# Making a 5x6 bale?



## MScowman

I make 4x5's now but would like in the future to make a 5x bale, for purposes of not having to put up as many bales. I don't really sale much hay, it is really only produced for our cattle. What are some of the things a person should know to make a 5 ft. wide bale? How different are they to make when baling? I'm just curious.

Thanks, Bo


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## deadmoose

Transport width can be an issue.


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## YFF

We made the switch from a 4' wide roller to a 5' wide roller a few years ago and have been pleased with the fewer number of rolls to move. The only problem I have had is I can't move them with our smaller tractor since they are much heavier but I like being able to get a lot more hay in a roll.


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## swmnhay

Most everyone here V-rakes 2 windrows from a discbine together making a 5'wide windrow and just drive straight with baler.Other then that pretty much do the same thing as 4' wide bales.Make sure have big enough eq to handle the heavier bales.5x6 is about double the weight of a 4x5.


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## Tx Jim

My observation is fewer baler operators can make a LEVEL 5' vs a level 4'.bale. I've seen more whiskey barrel shaped 5' bales than 4' bales because of operator ERROR..


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## Vol

Tx Jim said:


> My observation is fewer baler operators can make a LEVEL 5' vs a level 4'.bale. I've seen more whiskey barrel shaped 5' bales than 4' bales because of operator ERROR..


I suppose if your like the op and going to feed it to your own cattle, it really doesn't matter if they are perfectly level across the top.

Regards, Mike


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## MScowman

swmnhay said:


> Most everyone here V-rakes 2 windrows from a discbine together making a 5'wide windrow and just drive straight with baler.Other then that pretty much do the same thing as 4' wide bales.Make sure have big enough eq to handle the heavier bales.5x6 is about double the weight of a 4x5.





Tx Jim said:


> My observation is fewer baler operators can make a LEVEL 5' vs a level 4'.bale. I've seen more whiskey barrel shaped 5' bales than 4' bales because of operator ERROR..


This is the type of answers I was looking for. Thanks guys.

Tx Jim, in your opinion why does said error happen? Is it that the windrow is too narrow, not filling out the sides?


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## MScowman

Vol said:


> I suppose if your like the op and going to feed it to your own cattle, it really doesn't matter if they are perfectly level across the top.
> 
> Regards, Mike


That would be correct Mike, however, I still have too much pride and want my bales to look good. I think my cattle appreciate it


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## deadmoose

Vol said:


> I suppose if your like the op and going to feed it to your own cattle, it really doesn't matter if they are perfectly level across the top.
> 
> Regards, Mike


My vermeer drastically reduced misshapen bales vs my previous old Hesston. Windrow I am sure made a difference as well. Regardless, cattle don't care if bale was perfectly shaped.

They ate all my good bales. And ate all my mistakes.


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## swmnhay

Tx Jim said:


> My observation is fewer baler operators can make a LEVEL 5' vs a level 4'.bale. I've seen more whiskey barrel shaped 5' bales than 4' bales because of operator ERROR..


Yea the rake operator can realy screw up a windrow if you want to drive straight with a 5' wide windrow it needs to be a even windrow not 2 ropes.Speed and moisture of hay along with the amount of hay in the windrow determine the shape adjust the rake and speed as conditions change.You want a rectangular box shaped windrow not a windrow like this ^^


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## 8350HiTech

Cattle might not care if they're perfectly shaped but unless you're in a climate where they sit outside in single rows and get 10" of rain per year, I think the owner will care eventually. Well formed bales transport, store, and weather far better than poorly shaped bales.


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## snowball

Tx Jim said:


> My observation is fewer baler operators can make a LEVEL 5' vs a level 4'.bale. I've seen more whiskey barrel shaped 5' bales than 4' bales because of operator ERROR..


JMO  but that because a 4' baler sometimes has a 5'wide pick so it build the outer edges well and you can do a poorer job of racking and baling and get away with it.. a 5' wide baler it's harder to lay 2 windrows side by side and have it be a even 5' across them especially with a piss poor rake job in front of you.. You can't be baling and tex'n you secret girlfriend, or watching the neighbors wife mow the yard.. swmnhay has a point a V rake is great with the 5' baler.. if you don't mind the dirt that comes with the V rake


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## JMT

MScowman said:


> This is the type of answers I was looking for. Thanks guys.
> Tx Jim, in your opinion why does said error happen? Is it that the windrow is too narrow, not filling out the sides?


