Historically, when hay was stacked loosely (without binding), it may have dried more extensively than modern stacks because of the time required for hand labor.

When small bales became the most common method for harvesting hay from 1950 to 1975, the bales were hand-stacked, weighed 40 to 80 pounds per two-string bale and density was 8 to 11 pounds per cubic foot.

As machine stacking became commonplace, larger and denser bales were desired, and they could weigh 80 to 120 pounds per two-string bale.

The middle of winter may seem like a strange time to talk about bale silage, but now and into the spring, as they are being fed out, we will see the success of the methods used to preserve the feed.

If the baleage you uncover is sweet-smelling, has a uniform color and is relatively free of visible mold, congratulations; keep on doing what you are doing.

Year after year, the cost of unsealed or incorrectly sealed silage exceeds a quarter billion dollars.

That’s no small change when it comes to a livestock operation’s bottom line.

Money is lost from both spoiled silage, which has to be discarded, and from the decreased nutritional value of the silage itself.