Storage method effects on dry matter and quality losses of tall fescue round bales

Outside storage with no protection from the weather contriutes to the frequent large storage losses for round-baled hay compared with small rectangular bales stored inside. We evaluated losses in dry matter (DM) yield and forage quality of round bales bound with solid or woven-mesh plastic instead of sisal twince. Round bales of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) averaging 706 ± 19 lb and 18.2 ± 1.4% moisture were wrapped with two layers of plastic mesh or solid self-adhesive plastic wrap and placed on grass sod for storage. Twine-tied bales were stored on sod or indoors for comparison. Trials were conducted in 1990 and 1991, each with four replicates of each treatment. Dry matter losses and changes in crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) were measured after 1 yr of storage. Weathering affected layers 0, 0.6, 2.1, and 4.4 in. deep for indoor, solid plastic, plastic mesh, and twine-tied bales stored outside, respectively. Storage DM losses of 18.2% for twine-tied bales stored outside were reduced to 10.6% by plastic mesh wrap but were lowest for solid-plastic-wrapped (3.6%) and inside-stored bales (5.7%). Weathered hay from twine and plastic mesh-wrapped bales fell approximately 20 percentage units in IVDMD during storage. Weathering and storage treatment effects on CP and NDF were small. Using solid plastic wrap or plastic mesh wrap as binding materials for bales stored outside saved DM and solid plastic wrap improved hay quality over twine-tied bales.