Baleage Basics

Host: Joanna Coles, Warren County Extension Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources
Guest: Dr. Jimmy Henning, Forage Extension Specialist
Topic: Baleage Basics
Baleage is fermenting wilted forage in round bales wrapped in plastic. Making baleage helps avoid rain damage because fewer drying days are needed. Making baleage often results in high quality stored forage because harvest date is less impacted by weather and forages can be harvested when most nutritious. To make good baleage, follow these steps: 1) Harvest forage when high in fermentable carbohydrates. For grasses and small grains this is when the stem has elongated but the head is just beginning to emerge. For red clover and alfalfa, bud to first flower is best. 2) Wilt the forage to between 40 and 60% moisture content. Estimating the moisture content in the field is sometimes difficult. For heavy crops in wet cool weather, one to two days of wilting may be needed. In summer, the moisture content will be right after about 2 to 4 hours. UK publication AGR-235 (FAQs) outlines how to estimate and measure moisture content. Making sure the forage is wilted to less than 60% moisture is the best way to prevent clostridial fermentation and botulism. 3) Make dense uniform bales. Dense bales trap less oxygen and more readily ferment. Uniform bales are important with inline wrappers so the plastic does not have to flex much between bales. 4) Wrap bales with six layers of UV-resistant stretch wrap plastic within 24 hours of baling. Six layers of plastic gives extra protection against punctures by stems in the forage and from the ground. 5) Tape any holes that occur with special tape designed to patch silage plastic. Keeping plastic intact is especially important in the first four to six weeks after wrapping when most of the fermentation takes place.