Moisture level effects on three packaging and handling systems for midland bermudagrass hay

Three packaging and handling systems for Midland bermudagrass hay were tested at various moisture levels. A conventional baler with bale thrower and wagon, a roll baler, and a compressed hay stacker were compared on the basis of packaging and handling capacity, field efficiency, packaging material efficiency, and cost per ton of hay. Hay quality data were taken for inside storage of conventional bales and inside and outside storage of roll bales and stacks. Handling operations for the roll bales and stacks were performed by a tractor-mounted, three-point-hitch stack-mover.

Since the drying rates varied for the conditioned and windrowed hay used in the experiment, a wide range (7 to 46 percent) of hay moisture contents for testing the equipment resulted. The conventional bale system was examined at the 7 to 16 percent moisture range only. Packaging capacity in terms of total matter increased linearly with moisture. Since the handling and unloading of the conventional bales from the wagon were done by a one-man operation, the heavier, higher moisture bales resulted in increased unloading time and reduced handling capacity.

The roll baler and stacker were used to package hay with moisture content ranging from 8 to 46 percent and 9 to 42 percent respectively. Packaging capacity (total matter) for the roll baler increased linearly with increased moisture content of the hay. The packaging capacity (total matter) for the stacker increased with moisture content up to approximately 30 percent moisture; then, it decreased slightly. This decrease was the result of reducing the feeding rate to prevent clogging the pickup discharge duct.

Cost analyses based on the yearly production of 500 tons of hay were performed for each system. Total costs per ton were calculated; these costs included the tractor, machine, and labor costs. A comparison of the conventional bale, roll bale, the stack system at 15, 17, and 16 percent hay moisture contents, respectively, resulted in calculated total costs per ton of $5.03, $4.29, and $3.62. When the roll bale and stack systems were compared at the 20 to 22 percent moisture content range, the roll bale system was the cheaper with a cost of $2.70 per ton, while the stack system cost was $2.87 per ton. A higher moisture content comparison between the roll bale (28 percent) and stack (31 percent) systems resulted in a $2.89 per ton cost for the roll bale system and $3.14 per ton cost for the stack system.