{"id":1016,"date":"2026-07-21T05:30:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T05:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silage-baler.com\/?p=1016"},"modified":"2026-07-21T05:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T05:30:08","slug":"from-hay-to-haylage-how-small-sheep-and-goat-farms-in-south-australia-are-switching-preservation-methods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silage-baler.com\/ky\/application\/from-hay-to-haylage-how-small-sheep-and-goat-farms-in-south-australia-are-switching-preservation-methods\/","title":{"rendered":"From Hay to Haylage: How Small Sheep and Goat Farms in South Australia Are Switching Preservation Methods"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Small Ruminants \u00b7 South Australia \u00b7 Preservation Method<\/div>\n

Why SA Sheep and Goat Farmers Are Ditching Hay \u2014 and What to Know Before You Follow<\/p>\n

The honest comparison between dry hay and haylage for operations running 100 to 400 head in South Australia’s Mediterranean climate \u2014 when baleage genuinely outperforms hay, when it doesn’t, and what the switch actually costs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Hay-to-Haylage Conversation Spreading Through SA Sheep Country<\/h2>\n

South Australia’s sheep and goat farming regions \u2014 the Mid North, Clare Valley, Barossa hinterland, and Eyre Peninsula \u2014 have historically been committed to dry hay production. The Mediterranean climate (hot, dry summers; mild, wet winters) produces reliable hay-making conditions from October through February, and the traditional management cycle of making cereal or legume hay in November and December, storing it through summer, and feeding it from April to August fits the regional rainfall and feed availability patterns well.<\/p>\n

The conversation that is now spreading through these communities is about baleage \u2014 wrapped silage bales, or more precisely haylage (material baled at 35 to 55% DM, higher than true silage but lower than hay) \u2014 as an alternative or complement to the dry hay programme. The drivers of this conversation are real: hay-making windows in SA’s Mid North have become less reliable as spring rainfall timing has shifted; some producers have had expensive hay losses from rain-on-bales events in October and November; and the question of whether lower-DM baleage performs as well as dry hay in ewe flock nutrition during late pregnancy and early lactation is genuinely debated in the local farming community.<\/p>\n

This article is for SA sheep and goat producers who are in the early stages of this conversation \u2014 not yet committed to switching, but seriously evaluating whether baleage makes sense for their specific operation. We cover the comparison honestly, including where baleage loses relative to hay, and what the transition costs if you decide to proceed. For existing dry sheep farming silage practice, our article on silage baling for sheep farms managing feed through dry seasons<\/a> provides the established practice context.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"9YG-1.0C<\/p>\n

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Hay vs. Haylage: An Honest Side-by-Side for SA Small Ruminant Operations<\/h2>\n

What Each System Actually Delivers \u2014 and What It Costs<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Factor<\/th>\nDry Hay (14\u201316% moisture)<\/th>\nHaylage (40\u201355% moisture)<\/th>\nWinner for Small SA Farms<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Weather dependency<\/td>\nHigh \u2014 3\u20135 fine days needed<\/td>\nLow \u2014 24\u201336h wilt only<\/td>\nHaylage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rain-damage risk<\/td>\nHigh \u2014 one event ruins a cut<\/td>\nLow \u2014 baled before rain reaches<\/td>\nHaylage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nutritional quality (DM)<\/td>\nGood if made well<\/td>\nGood to very good if fermented well<\/td>\nDraw<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Palatability for sheep<\/td>\nHigh \u2014 familiar<\/td>\nMedium to high (adjust to smell)<\/td>\nHay slightly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Storage life<\/td>\n3\u20134 years if kept dry<\/td>\n12\u201318 months (film-sealed)<\/td>\nHay<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Storage requirement<\/td>\nBarn preferred, outdoor OK<\/td>\nNo barn needed \u2014 film protects<\/td>\nHaylage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Feed-out flexibility<\/td>\nHigh \u2014 open any time<\/td>\nLower \u2014 oxidises fast once opened<\/td>\nHay<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Equipment cost additional<\/td>\nNone if hay baler owned<\/td>\nWrapper AUD $18,000\u2013$35,000<\/td>\nHay<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Film cost per bale<\/td>\nNil<\/td>\nAUD $8\u2013$14 per bale<\/td>\nHay<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cost per tonne DM (dryland)<\/td>\nAUD $80\u2013$140<\/td>\nAUD $90\u2013$160<\/td>\nDraw<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The honest conclusion from this comparison is that haylage is not unambiguously superior to hay for small SA sheep operations \u2014 it trades specific advantages for specific disadvantages. The switch makes economic sense when: (a) your hay-making windows are genuinely unreliable in your location, (b) you have had repeated quality losses from rain-on-bales events, (c) you have no barn for hay storage, or (d) you want to capture the nutritional advantage of a higher-quality early-cut fermented product for a specific livestock class (pregnant ewes, high-production does). The switch does not make sense when: you reliably make excellent dry hay, you have secure barn storage, or your livestock are primarily low-demand dry ewes and wethers that perform well on mature hay.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The SA Climate Factor: When Baleage Actually Solves a Real Problem<\/h2>\n

