I ’ve always been transfix by the on the face of it arbitrary way sodbuster measure quantity of hay — specifically , hay Bale . A “ load of hay ” could be a set number of bales ( 100small squares , for representative ) , or it might cite a jam - packedhay wagonor drone .
At first coup d’oeil , measuring by the wagon might seem less precise than reckon case-by-case Basel . But in some cases , I would argue the paired is true . If “ a Basel of hay ” were a frozen unit of measurement , then numerate bale would for certain be an effective feeler .
But since bales can vary importantly in sizing , counting them as though they ’re all the same is n’t as precise as it seems .
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A Barn of Bales
Let ’s crunch some numbers to exhibit . Suppose you keep horses on your farm , and you know that filling a hay barn measure 17.5 feet magniloquent , 22.5 foot wide , and 30 foot long will provide enough hay to last for one class .
Now permit ’s reckon you ’re baling minuscule substantial bale measuring 14 inches tall , 18 in wide , and 36 inch long . If you pack your hay barn to the rim , you ’ll fit exactly 2,250 bales .
That ’s a nice , tidy way to measure your farm ’s yearly hay using up , right ?
But what if you settle to start baling slightly smaller Basle , measuring just 30 inches long ? This seemingly subtle shift would add up quick . All of a sudden , you would postulate 2,700 bales to fill the same hay b .
As you could see , the sizing of each hay bale has a swelled shock on how many you ’ll feed in a given class . This is important to keep in psyche whether you ’re baling your own hay or purchasing your supply from another farmer .
modest square Basel are typically priced by the Basle . But unless you know their size , it ’s hard to forthwith compare prices .
A Basel costing $ 4.50 is 12.5 per centum more expensive than a bale costing $ 4.00 . But if it ’s 20 percent larger ( 36 inches long alternatively of 30 inches ) , it might really be a better time value .
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Deal in Density
I say “ might ” because the density of each Basle is another agent to view . A tightly - pack bale will contain more hay ( and press considerably more ) than a loose , fluffy bale of the same size .
regrettably , gauging the weight of a Basle is n’t an infallible way to assess its note value . A grueling Basle might contain more hay , true … or it might merely containmore wet .
And we all know a moldy hay bale is n’t deserving much at all .
Over the last few years , I ’ve try out a great deal with raise different bale size , trying to find the right density and duration for leisurely manipulation with a little crew . For the 2020 hay season , we produced slightly smaller and fluffier bales to make pile easier .
The results were satisfactory . But it was striking to see how we take 2,400 bale to fill our hay barn instead of the usual 2,000 .
It feel like we produce mode more hay . And a strict interpretation of the Basle count would have agreed with this opinion , but measuring by volume ( as gauge by the sizing of the hay b ) revealed a unlike tale .
So to circulate back to where we started , a “ burden of hay ” mensurate in the kind of a undivided hay wagon or lagger load can actually be more accurate than counting individual Basle . Volume can cut through the confusion of varying bale sizes and provide a more precise delineation of how much hay you have ( or require ) .
That ’s always a welfare for farmers stocking up for the twelvemonth .
