In most years, this forage goes unutilized unless these fields can be grazed since curing conditions are too poor to get the forage dry enough to bale as hay. Silage inoculants have proven to improve the ensiling characteristics of fall forage crops. Time Between Baling and Bagging or Wrapping. The interval between baling and wrapping or bagging is critical to the success of the ensiling process and should be as short as possible. Prior to wrapping, high moisture forage is subject to very high respiration rates and to the growth of undesirable microorganisms.
Respiration reduces forage quality by consuming readily digestible carbohydrates.
Significant increases in bale temperature are also associated with excessive delay between baling and bagging of silage bales. Based upon these data, even an 8 hour delay between baling and bagging resulted in greater temperatures during storage compared with those bales bagged immediately after baling. Consider moving freshly baled forage to the storage area for wrapping. This allows the wrapping process to be done on more level and uniform ground. Bales can 'walk off' the wrapping platform if the machine is not level.