You’ve spent a lot of time and money to plant, grow, cut, dry, rake, and bale your hay crop. So now is the time to follow a few basic tips to store large round bales so you can maximize hay quality at feed time.
In this video, we’ll store large round bales using a John Deere 6130M Utility Tractor (US CA), a 620R Loader (US CA), a Frontier AB12G Loader Mount Bale Spear (US CA), and a Frontier HS2001 3-Point Bale Spear (US CA).
Tip #1 – Make well-shaped bales
They say every successful project starts with the first step. So, Tip #1 to store large round bales is to have with well-shaped, dense bales to begin with. A bale with a dense surface will shed rain water more effectively, helping protect the inside of the bale.
Tip #2 – Storing bales outdoors
For most operations, storing a lot of large round bales indoors just isn’t practical. So, Tip #2 for most producers is to store large round bales outdoors in an open, well-drained, sunny area with good access to the livestock feeding area. Exposing the bales to sunlight and wind helps with water evaporation, which helps maintain their nutrition quality. That means never storing bales in the shade under trees where access to sunlight and wind is lower, and exposure to moisture is higher.
Tip #3 – Stacking bales together
Tip #3 is to store large round bales in long rows stacked tightly, end-to-end. When you stack bales in this way, it helps them maintain their shape, which helps limit their overall contact with the ground. This also helps prevent rot in your bales by keeping moisture from penetrating the ends. Also, leave at least 3 feet of space between rows to allow exposure to sunlight, and air to circulate.
Many studies have been done on which direction you should store large round bales in – north-south or east-west. Though a north-south orientation tends to get the nod, it’s clear the direction of the rows isn’t nearly as important as the storage area being out in the open, well-drained, and sunny.
Believe it or not, the outermost 4-inches of a 6-foot round bale account for about 25% of the bale’s total volume. So bale ‘em right and store ‘em tight and you’ll go a long ways toward keeping their nutrition value up and storage losses down.
Don’t forget, always read the Operator’s Manual before storing or operating any piece of equipment, and follow all operating and safety instructions
Frontier’s nearly 400 implements and attachments are designed, engineered, tested, and manufactured to fit and work with John Deere tractors. That’s a breadth and depth of John Deere and Frontier equipment compatibility you won’t find anywhere else in the world.
But we don’t stop there.
Beyond product performance, Frontier equipment is fully supported with John Deere warranty, service, parts, and customer support throughout our North America John Deere dealer network.
Whether it’s your land, your job, or your life, experience the fun and true satisfaction you’re looking for. You, John Deere and Frontier. Let’s work together.
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