Can my round baler handle high-moisture hay?
Most modern variable chamber balers (belt balers) are capable of baling wet forage into a dense package. However, special silage models are recommended because they are specifically designed to bale wet forage—they have scrapers on the belts and rollers to prevent buildup of material, and they have heavy- duty bearings to help handle the increase in bale weight. Several baler manufacturers offer “silage kits” which can be added to older balers that will enable them to handle baleage. Such kits range in price from $400 to $1500 (2012 prices) depending on brand. Consult your local equipment dealer for specific information regarding your particular round baler brand. Fixed chamber and variable chamber balers will both work well; however, variable chamber balers are much more popular because they allow the control of bale size and maintain uniform density in the bales. Fixed chamber balers can make dense bales but usually form only one bale size. In either case, it is important to drive slowly and maintain a high PTO speed.