What is the dimensions of a round bale of hay?

Answer 1

A square bale of hay is usually 2 feet wide, 4 feet long, and 2 feet tall. A round bale of hay varies, depending on the baling equipment. The dimensions usually range from 4 ft x 4 ft to 4 ft x 6 ft. Edit: There are three sizes of square bales, small medium and large. Small bales are 2'x2'x4'. The advantage of these bales is they can be carried by hand for use in 1-2 horse/cow feeding situations. I am not positive of the larger two dimensions, but medium bales are around 4'x4'x6', and large bales around 6'-8' square by 8'-10' long. Weight depends on the type of hay and settings of the baling equipment. Round bales also vary in sizes, the smallest of which is around 4' tall. Edit2: Manufacturers use the term "Square" bales to differentiate between those and round bales, even though the bales are rectangular. The small and medium size balers have a fixed bale chamber that produces a bale that is either 14"x18" or 16"x18". The length can be varied to produce bales between 36" and 41". This is the range of length that is required by most automatic bale wagons that are used to pick-up the bales in the field and stack them. Occasionally you will find a bale that is 46" long, but most bales that you would purchase at the feed store are 41" long. If you are buying hay and paying by the bale, you will usually see the smaller 14"x18" bale but will see the larger 16"x18" bales when buying by the ton. Given the mentioned range, most bales produced for hand loading are 16"x18"x41"

Answer 2

The fixed dimensions of the most common "small square" bale are 14" by 18".

The variable dimension is settable at 12" to 52" on many small square balers.

A bale length of 36" is fairly common because 18" is half that and bales can be interleaved when stacked to make the stack more stable.

Some more expensive small square balers produce bales with fixed dimensions of 16" by 18" and usually a variable dimension of 12" to 52". These larger small square bales are less common.

A 14"x18"x36" bale typically weights 60 to 70 lbs. Weight depends upon forage type, baler and moisture content. Ideal moisture content for baling small square bales is 15% to 18%. Baling small square bales when hay has a moisture content above 20% can result in more fungus growth and a potential for spontaneous combustion fires. When hay is baled moist two bales should be tipped and leaned against each other to form an A-frame so that their surface is exposed to the air to dry. This can be done in the field on dry days or under cover if the reason you are baling moist is weather.

Smaller bales hold together better, dry quicker when left with air space around them and are easier for youth and women to lift. A bale size of 14"x18"x22" will weigh about 37 to 43 lbs. This is a safer bale weight for many people to handle - less chance of an injured back. A bale of this size is about 2 days of feed for cattle at 20 lbs per day. Horses typically eat about 22 lbs of hay a day so a bale size of 14"x18"x24" might work better with horses. A bale size of 14"x18"x36" is about 3 days worth of horse feed. Macho bales - 48" to 52" - tend to come loose and are definitely difficult for some folks to handle though hefting them gracefully may impress a lady.

Answer 3

There's not really an exact standard size: it really depends on the model, manufacturer, and settings on the baler. Width and height (generally a function of the model of the baler ) can vary as much as probably 6", and the length can vary more: that's a function of variable settings on an individual machine. It's generally going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 14" x 20" x 45" or so, but you can really see some big swings from that base.

Answer 4

Between 4 and 6 feet