Is a Hay Baler with a Pre-Cutting System Worth the Money?

Many farmers and ranchers are investing in hay balers which include a pre-cutting system. While the advantages of such balers are numerous, many farmers and ranchers believe that the high cost of such balers isn’t worth the investment.

Hay balers which include a pre-cutting system work just as the name implies. Knives cut forage before it is baled through the use of a rotor. This rotor is situated behind the vehicle pulling the crop and does the cutting as the forage enters the bale chamber.

With the hay cut in smaller pieces, more tonnage is created because the hay is basically cut into much smaller pieces. This means that farmers and ranchers can get more hay in one bale of equal size. This creates advantages for producers. The hay is easier to transport since more tonnage is included in each bale. It also requires less room to store the bales. Further, packaging costs are decreased.

While all of this is important, how does pre-cut forage impact the hay as livestock feed? The first thing to consider is that cattle eat pounds of food. These animals care little about the size of the bales.

Pre-cut hay also can eliminate waste. When forage is cut shorter, a large portion of that forage goes into the mouth of the animal and less onto the ground, amounting to improved feed efficiency. Pre-cut forage also means cattle need less time to chew. In fact, studies show improved performance and weight gain in animals fed pre-cut hay. And when cattle weigh more they are worth more at auction.

Dairy farmers may find this type of balers especially helpful since when using a total mixed ration (TMR), pre-cut bales are easier to break apart. Incorporating TMR into hay that is cut short is much easier than mixing it with long forage. This means less time and manpower needed to feed dairy cattle.

While it is tempting to make decisions based on price alone, there are many factors that determine whether a pre-cutting system for a baler is the right one for a particular producer. Fuel costs for a baler with a pre-cutting system will use more fuel than a regular baler and depending on the price of fuel at any given time this can be an important consideration.

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