Round vs square bale coverage

[dstig1]

This is for erosion control after some excavation work. I'm told a typical square bale is good for ~150 sf or maybe up to 300 if you spread it thin. I'm having a hard time finding it for decent prices, but I am seeing some of the larger round bales around (4'x5'). Obviously they are larger, but my question is how many square bales = 1 of those round ones?

I figure someone here knows but a Google search turned up nothing useful.

Thanks!
Dave

 

[Willl]

Figure a small bale weight of about 70-80? lbs and a large roll around 700? lbs. So,,,

 

[art]

Wrong time to be looking! Everyone has barns full of good hay and the bad stuff won't be around for a while.

Rounds should cover ten times the amount of a small bale at a min.

 

[dstig1]

Thanks guys. I have no idea what either size weighs, so any info is helpful. 10x sounds like a rule of thumb ratio I can work with. Like I said, I knew someone here would know...

 

[Ken45101]

Just an fyi, unless you set it up that you can just push it and unroll it, tearing hay off of a round bale is a lot of hard work. Best is to stand it on end and work around it, unwinding it.

 

[jonyyuma]

The ratio is 10 to 1 bales of hay, but some of the newest round bales look smaller? I am still marvelling at the new cotton picker that rolls a round bale on the back of the machine? We had a lot of Cotton planted around us this year, and corn..

 

[Grayson Klassen]

Round bales vary in size and weight depending on who made them and the baler they used and how they set it up. Where I live a normal round weights in at roughly 1200 pounds and can go as high as 1500 pounds. The tighter they are the harder they are to deal with. If you can roll they out, do it is way less work. What do you have to move them around with?

 

[rasimmo]

I am not trying to argue, but I think the 10 to 1 is a little off. We have unrolled some 5x5 bales and put back into squares. We got 20 to 25 per bale depending on density. I don't think the 4x5 dsig1 mentioned would be half of a 5x5. Trying to use simple redneck math, but it don't compute.

 

[Grayson Klassen]

I am not trying to argue, but I think the 10 to 1 is a little off. We have unrolled some 5x5 bales and put back into squares. We got 20 to 25 per bale depending on density. I don't think the 4x5 dsig1 mentioned would be half of a 5x5. Trying to use simple redneck math, but it don't compute.

I have to agree

 

[dstig1]

Thanks for the info guys. I don't have a bale spear but I have forks and grapple to unload and help out. It looks like I may have found a guy with square bales cheap enough to work. Also thanks for the tips on unrolling the round ones. I was figuring I would just shred it with the grapple, but that may not have worked well. Appears to be a moot point now anyways.

Thanks!

 

[canoetrpr]

I am not trying to argue, but I think the 10 to 1 is a little off. We have unrolled some 5x5 bales and put back into squares. We got 20 to 25 per bale depending on density. I don't think the 4x5 dsig1 mentioned would be half of a 5x5. Trying to use simple redneck math, but it don't compute.

Agree here too. I use 4x5s and I think hard core tightly rolled 4x5s are at least 15-20 small square bales. That said, small squares around here don't weigh 70 lb. More like 40-45

 

[Larry Caldwell]

The only way to do it is by the ton. A ton of round bales has the same amount of hay as a ton of square bales. I have a neighbor with a square baler that makes 250 lb. bales of alfalfa. The new high density balers will put 1200 lbs. of straw in one 3' x 4' square bale. They can load 75,000 lbs. of straw into one shipping container. Here on the West Coast, a lot of straw goes to the far east as animal fodder and mushroom medium.

Solid Savings With High-Density Balers

 

[Taylortractornut]

We roll out round bales on our waterways at the landfill. I have a 2 inch pipe that I made that has a set of pipes that I can get close to the center of the bale and drive in some 1 inch pipes. i nthe center then un roll them. We seed them and fertilize them and they make nice patches of grass.
I made a similar setup that went on my skid steer loader but loaned it out.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Why use hay when straw is cheaper?

 

[dstig1]

Because apparently some hay is or becomes unusable as feed, so the value plummets. Plus I am told it is actually better as ground cover as it contains seeds that will germinate and help create more ground cover. I am finding hay bales for cover for a buck, whereas straw is anywhere from $3-6/bale.

No first hand experience doing it, just doing what I'm told...

 

[jonyyuma]

Plenty cheap, $3.00 a square bale for anything here? $30.00 for round..

 

[D7E]

Real nice 3x3 squares wheat and oat straw up here are making $10 a bale ...I know i have 650 i am struggling to sell !

Last years first cut beef hay $25 for 800lbs 3x3 square

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I am told it is actually better as ground cover as it contains seeds that will germinate and help create more ground cover

If "ground cover" is your end goal, you'd be better off to plant something.

Anything that sprouts from hay will be weeds, if the hay was cut when it should have been

 

[dstig1]

If "ground cover" is your end goal, you'd be better off to plant something.

Anything that sprouts from hay will be weeds, if the hay was cut when it should have been

I am. Planting winter wheat and grass. But I need something to stop erosion before that stuff takes root, and as this time of year, I'm afraid I won't get much in the way of sprouting. So I need straw or hay, but hay adds the bonus of having seeds in it, and I found hay that is not suitable for feed much cheaper than straw.

I'm about to head out and pick it up in fact $1/bale is my kind of price!

 

[Duffster]

I am. Planting winter wheat and grass. But I need something to stop erosion before that stuff takes root, and as this time of year, I'm afraid I won't get much in the way of sprouting. So I need straw or hay, but hay adds the bonus of having seeds in it, and I found hay that is not suitable for feed much cheaper than straw.

I'm about to head out and pick it up in fact $1/bale is my kind of price!

Large squares, 3x3 which are really only 30" by 32" +/-, are ~90/100 lbs per foot. Typical 7.5' bale is ~700 lbs.