Who bales corn stalks

jon f mn · Oct 13, 2021

I'm going to bale some stalks this year and I'm wondering
what I should know different from doing hay. I'm going to cut
them with a New Idea cutditioner then bale. Anything else I
need to do or be aware of?

retired farmer · Oct 13, 2021

We bale them every year. Just like hay, twenty percent and below on moisture and they are fine.

paul · Oct 13, 2021

Hope you have a newish round baler (Im assuming rounds?) and or make small windrows older balers arent so happy with feeding stalks.

Paul

4520BW · Oct 13, 2021

I just bushhog them and rake em up. I put a few extra wraps of netting because the stalks can poke thru.

coonie minnie · Oct 13, 2021

What baler do you have? The newer balers feed stalks better. I tried a couple years ago with my JD 535... it was not exactly a good experience. Your baler will need to be in top shape.

SVcummins · Oct 13, 2021

Ive heard they are miserable but Ive not done it

Bruce from Can. · Oct 13, 2021

We bale small square corn stalk bales to bed the heifer barn. Bales can be heavy to handle. My friend makes corn stalk bales in big rounds with a late model NH baler, just puts on extra net wrap. Baler has knives in it, and they cut them as they bale.

WESnIL · Oct 13, 2021

Be prepared for additional trouble, breakdowns, and repair costs. Baling corn stalks is synonymous with dirt in the stalks. A baler plunger may not like that.

wilson ind · Oct 13, 2021

will a John Deere rotary mower work as well?

IowaJohn · Oct 13, 2021

make sure the bearings don't get hot, the dryer the stalks the better. used to them both for hog bedding and alfalfa extender. used a 10 wheel wheel rake to windrow them

fixerupper · Oct 13, 2021

Around here tens of thousands of round bales are put up for cattle feeding and bedding. Most of the balers are new or newer cornstalk specials either Deere or Vermeer. I don't know what makes these cornstalk specials different though. I am guessing heavier belts and pickup teeth. I know the Vermeer has a little rake wheel on each side of the pickup to throw in the edges of wide stalks. It also has an arm on the back that spins the bale around a quarter turn for easy pickup when it is ejected but that isn't just a cornstalks feature.

chuck from neb · Oct 13, 2021

Rake them with a wheel rake ...a lot less dirt

tomstractorsandtoys · Oct 13, 2021

If you are using your small square baler do not even think of using a wheel rake. You want to use a bar rake and make the windrows small. I have baled lots of stalks with both my 24t Deere balers. I have one 24T that has a flail shredder rather than a pickup. We still mowed and raked the stalks then picked them up with the flail. Made about the best bedding for under the cows in a tie stall barn. Even if round baling unless you have a big newer baler make your windrows small. It is much more fun to go a little faster in a small windrow than to fight a big windrow that either balls up under the tractor or does not want to feed into the baler. Corn stalks tend to get a little hard on baler pickups and are more dirty. Good dry stalks make good feed as well as bedding. Tom

SVcummins · Oct 13, 2021

4520BW · Oct 14, 2021

Probably would but all 3 of my rotary cutters are bushhog.

tomstractorsandtoys · Oct 14, 2021

SV that is the outfit I have but I have updated to a newer hyd. bale thrower. Tom

INCase · Oct 14, 2021

would the New Idea style mower work in corn stubble? or would it just wrap up?

I've often thought,
1, chop course with a flail chopper (or regular chopper) into a forage wagon and then feed out of the wagon right into the square baler in the shed/barn and load straight onto a truck or stack. i would think the flail chopper would have less dirt in the stalks. maybe some as it might rip some stock/roots out of the ground in the process.

2, take an old flail chopper and remove the blower/shoot part and let it windrow in the field and then follow with the baler. would get more dirt that way.

jon f mn · Oct 14, 2021

The new idea that I will use is the same type flail cutter it just wind rows it. I'm hoping that will make a nice row.

Bruce from Can. · Oct 14, 2021

We had a NI fail cutter back in the 70s. cutditioner I think New Idea called them. Ours was felt drive, some were chain driven. I found they did cut the stalks ok, but we still raked two together before baling. 36 inch rows at that time, is only three rows per pass, wasnt much of a wind row.

SVcummins · Oct 14, 2021

Thats neat tom Id love to see it in person

Who bales corn stalks

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