Baling & Wrapping
How to collect windrows into bales and when to wrap grass bales for silage.
Choose the material first
Straw and hay can be baled for storage/handling. Grass can also be baled; when compatible grass bales are wrapped they ferment into silage.
Size compatibility matters
Balers and wrappers support specific bale shapes and sizes. Before choosing a baler, check that the wrapper and bale-handling equipment on the farm support the bale size you intend to make.
Procedure
- Create a clean windrow of grass, hay or straw.
- Choose a baler compatible with the intended bale size/shape.
- Drive the pickup along the row and allow the chamber to fill.
- Eject completed bales without blocking the next pass.
- For silage, wrap compatible grass bales as soon as practical and allow them to ferment.
- Collect finished bales with suitable bale handling equipment.
Equipment & tools
Open an equipment page for what the machine does, how to set it up and how to operate it.
Detailed procedure guides
Alternative options
Round bales
Common and simple; some balers can wrap in an integrated workflow.
Common and simple; some balers can wrap in an integrated workflow.
Square bales
Stack efficiently and can be handled by compatible bale loaders/wrappers.
Stack efficiently and can be handled by compatible bale loaders/wrappers.
Practical tips
- Check wrapper compatibility before committing an entire field to one bale size.