# How to bale soybean stubble



## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

I combine with a Gleaner k with no Chopper on the back of any sort and last year did left nice neat rows of bean stubble. I was thinking this year I might try to run my round baler or square baler over it to try and get some bedding for the cattle and sheep. Seems like a decent way to get some. I've never done it before I don't know if when you're harvesting if it's dry enough to Bale or if I need to leave it dry for a few days after? I'm sure I'm not the only one that thinks of this and I'm sure it's fairly common in some regions. Any tips?


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

You usually need to leave it dry a couple days because of moisture in the stems.

I slow down RPM's on baler some because the uneven windrows tend to make the bale hop if gets lopsided.I usually get 1 - 5x6 bale per acre.

I'd sooner bale cornstalks.


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## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

Yeah I'd like corn stalks but I didn't plan any corn this year. You're telling me uneven windrows make lopsided bales? I had that happen to me earlier this year and the Baler was kind of hopping a little bit and I didn't know why so that answers that. Thanks!


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Bean straw dries very quickly. Once the stems are dry to the touch after combining they can be baled. You need to set the baler pickup down until the tines hit the dirt sometimes. As swmnhay said, slow the baler down, for sure when starting the bale. Back the chamber pressure way off too, until you see how things are working. If the windrow is narrow you will need a good weave technique to make a nice bale. A tall six bar pickup tends to roll bean straw and not pull it in the baler so well. We typically see from 1.25 to 1.75 5x6 bales per acre.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I bought some bean stubble bales one year for bedding, contrary critters ate more than they laid on, once they got tired of bean stubble I'd switch back to corn fodder, went back and forth that winter.


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## Monsenhay (Jan 13, 2018)

I'm in southern Wisconsin. If the beans are 13% just bale the next day. Nothing to it. We bale 50 a year sometimes right behind the combine


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## siscofarms (Nov 23, 2010)

Assuming you haven't got a giant header on that there gleaner ,,, Why not rake the stubble ?????????????? help dry it and make for better baling wouldn't it ?????


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

I cut some beans this year that the stubble would have made nice balage. 12% beans with green stems and GREEN LEAVES on them. Some tough hills that were severely stressed in August and then it rained, so the plant didn’t want to die.


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## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

It's a 10 ft head. Dumps in a nice neat row. Wouldn't raking make it more dusty by kicking dirt into it? I'd rake it If needed or it helped but ideally I'd like to bale behind the combine.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

I would recommend avoiding raking bean straw if at all possible. Raking will lose you some of the pod hulls which are the goodies in bean straw, and add dirt that you don't want. A windrow behind a 10' head will dry on its own just fine. I bale behind a 30' platform and that dries out ok in a normal year--this year is not a normal year.


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