# Round Hay Bale Size



## Rosebud64

What dictates the size of a round bale (weight wise)? Is it the equipment? Or can a farmer make a round bale as big or small as he wants? I know, dumb question. But, please humor me.


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## spence

the individual can choose the size of his bale, i do believe, but it can also be equipment limited. you can see some small ones due to being at the end of a field and not enough for a full bale.

also depends on WHAT you're baling. alfalfa hay weighs more than grass hay. most prairie hay bales we see come in here are 800 to 1000 lbs.


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## crimsoncrazy25

It also depends on how tight the bale is baled.


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## maura

Sometimes bale size is dictated by equipment other than the baler - like what you're going to move the bales with. We don't like bales much over 600 pounds because the hay spike on our tractor can't handle much more than that.


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## Vidaloco

Its pretty much dictated by choice. We buy ours from a neighbor. He has one prairie hay pasture that we lease from him. He bales the hay (round bales) in whatever size we want. 
As Maura said we want them on the smallish size since our tractor has a hard time with anything over about 900 lbs. 
He bales his brome hay into 12-1500 lb. bales. When we have to buy any of those its tough on our little tractor to pick them up. 
I think they set the equipment to 2-8 foot size bales but not sure. I know they make most hay feeders to fit an 8 foot bale which I believe is the largest.


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## mls

Some balers have a fixed size chamber, some have an expanding size chamber.

Density of the bale can also be adjusted.

When buying round bales (or hay in general) you get better value for your money if you buy by the pound vs buying by the bale.


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