There is some confusion as to what defines an “average” bale size. Some say it is one ton, while others report two or even three tons per acre. This article will clear up this myth and give you the true average bale size for round bales in your area!
Round bales are typically described as having five layers (which make them more durable than old style square bales). The number of layers varies by brand and how they are made, but most have the same number of sheets in each layer.
The thickness of these sheets can vary slightly, but overall they are very thin. That means lots of air space in between the bale and the ground. These bales need that extra cushioning effect so they do not weigh down under stress.
This article will tell you the truth about round bale numbers! It will also help determine how many rounds per acre are ideal in your soil and climate. Both factors play a big part in whether bales stay fresh and perform well for years to come.
Reasons why round bales are better for the environment
There is an assumption that rolling up crop material into balls makes it more efficient to transport. However, this conclusion doesn’t always hold true because of how the bale is stored after transportation.
When a new roll of hay is made, there is some loss as the old wrapping comes off the bale. Once these wrappings have been recycled or re-used, they can be saved and used later when making a fresh bale. This process happens very quickly, so no significant amount of energy is wasted in terms of recycling.
Another major reason why round bales are preferable to square ones is due to their shape. The circumference of a circle is two times larger than its diameter. As such, one half of the bale will decay at the same rate as a quarter of a square bale. This means that round bales use less area per unit volume than squares do.
Square bales require twice the space per weight!
There is an argument that says that square bails are more environmentally friendly than round ones. These arguments typically focus on the fact that you need less space per pound to store a square bale compared to a round one.
Reasons why round bales are better for storage
There is one major reason why round bale hay is the best way to store grass clippings in your lawn. It’s called density.
Density is how much space there is in a given area of hay. The more dense the hay, the less empty space there is within the bale. This makes it easier to access the hay so you can either eat it or use it as another layer to keep warm during winter.
Round bale hay has a very high density- almost twice that of traditional square bales! This results in lots of vertical layers which help retain heat well and protect stored material from the air getting into it.
Furthermore, due to its shape, round bales require half the amount of space to stack similarly sized bales making them cost effective long term storage options.
This article will discuss some tips on storing grass clippings using round bails.
Cost differences between round bales and square bales
The cost of producing bale size can play a significant role in how many rounds you have to buy. As mentioned before, round bales are denser than square bales, so they take less space to store and ship! This means that you will need fewer round bales to achieve your storage goal, however, it also implies that you will need more expensive bales to get the same amount of stored product.
Square bales typically use thicker steel as the core material, which costs slightly more per ton than thinner metal. Therefore, buying a large quantity of square bales may be cheaper overall because you will save on shipping expenses!
There is no hard and fast rule for what size bales you should aim to purchase, but we recommend sticking to half acers (5,000 sq ft) or one acre (10,000 sq ft) at a time until you reach that limit. After that, you can either add another row of bales to create an enclosed area or you can move some of your current bales around to make room.
Round bales are more stable than square bales
While round bale hay is not as easy to stack, it is an important consideration when deciding how many bales per acre you have. As discussed earlier, stability is one of the most significant traits of good hay. More stable bails can be stacked higher, which gives them greater potential to grow in size and keep for longer before being stored or fed to your stock.
Square bales lose their shape and become thinner due to compaction while lying down under heavy loads, making them less stable and requiring thicker mats to protect them from damage. The thickness of these mats then becomes part of the bale’s total height, reducing the space available for growth.
Because round bales do not compact easily, they remain relatively thick and take up more room at harvest time.
Round bales are heavier than square bales
Because round bales are much denser than square bales, you will need to check both density and weight when calculating how many per acre you have. Densities vary by size of bale so be sure to check that first!
The most common way to calculate round bale density is using cubic feet (or ccf) as your measurement. One bale can usually be compressed down to one-third its original size which means you would take three times the amount of space for each bale in an area equal to the total number of bales divided by the ACRE GROWTH RATE.
For example, if you had 10,000 lbs. of hay and wanted to know how many acres it was spread out over, you would divide 10000 by 0.33 = 3100 ccfs per acre. That equals 32.3 ft^2 per bale or 846 sqft per ton — or just under eight square meters per ton!
This article goes into more detail about different ways to determine bale density.
Round bales are more difficult to stack
While square bale hay is easier to store and access, round bales are better for protecting soil quality and promoting healthier grass growth. Grass will grow faster when in contact with soil that has been protected by hay!
Round bales also create more work for horses as they must take extra time to pull them out of the stable or field. Since there is less space between each bale, it takes longer for your horse to find one!
There are some things you can do if you run into this problem. You can cut down the number of rounds bales per acre which may help reduce the amount of time it takes to get inside.
Round bales are more difficult to transport
When you store round bale hay, it is important how many there are per acre. The amount of bails needed depends on the size of your pasture or field, what kind of feed you have, and how much growth your livestock has made during this time frame.
Round bales can be up to three times heavier than square bales! This means that they take longer to get moving if you are using a truck for hauling. If possible, you may want to rent a tractor and wagon to save money and stress.
Square bales do not weigh as much so this is less of an issue but they are still one third wider than round ones, making them harder to stack in a vehicle.
We recommend buying enough bales for two months at least even if you only use a small fraction of that time. Because bales will naturally compost over time, you get to reap the benefits later. Buying too little risk damage to the soil and your animals’ health due to lack of nutrition.
Round bales are more difficult to open
When you store round bale hay, it is important how many there are per acre. The amount of hay needed for grazing depends on what size animal you have, so knowing how many rounds per acre can save you money!
Round bales are much denser than classic head-tohead bales. This means that instead of needing to cut down on the number of bales because there’s not enough space to store them all, you need to know how many bales there are per acre!
If your pasture gets crowded at peak feeding times, then you will be running out of room to house the hay. It is best to have enough bails to feed your stock through spring and summer when they are hungry.