARM SHOW (Vol. 11, No. 1) has a rotating, pointed spear (60 in. long and 2 3/4 in. in dia.) powered by a hydraulic motor. The rotating spinner plate, equipped with four 24-in. long mini spears, turns the bale for wrapping. "It takes only bout 20 seconds to put plastic on a dry hay bale," says Schaefer. "On dry hay, we recommend a 2 to 4-in. overlap on the ends of the bale to keep groundwater from seeping in." To make silage bales, simply bale the hay at 35% or higher moisture, wrap the bales with at least three layers of plastic and overlap the ends of the bale with 6 to 10 in. of plastic. The bales are then placed end-to-end in a long row and only the first and last bale need a special cover over their ends. "Air won't penetrate a tightly placed row of bales," notes Schaefer. The 100 ga. plastic comes in 20 or 30-in. wide rolls (the 30-in. roll is recommended for silage). The HayWrap, cornplete with storage stand, sells for $1,995. The machine can be used in the off season to transport, unroll, and feed bales. A video showing the silage-wrapping technique is available for a $15 deposit. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Hay Wrap, Inc., P.O. Box A, Bloomsdale, Mo. 63627 (ph toll free 800 248-9727.

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