Tama Assist Preparing Your Round Baler for Silage Baling: Essential Steps for Success
Before heading into the field, thoroughly inspect your baler for any wear, damage, or debris buildup from previous use:
- Remove old debris from the pickup, rollers, and chamber to prevent contamination of silage bales.
- Check belts and chains for wear, cracks, or stretching. Replace any components that appear worn.
- Examine bearings and rollers for signs of overheating, rust, or damage.
- Grease all moving parts to ensure smooth operation and reduce friction.
- Inspect the pickup tines for missing or bent tines, as they are critical for efficient crop gathering.
Silage baling differs from dry hay baling in several key aspects, so adjusting your baler accordingly is crucial:
- Set the bale density higher to ensure a tight, well-formed bale that ferments properly.
- Adjust the knife system (if applicable) to achieve the desired chop length for improved fermentation and feeding efficiency.
- Ensure proper chamber pressure so bales retain their shape and wrap effectively.
- Check netwrap or twine settings to ensure a secure wrap that can handle higher moisture content.
A properly functioning wrapping system is crucial for silage preservation:
- Use high quality netwrap (e.g. TamaNet Edge to Edge) or twine (e.g. IMPAX LSB Power) designed for silage to prevent breakage and ensure a tight seal.
- Check tension settings on the wrapping system to avoid loose or unevenly wrapped bales.
- Inspect rollers and guides for wear or debris buildup that could interfere with proper wrapping.
- Ensure an adequate supply of twine or netwrap to avoid unnecessary downtime.
Since silage contains much higher moisture than dry hay, your baler must be equipped to handle it:
- Ensure the baler is rated for silage (some models require additional components, such as scrapers or rollers, to handle wet forage).
- Use a moisture meter to monitor silage levels, aiming for an ideal range of 40-60% moisture for proper fermentation.
- Check drainage points to ensure excess moisture doesn’t cause clogging or damage.
Before starting full-scale baling, perform a test run to confirm everything is functioning correctly:
- Bale a few test bales to ensure correct density, shape, and wrapping quality.
- Monitor wrapping application to confirm adequate coverage and adhesion.
- Listen for unusual noises that may indicate mechanical issues.
- Make necessary adjustments to settings before proceeding with the full baling operation.
Minimise downtime by having essential spare parts and lubricants on hand:
- Extra netwrap and stretchfilm.
- Replacement belts, chains, and bearings.
- Adequate supply of grease and lubricants.
- Spare pickup tines and cutting knives.
Proper preparation of your round baler before baling silage can make the difference between a smooth, efficient operation and costly delays. Regular maintenance, proper adjustments, and thorough checks ensure high-quality silage bales that preserve well and provide excellent feed value. By following these steps, you can maximise both the performance of your baler and the nutritional quality of your forage.
Don’t forget, if you are a Tama product user and you do have baler problems when out in the field, you can turn to Tama Assist; one of our team of experts will be happy to help you diagnose the problem and get you baling again asap!