11/03/2026
Why bale at higher moisture?
2 words: leaf loss đ
Drying hay down the old way to 10% moisture results in a leaf loss of 50%.
That's a big problem. Because 90% of the vitamins and 75% of the protein exist in the leaves. Plus, the loss of leaves means less tonnage. So you're making less quality AND less quantity!
By comparison, if you bale hay at 20% moisture with Hay Guard, that reduces the leaf loss to around 20%.
We understand the baling at 20% total moisture isnât possible for everyoneâs conditions/operation, but this gives you a broad outline of how a little more moisture goes a long way to improving quality.
If you do bale at 15-20%, make sure youâre using a quality preservative to prevent heating.
