Dumb question...but it needs to be asked!!

[Sonny]

How many square bales of hay fit into one of those big round ones?

Asking for a friend...........honest.

[walleyes]

Depends on what size sonny.

I believe the average round hay bale is around 12 - 1500lbs and the average square bale is around 40 so around 35 bales on average.

Of course it matters on what type. Alphafa weighs more than grass, and moister also comes in to effect but these numbers are a pretty close average.

[KyleSS]

Typically the small square bales are about 65-70 lbs and the average round bale is 1200-1300. We put up close to 20000 small squares this year and about 200 big rounds. So with those numbers I would say 17-20 small squares to a round.

It really all depends on what your tension is set at for the small squares and what your height is set at for the rounds. In our area there are 3 main suppliers of hay, Bar None Ranches, Valley Hay Sales and Us. We all run pretty much the same tension and size so when people are comparing prices it is apples to apples.

[guido]

No such thing as a dumb question, but there are dumb answers.
I would suggest about 1.5 square bales equal a round bale.

[walleyes]

Typically the small square bales are about 65-70 lbs and the average round bale is 1200-1300. We put up close to 20000 small squares this year and about 200 big rounds. So with those numbers I would say 17-20 small squares to a round.

It really all depends on what your tension is set at for the small squares and what your height is set at for the rounds. In our area there are 3 main suppliers of hay, Bar None Ranches, Valley Hay Sales and Us. We all run pretty much the same tension and size so when people are comparing prices it is apples to apples.

Sounds like we have an answer on good athourity here sonny..

Thx Kyle, I wasn't sure on my numbers but I thought I remembered the boys talking the old square bales were 40 but I'll definitely take your word on it.

Guido you must be referring to the large square bales I believe sonny was referring to the small square bales.

[guido]

Guido you must be referring to the large square bales I believe sonny was referring to the small square bales.

No doubt that everyone was thinking small.
I like to think big.

[walleyes]

No doubt that everyone was thinking small.
I like to think big.

I guess you have to dream about what you don't have..

[Sonny]

Typically the small square bales are about 65-70 lbs and the average round bale is 1200-1300. We put up close to 20000 small squares this year and about 200 big rounds. So with those numbers I would say 17-20 small squares to a round.

It really all depends on what your tension is set at for the small squares and what your height is set at for the rounds. In our area there are 3 main suppliers of hay, Bar None Ranches, Valley Hay Sales and Us. We all run pretty much the same tension and size so when people are comparing prices it is apples to apples.

Thanks Kyle I'll pass that info on..

[KyleSS]

Not a problem guys, big squares usually run about the same weight as big rounds. When they get into that heavier range of 1300+ lbs the bales become hard on the loader system of smaller sub 100hp tractors. The reason for large square over rounds is export purposes. We do put up close to 500 large squares but they all go export to Arabia for horses. They have machines that take large squares, cut the strings on them and then take part of a bale and severely compact it so it goes into large sea cans. Export hay has to be baled below 12% moisture so that it can go in these containers and not start to rot and potentially create enough heat that they can start on fire. Round can be baled at up to 18-20% moisture and is usually lower quality feed meant for cattle.

[Weste]

 Damn - now that was a lesson in bales and how they are exported.  Thanks guys!!  Learned my one thing for the day so now I might as well go hunting!!  lol

[BruceW]

Kyle, if you don't mind another dumb question, when you say, "hay", do you mean specifically alfalfa?  I'm a southeastern dryland guy so the only baling we ever did was straw for bedding and we'd save chaff for feed.

I've always found that a little confusing.  Do you do greenfeed as well, or I've seen ads for an alfalfa-brome(I think) mix.

I remember some of the guys on the bench by Elkwater would grow what they called hay, but it was a mix of about a dozen different species of plants, theory being even on a dry year they'd get some feed as something would grow.  Just not sure of the terminology about the different crops/bales.

thanks.

[KyleSS]

BruceW, not a dumb question at all. We have a few different fields that produce different mixtures of "hay" When a hay field gets old it is usually just a grass mixture meaning very little alfalfa and heavier on the brome, fescue, and timothy grasses. Once a field gets too old and production goes down (around 7 or 8 years of hay) it is broken up. A grain crop (barley, wheat, usually oats) is planted but is under seeded with your hay/grass mixture. The grain crop is what we call a mother crop, it is a fast growing crop that provides soil stability so the grass seed isn't washed away. We usually do oats since we can then cut it for green feed for a cows. As far as what you plant for grass seed is up the the farmer. Some people plant a timothy alfalfa mixture while others will plant a brome, fescue, and timothy grass mix and pure timothy crops are becoming very popular. The pure timothy is primarily used just for export while mixed crops are used for the domestic horse market. We are finding that the horse market is moving towards the grass mixtures and away from the alfalfa timothy mix hay crops. I do like having a mixed crop around as you will get good second growth crops. Around the foothills the alfalfa will grow back enough that you could cut it again but pure alfalfa second growth is very hard to get it dried and cured and low enough moisture to get ti baled before the snow and rain hits. Plus a good second growth alfalfa crops is very good for keeping animals around not only in hunting season but it provides a great source of feed through the winter months.

hope this clears it up a little for you all

[BruceW]

Sure does, thanks Kyle.

[Sonny]

Outstanding post Kyle..