Too narrow of a windrow has a lot to do with it. Especially when trying to just drive straight down the row.

Can also be too wide of a windrow, if you are weaving back and forth (center is fed more while trying to pack each end). Another issue could be having tractor tires spaced wide enough to weave enough to effectively pack the ends without running over edge of windrow.

Making a square 5' wide windrow can have its challenges to. If raking with a v rake, behind mower conditioner, taking 2 swaths together, you may not be raking all of the hay and piling raked on top of unturned hay. Depends greatly on how wide of swath you are making and how much distance between swaths. Depending on your conditions may require tedding or may force you to make a narrow swath instead of a wide faster drying swath. Some fine tuning and condition specific challenges that might not need to be faced when making a 4' windrow.

Also if you run into some light hay you may have to adjust your windrow much narrower (down to 2.5' depending on baler pickup width). Requiring you to weave and carefully watch your monitor or your belts if you have no monitor. If windrow is left wide in thin hay and two small side by side windrows are baled as one I have seen round bales split in half when being moved. May mean finding a rake that can be easily adjusted.

Overall there may be some adjustments or things to get used to but if your baling for your own use, I think it pays to make a bigger bale.


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## rjmoses

Rake setup and raking job make or break a 5' bales.

If you have to weave back and forth, it's really hard to get a good bale shape.

I want my bales (net wrapped) to have a slight dimple in the center for bales stored outside. The "hour-glass on it's side" shape funnels rain away from the edges.

Ralph


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## Tx Jim

8350HiTech said:


> Cattle might not care if they're perfectly shaped but unless you're in a climate where they sit outside in single rows and get 10" of rain per year, I think the owner will care eventually. Well formed bales transport, store, and weather far better than poorly shaped bales.


Whiskey barrel shaped bales are the pit's to haul especially if double stacked on top of each other. Truckers will more than likely refuse to haul them. I agree that a good raking job will make baling good,level bales a lot easier.


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## stack em up

I love 5 ' bales as I hate moving bales.....


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## snowball

JMT said:


> Too narrow of a windrow has a lot to do with it. Especially when trying to just drive straight down the row.
> 
> Can also be too wide of a windrow, if you are weaving back and forth (center is fed more while trying to pack each end). Another issue could be having tractor tires spaced wide enough to weave enough to effectively pack the ends without running over edge of windrow.
> 
> Making a square 5' wide windrow can have its challenges to. If raking with a v rake, behind mower conditioner, taking 2 swaths together, you may not be raking all of the hay and piling raked on top of unturned hay. Depends greatly on how wide of swath you are making and how much distance between swaths. Depending on your conditions may require tedding or may force you to make a narrow swath instead of a wide faster drying swath. Some fine tuning and condition specific challenges that might not need to be faced when making a 4' windrow.
> 
> Also if you run into some light hay you may have to adjust your windrow much narrower (down to 2.5' depending on baler pickup width). Requiring you to weave and carefully watch your monitor or your belts if you have no monitor. If windrow is left wide in thin hay and two small side by side windrows are baled as one I have seen round bales split in half when being moved. May mean finding a rake that can be easily adjusted.
> 
> Overall there may be some adjustments or things to get used to but if your baling for your own use, I think it pays to make a bigger bale.


Very well said Still with the issue's involved Bigger Is Better


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## JMT

stack em up said:


> I love 5 ' bales as I hate moving bales.....


Yeah. Once your used to moving and feeding 5x6 bales, handling 4x5s or 5x5s even can seem like a complete waste of time.

I kinda backed myself into a new 5x6 baler a few years ago for that precise reason. I was using an older 5x6 baler and was real happy with it except for the narrow 5' pickup. Then found a real good deal on a lightly used 5x5 baler with a wide pickup, so I traded. After 3/4 of the first cuttings of hay, I was so sick of having to haul extra bales off the fields, I traded for a new 5x6 baler with a wide pickup. Good news was I baled around 1000 bales, then got $3700 more in trade with the 5x5 baler.


