What moisture should straw be baled at?

18 to 22 percent
When hay is baled, it should not be higher than 18 to 22 percent moisture. At higher levels of moisture, bales lose large amounts of dry matter (Figure 1) caused by excessive heating and molding (Figure 2). In severe cases, spontaneous combustion is possible.

What moisture percentage does hay need to be at for respiration to cease?

Respiration slows down as moisture content decreases but will not completely stop until plant moisture reaches 20 percent or less. Moisture levels above 20 percent allow the respiration process to continue and mold to develop, which then produces heat.

What do you do if you have high moisture in hay bales?

Therefore, during wet and humid weather, wrapping high-moisture bales is a good option. Bale wrapping eliminates the significant cost of investing in precision choppers, wagons and storage facilities. All that is really necessary is a baler designed for high-moisture forage.

How do you check hay moisture before baling?

Once an initial reading has been obtained, mix up the hay and pack it down again. Then take another reading. Repeat the process several times to get the most accurate reading, then measure hay from different parts of your field the same way. Multiple testing accounts for different conditions in different areas.

Can wet straw catch fire?

“Excessive moisture is the most common cause of hay fires,” Schroeder says.” Odd as it might seem, wet hay is more likely to lead to a spontaneous-combustion fire than dry hay.” High-moisture haystacks and bales can catch on fire because they have chemical reactions that build heat.

How dry is too dry for hay?

In some situations, eight to 15 percent moisture is much too dry; the leaf quality will be lost. Leaves will shatter when the hay is baled, and much of the leaf material will not end up in the bale (especially in small bales – you’ll end up with stemmy hay and few leaves).

What moisture is dry hay?

The moisture content of standing hay varies from 65-85%. Hay destined for small square bales needs to be dried below 15% (85% dry matter) before baling for horses, to reduce the chance of dust. The majority of hay is air dried in the field over a 3 to 5-day period.

Can straw bales get wet?

Usually, we think of water and moisture as a way to put a fire out, but the opposite is true with hay and straw, which when too wet can heat and spontaneously combust.

Can straw bales spontaneously combust?

Causes of Fires in Baled Hay or Straw Moisture content is the main factor that causes hay and straw to spontaneously combust. Hay fires are more common than straw fires, for reasons involving the type of forage, the moisture content in the stored forage, and heat production.

Is moisture a problem in a straw bale home?

Moisture is not often a problem in straw bale homes as long as the house was built well. That said, there may be issues that show up over time. Here are some basic things to assessing moisture in a straw bale wall. Take a look around the lower corners of the windows for signs of moisture damage.

How much moisture is in a small square bale of hay?

Small Square Hay Bales Of the different kinds of hay bales, small square bales tend to have the highest tolerance for moisture. According to research cited by the Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development site, a small square bale’s moisture content can be between 18% and 20% and be safe.

How many bales does a square baler make?

To recall the previous example, for a small square baler to match the output of the large square baler, it has to make 30 bales, which means stopping for the baler to finish 30 times to other unit’s single stop. Being more densely packed than small square hay bales, large square bales have a much lower tolerance for moisture.

What is the optimum moisture content for baled silage?

Considering all factors, the optimum whole-plant moisture for baled silage is 50-60%. Baling at the proper moisture content is a key to success in producing baleage. Forage containing less than 40% or more than 65% moisture should not be baled for silage in order to avoid excessive molding or spoilage.