Patent ID: 9632070
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: G01N

Claim:
1. A baler apparatus for baling alfalfa hay and for determining the nutritional feed value of alfalfa hay in a bale baled by the baler apparatus, based on the ratio of leaves to stems, comprising a baler including a hay pickup, a plunger mechanism, a bale forming area, and a bale output, a means to measure, disposed on the baler, the weight and the moisture of a bale of alfalfa of a predetermined size, a processor, disposed on the baler, to calculate a dry density of the bale based on weight, moisture and size of the bale, and to compare the dry density of the bale to a table of feed values with respect to the ratio of leaves to stems, based on dry density stored in a memory of the processor, and to record and display the iced value, wherein the plunger is communicatively connected to the bale forming area and further comprising a load sensor communicatively connected to the plunger, and where force of compaction is read from the load sensor and used to further correct the feed value recorded and displayed.