Post-Harvest Bale Handling Techniques to Minimise Feed Loss in Dairy Farms

Feed loss after silage baling doesn’t always show straight away. You’ll often find it later when the silage doesn’t smell right, or the bale is hot. Nine times out of ten, it’s not the baler’s fault – it’s something that went wrong after bale wrapping.  Perhaps it was handled roughly and was punctured, or maybe the silage wrap failed to cling, exposing the silage to oxygen. Whatever the reason, the wrap failed, and the silage went bad.

You’re not just losing feed value and nutrition, but also livestock performance, dairy feed efficiency, and you may need to supplement feed to replace poor-quality silage.
This is avoidable with proper bale handling at silage storage.

Silage spoilage can start due to punctures caused by rough handling. This is usually because the wrong equipment is used on wrapped silage bales. Even a small tear can allow oxygen, which will disrupt the aerobic fermentation required for top-notch silage. If the perforation is not spotted and repaired during storage, that bale might not be complete lost and wastage.

Use bale handlers or squeezers instead of spikes. Bale spikes, while suitable for unwrapped hay or straw bales, are a risk when used with wrapped bales. They can easily puncture netwrap or stretch film.

Also ensure that bale grabs/squeezes are well maintained, with no sharp edges or surfaces which can tear the stretch film and hydraulic lines are positioned out of the way of the bale.

There are a few post-harvest management changes to help prevent bale handling damage:

• Move bales within 24 hours of wrapping to avoid structural slump.
• Reduce unnecessary movements. Each lift increases the risk of damage.
• Train staff or contractors on proper post-harvest bale handling procedures.

Using a quality bale netwrap gives you a better chance of avoiding punctures during handling. Tama’s CoverNet Preferred 3000m is designed to give strong protection in tough conditions across a range of crops.