Why Are Hay Bales Wrapped in Plastic? and How Plastic Wrap for Dry Hay Bales Sustains Quality?

Farms always seek ways to improve efficiency in their daily operations, readily adopting any helpful methods. One of the simplest ways to improve a farm’s operation is by wrapping its hay bales.

Why Wrap Hay Bales

Wrapping dry hay bales with plastic wrap can sustain their quality for a longer period. With weather conditions often being unpredictable in certain locations, the application of a few layers of plastic can exponentially improve storage time and increase the safety of dry hay. The protection shields the dry hay from harsh weather conditions like rain and morning dew that often seep into the hay and subsequently result in rotting from the inside out. A plastic wrap will prevent the hay from absorbing moisture from the ground. This all-around protection from moisture prevents the dry hay from spoiling and saves the farm significant operational costs as a result of spoilage.

Using plastic wrap is also more cost-effective than building a dedicated storage facility to protect the dry hay from the weather, thus saving both land and the cost of building a dedicated structure for storage.

Another valuable reason for wrapping hay bales in plastic is that a beneficial anaerobic fermentation process begins shortly after wrapping. The process starts about 48 hours after the hay is wrapped and is complete after about two weeks. The fermentation process converts the sugars in the hay into acids. The process makes the hay easier for livestock to digest, increasing its nutritional value as the animals can absorb more of the hay’s nutrients.

Hay bales wrapped in plastic are also easier to transport and store. You don’t have to worry as much about the weather or transport damage if your silage is wrapped securely.

How to Wrap Hay Bales

The point of wrapping hay bales in plastic is to ensure their freshness over a longer period. Keeping air out of the wrapped hay bales prevents oxygen from entering the bale. This is important because the microorganisms in the dry hay bale only become active in the presence of air and water. Once active, the microorganisms will start consuming the nutrients in the hay. When they consume the nutrients, they create water vapor and heat, further damaging the hay. It’s important to lock out any chance of air and water leaking into your hay bales and prevent microorganisms from becoming active. The plastic barrier also preserves and protects the nutrients of the hay created by the fermentation process.

How many layers of plastic wrap you use to prevent any air and moisture from entering your hay bale depends on a number of factors including; storage conditions, the type of hay, and the length of storage. Generally, a good rule of thumb is to use six layers of plastic wrap. This will change depending on weather conditions, and more layers might be needed. Hay bales should be wrapped as soon as they are cultivated to minimize the chances of spoilage.

Tips on Wrapping Hay Bales

Due to cost considerations, you may be tempted to reduce the layers of plastic wrap covering each hay bale, as the primary purpose of wrapping hay is to keep air and water out. However, if the bale is wrapped too thinly, it runs a risk of being punctured, allowing air and moisture to seep in and ruin the silage.

Generally, the drier your hay, the more layers of plastic wrap you’ll need. Drier hay tends to have sharper stems that poke through the plastic if there aren’t enough layers. The outer layer of plastic-wrapped hay bales can incur spoilage due to insufficient wrapping. The plastic wrap creates areas where moisture can settle inside the bale. The moisture will collect and provide the necessary elements for mold and microorganisms to grow and cause spoilage.

Why the Color Matters when Wrapping Hay Bales

Choosing colors that don’t absorb the sun’s heat is important. White or an extremely light color are the ideal colors for silage film. They won’t absorb nor radiate much heat.

MMP Corporation's Award-Winning Silage Film

Our silage film is made to the highest industry standards and has been awarded the prestigious German DLG quality mark. This is only awarded to agricultural equipment that has passed comprehensive and extensive usability testing by DLG.

Our film is available in both opaque white and light green and exhibits excellent UV resistance. It’s made from linear low-density polyethylene. The film is both puncture and tear-resistant. At a thickness of 25 microns, each roll has 1,500m of plastic wrap and weighs 26.86 kilograms.

MMP Corporation’s Silage film surpasses industry standards and comes with the German DLG seal of approval. Contact us for more information on how our silage film can optimize and improve your farm’s operation.