When it comes to storing your wrapped round bales on their flat or round end, there are many opinions - all of which have some very good reasons.
In this blog we aim to go over why we believe storing bales on their flat end makes the most sense.
1 - Better Shape Retention
When bales are stored on their flat end they retain their shape better, this is due to the bale being less likely to 'slump' as they are known to do when stored on their round & gravity takes its effect. The slumping of round bales is further accentuated when they are stacked more than 1 bale high as the downward pressure squishes the lower bales out of shape.
Squashed/out of shape bales can be harder to handle & feed out later on, as rounded bales 'un-roll' more easily as well as being easy to handle with purpose built bale handlers. A squashed bale can make the job of feeding out & handling more labour intensive than it needs to be.
The below picture shows how bales stored on their rounded ends (RH picture) can lose their shape in storage as opposed to those stored on their flat (LH picture)
Better bale shape retention = Bales being easier to handle & feed out
2 - Greater Bale Protection
Storing bales on the flat end can offer greater bale protection. This is due to there being up to 4 times the amount of wrap on the flat end of the bale than the rounded sides! This offers greater puncture resistance when bales are being stored on the ground which helps to reduce the risk of a bale ripping, tearing or degrading.
When bales are stored on their flat, there is also less upward facing surface area exposed to the elements than when being stored on the round - this reduces the risk of rips or tears resulting from contact with the elements.
Further Bale Storage Tips:
No matter whether bales are stored on the flat or round, heavy bales should only be stored in a single layer, with stacks of up to 3 high being allowed for dryer & lighter bales.
The key to wrapped bale storage success lies in the ability to handle and store bales without breaking the air tight seal, if the seal is broken secondary fermentation occurs causing losses, this means you lose valuable feed & money! Find out just how much a purpose built bale handler can save in terms of actual fodder & money here: The true value of a wrapped bale handler
Find out why the Rata Bale Clamp has become so popular with New Zealand farmers & contractors in this video below.
Check out the Rata Bale Clamp here
For more tips check out these helpful links:
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