Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1999

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Biosystems Engineering Technology

Major Professor

Bobby Bledsoe

Committee Members

Robert Freeland, William Hart, John Waller

Abstract

Three bale-package types, hollow core, solid, and sliced large round hay bales, were evaluated. An experiment was conducted to determine differences among package types for temperature buildup during curing and nutritional losses during storage. Also, the amount of energy required to tub grind each bale type was measured. Third-cutting alfalfa hay was baled at two moisture content levels into the three bale types and was left outside for 36 days immediately after baling for curing. After curing, most bales were moved inside for the remaining six months of storage; however, five bales were left outside for comparison of differences in nutrient losses for inside and outside storage.

Temperature buildup during curing was minimal in the 15% moisture treatment. The hollow core bales had significantly lower temperature than other bales (p<0.05). In the 20% moisture treatment, no differences were found (pKO.05). The bale temperatures of the 20% moisture treatment were significantly higher than the ones of the 15% moisture treatment. Moisture content and density of bales in the 15% moisture treatment were different from that of bales in the 20% moisture treatment. Hollow core bales packaged at 15% moisture content exhibited lower moisture contents and densities than any other bale packages or moisture treatments.

Nutritional losses of the 20% moisture content treatment bales stored inside and of outside stored bales were significantly greater than those of the 15% moisture bales stored inside (p<0.05). There were no differences in nutritional losses among bale packages. Bales stored outside lost the greatest amount of nutritional value iv (p<0.05). There were no statistical differences of nutritional losses among bale package types at any moisture level or storage treatment. The number of bales available for grinding was too few to show any significance in the amount of energy required to grind each bale type (p<0.05).

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