Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Why are there round bales still in the field?

Sam, do y'all prefer the New Holland balers over Deere's or is it just random?

Your dogs told me you're too busy hunting, you slacker.

Practicing for Sam to give it a chance.

It's hard to make big ones square?

Biggest reason - it gets rid of labor from kids / men stacking square bales in the barn, the machine it self is less complicated and cheaper to make and maintain.

Second. - Barn fires don’t happen when round bales are outside (less insurance), Bail stackers are crazy expensive, and moving round bails is a PITA... they don’t store efficiently either so less Barnes are required (lower fixed cost).

Last - Gas ain’t cheap, when you are bailing you can leave them there, or have another tractor or loader running them back to a barn somewhere... that’s more gas and road wear.


Due to this they made that outside wrapper to help protect the hay....

I man now can round bale all his hay himself, doesn't have to be in a great hurry to put it in a shed.
Haying is pressure packed and picking small squares requires manpower , on flatter land a bale wagon might work. Expect equipment repairs., either way.

No, just takes more money. The round balers are simpler but considerably slower, as you need to stop to tie off each bale, as opposed to a square baler that keeps rolling while tying off.

that and you might loose 20% of the protine value, then there are times when you have enough extra hay that you carry over till next year , if there is to much moisture you lose the hay.

More than likely it’s been to wet out, and some guys put hauling hay on the back burner.

I always liked to leave them in the field for awhile, just so there wasn’t any spontaneous combustion, or lightning strikes to the pile. Or if you farm on or near a Rez it’s a good idea not to leave any next to a road. Ft. Totten Rez had a fire bug running around this year, something like 285 fires that started in March. I never did hear the total.

New-fangled balers don't have any baling wire to fix their machinery and vehicles with.

We like to pick the bales up a soon as we can. They kill out the spot they sit on. And tracking the regrowth.

Thanks for all the information. I really liked that youtube vid of the lady farmer. That was some great video.
I do have another question. Years ago, I bought a round bale that I used for a back stop for my bow target. I *thought* it would get consumed by critters over the winter but 10 years later, it was still there so I soaked it with used motor oil and burned it.

Are round bales unappealing to deer?

Round bales of what?

Might just be busy with other fields or crops.

Around here most times they are moved to the dry corners(parts of the field that are not under a water system) of the field.

Late in the year, but round bails make great collectors.
In the field, fence rows or stacked on pallets.

They make good homes for mice and other rodents.
Plus they stay warm.

If you have a bunch out in those conditions, go gather them
in late August or September.


You will soon know if you have rattlesnakes in your area.

That is the way it should be done. I move them out of the field while they're being baled if I can. Anyone who leaves them in a field that has grass that will grow back, is a very poor steward of the land. Bales left for months will do exactly what Wabigoon says, and kill the grass underneath them.

I realize that there may be situations where bales cannot be removed for a time, but in a worst case scenario, they should at least me moved to the field edges.

However, this is only true for grass and alfalfa. Sorghum type forage like Haygrazer must be planted every year. Some even bale corn stalks.

Seeing a lot of corn stalks bailed for bedding here now.
Never used to happen.
I think it's because of corn and bean prices being high lately.
Less oats and wheat planted, less straw to use.

I think it's because the soil can digest only so much corn trash, helps prevent disease building up in a field, and most importantly it is free bedding.