Baler

A baler’s role is to collect windrowed material and form it into a compact, bound unit. It follows mowing and field curing in the forage-harvest sequence, and the resulting bales are the standard unit for storing and transporting hay, straw, and similar material.

1. A pickup reel lifts windrowed material from the ground into the machine
2. The material is fed into a compression chamber
3. A plunger (rectangular balers) or rotating belts/rollers (round balers) compress the material into shape
4. Twine, net wrap, or wire is applied to bind the bale and hold its form
5. The finished bale is ejected onto the field for collection

Baling completes the forage harvest sequence that begins with mowing and field-drying, and its timing relative to moisture content affects storage quality: material baled too wet is prone to heating and mould, while material baled too dry can shatter and lose leaf material.

Baled hay, straw, and silage-wrapped forage are central inputs to livestock feeding programs, and straw bales are also used for bedding, mulch, and erosion control.

Round baler

Forms cylindrical bales, commonly handled with front-end loaders or bale spears

Small rectangular (square) baler

Produces smaller bales traditionally handled manually

Large rectangular baler

Produces large, dense rectangular bales suited to bulk handling and transport

Moisture content at baling, bale density, and storage conditions (such as shelter from rain) all affect forage quality retention and the risk of spoilage or, in extreme cases, spontaneous combustion in improperly cured hay.