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Description: After forage is mowed (e.g., NAL #4830 to #4839), it is raked (e.g., NAL #4861 to #4868) into windrows sized to fit the pickup of a chopper or baler. Moisture content of 30 to 40% is preferable for ensiling (haylage), while 15 to 16% is the target for hay. Moisture content less than 10% results in excessive leaf loss during baling, while moisture greater than 25% often results in mold growth in bales. This baler, towed and powered by a tractor, makes small square bales bound with twine. It is equipped with a kicker to throw the bales into the enclosed wagon shown here and in NAL #4880 and #4882. Alternatively, the bales may be stacked by a person on a trailing wagon (e.g., NAL #4870, #4871 and #4872), or dropped on the ground (e.g., NAL #4873, #4874, and #4875) to be collected later. The full wagon is towed to a central storage area where the bales are off-loaded on to an elevator and stacked by hand or dropped into a large storage area, in either case usually under cover to protect the hay from precipitation.
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