Start Date
2-19-2009 11:00 AM
Description
Baled silage (or Balage) has many advantages over conventional hay production. Losses during the curing, baling, storage, and feeding phases are each dramatically lower when the forage is conserved as Balage rather than hay. Of course, this comes at an expense. The cost of the wrapper (generally $14,000 – 21,000), plastic wrap (usually $4-6 per ton of DM), and added labor can make this system quite costly. Furthermore, there is an environmental cost for disposal of the plastic. However, Balage enables the alfalfa producer to quickly harvest a crop with more independence from unfavorable weather and to create a more palatable product.
Included in
Keys to Success with Alfalfa Balage
Baled silage (or Balage) has many advantages over conventional hay production. Losses during the curing, baling, storage, and feeding phases are each dramatically lower when the forage is conserved as Balage rather than hay. Of course, this comes at an expense. The cost of the wrapper (generally $14,000 – 21,000), plastic wrap (usually $4-6 per ton of DM), and added labor can make this system quite costly. Furthermore, there is an environmental cost for disposal of the plastic. However, Balage enables the alfalfa producer to quickly harvest a crop with more independence from unfavorable weather and to create a more palatable product.