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## snowball

JMT said:


> Yeah. Once your used to moving and feeding 5x6 bales, handling 4x5s or 5x5s even can seem like a complete waste of time.
> 
> I kinda backed myself into a new 5x6 baler a few years ago for that precise reason. I was using an older 5x6 baler and was real happy with it except for the narrow 5' pickup. Then found a real good deal on a lightly used 5x5 baler with a wide pickup, so I traded. After 3/4 of the first cuttings of hay, I was so sick of having to haul extra bales off the fields, I traded for a new 5x6 baler with a wide pickup. Good news was I baled around 1000 bales, then got $3700 more in trade with the 5x5 baler.


and that is the exact reason I like being the oddball in my 4x5 bale area.. I hate hauling bales But they have their reasons for the smaller bales.. that's what makes the wide world of hay'n go round... " The Trill of Victory... The Pain of Defeat "


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## swmnhay

There is another benefit to 5x6 bales.Alot of horsey people can't handle them so they won't buy them . I sure like unloading at feedlots where they take 2-5x6 bales off at a time.


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## MScowman

This has been a Great thread! I never imagined so much wonderful information would flow from one of my posts, Thanks! Man I love Hay Talk!

Thanks, Bo


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## deadmoose

How far away are your fields? And will your current equipment handle baler and moving bales? All for your cows?


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## somedevildawg

If I were only feeding cattle for myself I would consider the 5x6.....but, if I were even thinking abut selling hay, I would do a 4x6 and improve my method of gettin them out of the fields.....jmo


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## snowball

somedevildawg said:


> If I were only feeding cattle for myself I would consider the 5x6.....but, if I were even thinking abut selling hay, I would do a 4x6 and improve my method of gettin them out of the fields.....jmo


x2 FRIST TIME IN A WHILE THAT DEVILDAWG AND i TOTALLY AGREE


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## MScowman

My fields are all no farther than 2 miles from my place. I sale hay only to those that have run out during winter. Mainly to all cattle people. Yes all my equipment will handle 5x6.

Thanks, Bo


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## snowball

MScowman .. I know you would be so happy and glad you went 5x6 especially since you are feeding all your hay so many less bales to handle at the end of the season and you will surprise yourself at how much hay you have baled at the end of the day with a 5x6. JMO but a 5x6 is a beef cowman's best friend


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## MScowman

Sounds good, thanks snowball.

Bo


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## snowball

I've been to your part of the world cowman .. you will be fine with the 5x6.. I know there are a lot of 4x6 and 4x5 balers in your area but if got the equipment to handle the big bales you will be just fine


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## somedevildawg

snowball said:


> I've been to your part of the world cowman .. you will be fine with the 5x6.. I know there are a lot of 4x6 and 4x5 balers in your area but if got the equipment to handle the big bales you will be just fine


Next time you come down to Dixie, give us a shout out Sno, well throw out the red carpet for ya......and feed ya some grits and pork bellies with some red eye gravy.......ifn ya drive here in that Ford there's and extra bonus.....a fire works celebration that you actually MADE it, and a bonus bushel of fresh Ga Peaches


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## deadmoose

Win win with what you are dealing with I would say.


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## Bazooka

MScowman said:


> This is the type of answers I was looking for. Thanks guys.
> 
> Tx Jim, in your opinion why does said error happen? Is it that the windrow is too narrow, not filling out the sides?


When I was custom baling with a JD 535, whether it was a big or small windrow I always crowded the ends and the hay always seemed to find its way into the middle. The monitor was an analog needle for each end belt and I kept them as high as possible by weaving and watch both needles and as soon as the side opposite of the one I was feeding started to drop i'd switch sides to get it going up and vise versa til it was full. In demonstrating the new models with the bar graphs, it works the same for me. Never worried about the middle and had great looking bales I was proud to have next to the road for all to see. Kept my rpm's at 1800 and adjusted my speed for the windrow size, so long as I could stay in the seat anyway.


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## jr in va

I now have a 535 JD which I really like.The Bale-Trak is great for making even bales.I have,however made thousands of bales with narrow windrows on my previous two balers by silently counting so far on one side then moving over to the other side for a like number.

Hardest part of changing to the newer bale was learning to let the monitor tell me how to drive.Once I mad emslf do that,good bales.


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## JayTN

I can only add 1 thing to all the replies to this post. If you are feeding in hay rings, sometimes a 5x6 roll doesn't want to fit too well. I have to push my hay rings down over some of my rolls, therefore I usually go with a 5x5 1/2.


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## panhandle9400

Tx Jim said:


> My observation is fewer baler operators can make a LEVEL 5' vs a level 4'.bale. I've seen more whiskey barrel shaped 5' bales than 4' bales because of operator ERROR..


Must be low shelf hands if they cant make a nice looking big round , the trick to MAKING them stay looking nice is the swather operator , With the 568's we would make windrow to fit tractor an baler so you DID not have to worry about bad looking bales . Same way with big square balers sit up an drive ....................


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## JD3430

Tx Jim said:


> Whiskey barrel shaped bales are the pit's to haul especially if double stacked on top of each other. Truckers will more than likely refuse to haul them. I agree that a good raking job will make baling good,level bales a lot easier.


Wow. Must be the same trucker that won't drive a truck unless it's a Pete with real wood dash and $1,000 aluminum wheels with spike lug nuts. 
I load bales, perfect shape or mis-shaped. You just have to learn how to stack them on the trailer. 
I put them on fatter sides facing out so they "tilt" inward. 
After hundreds of loads hauled, I never had a problem.


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## Bazooka

JD3430 said:


> Wow. Must be the same trucker that won't drive a truck unless it's a Pete with real wood dash and $1,000 aluminum wheels with spike lug nuts.
> I load bales, perfect shape or mis-shaped. You just have to learn how to stack them on the trailer.
> I put them on fatter sides facing out so they "tilt" inward.
> After hundreds of loads hauled, I never had a problem.


JD, you've seen 'em as sure as I've seen 'em.

Some folks like to give up too easy. I love a challenge, and when somebody says" Ain't no way you can do that". I'll find a way, 'cause I love to prove 'em wrong, it just takes a little "want to".


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## Tx Jim

panhandle9400 said:


> Must be low shelf hands if they cant make a nice looking big round , the trick to MAKING them stay looking nice is the swather operator , With the 568's we would make windrow to fit tractor an baler so you DID not have to worry about bad looking bales . Same way with big square balers sit up an drive ....................


Actually nearly all the hay baled down here is raked with a V rake. I agree that with a good flatter windrow it's much easier to make level bales. I had a neighbor raking with a Krone rotary rake making windrows that resembled a tepee that made ugly whiskey barrel shaped 4 ft wide bales.


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## Hokelund Farm

jr in va said:


> I now have a 535 JD which I really like.The Bale-Trak is great for making even bales.I have,however made thousands of bales with narrow windrows on my previous two balers by silently counting so far on one side then moving over to the other side for a like number.
> 
> Hardest part of changing to the newer bale was learning to let the monitor tell me how to drive.Once I mad emslf do that,good bales.


So far this year I've made 197 rolls with a NH 853 - slowly counting up to 8 and switching sides does get rather old. Then while wrapping I count up to 12 and then move the twine in, count up to 12 again, move the twine one more time and count to 12 again. You get into a rhythm thats almost hypnotic. But with a little practice you can make nice even bales. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't have to count.


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## hay wilson in TX

Personelly

I prefere a 5 X 5 bale. Reason it will fit in the back of a PU with out spreading the sides of the bed.

Reason #2 three will fit on a 16 ft tandom trailer with out half the last bale hanging on a strap.

That sums up my usual transportation used by most of my customers. I may go 5 years between loading a semi truck.

My size hay grower is on their way out. I expect I may be the last hay farmer on this farm.

Reading the numbers on organic, eash year the organic farms are becoming fewer but larger.

For the record I can not afford going certified organic. Not unless the neighbors on all sides are also organic.


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## Nitram

Another issue that could be brought up is how tight one wraps their bales. With older cows you may wish to loosen up just a bit especially for gummers. Not the best in heavy moisture areas or for long term outside storage. I have my 5x5.5 bales at 1200 to 1300 lbs with plenty of string. I also have very few bales carry over I will sell in March April any surplus to the less fortunate.


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