Spring Weather Pattern Changes in SA’s Mid North<\/h3>\n

South Australia’s Mid North \u2014 the Clare Valley to Port Pirie corridor \u2014 has experienced measurable shifts in spring rainfall timing over the past 15 to 20 years. October and November rain events that previously fell after the hay window has closed are now occurring during or immediately before the optimal cutting window, disrupting the traditional hay-making calendar. Farmers who have made reliable hay in this region for 20 years are finding that the number of unbroken 4-day drying windows available in their key hay-making months has reduced from 3 to 4 per season to 1 to 2.<\/p>\n

This is exactly the operational context where baleage’s reduced weather dependency becomes a genuine financial advantage rather than a theoretical one. A 24 to 36 hour wilt period for haylage (versus 72 to 96 hours for quality dry hay) fits within a 2 to 3 day weather window that is insufficient for hay but adequate for baleage. The Mid North producer who previously lost one entire cut per season to rain damage \u2014 costing AUD $6,000 to $12,000 in replacement purchased fodder \u2014 can potentially eliminate that loss by switching those cut events to baleage rather than hay.<\/p>\n

Eyre Peninsula: The Opposite Problem<\/h3>\n

The Eyre Peninsula, by contrast, typically produces highly reliable dry hay-making conditions from October through January \u2014 extended dry periods with low humidity and consistent sunshine are the norm rather than the exception. Eyre Peninsula sheep farmers switching to baleage for weather-reliability reasons are solving a problem they largely do not have. For EP operations, the more relevant reason to consider baleage is storage: EP farms that are grain-focused with minimal barn infrastructure can store baleage outdoors in film-sealed bales without the quality risk that outdoor-stored dry hay faces from humidity and occasional summer rain events.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What the Transition Actually Costs \u2014 Equipment and Operational Change<\/h2>\n

The Additional Capital Required<\/h3>\n

An SA sheep farmer who already owns a round baler needs one additional piece of equipment to make baleage: a silage film wrapper. For 100 to 400 head small-to-medium sheep and goat operations making 150 to 400 bales per season, a compact wrapper is the appropriate specification. The 9YG-1.0 round baler<\/a> produces 1.0 m diameter bales at the size appropriate for small SA sheep and goat operations \u2014 a full 1.0 m bale at 45% DM haylage moisture weighs 250 to 350 kg, which is feedable directly on the ground for a mob of 80 to 150 sheep without wastage over 2 to 3 days, or can be split between two feed sites for larger mobs.<\/p>\n

If a wrapper is not yet owned, the additional capital cost of entering baleage production is AUD $18,000 to $32,000 for a new compact wrapper, or AUD $8,000 to $16,000 for a well-maintained second-hand unit. At 250 bales per season and an AUD $11 per bale film cost, the film alone adds AUD $2,750 per season to operational costs. The net additional cost \u2014 equipment finance plus film, minus the value of avoided hay losses and reduced contractor or labour time in weather monitoring \u2014 typically produces a 3 to 5 year payback on the wrapper investment for Mid North producers with 2 to 3 unreliable hay seasons per decade.<\/p>\n

Operational Changes When Baling at Higher Moisture<\/h3>\n

The critical operational adjustment for a farmer transitioning from dry hay to haylage is moisture targeting. Dry hay is baled at 14 to 16% moisture \u2014 most experienced hay producers can assess this by hand with reasonable accuracy. Haylage is baled at 45 to 60% moisture (40 to 55% DM), and this moisture range must be confirmed with a handheld moisture meter or a calibrated squeeze test before baling begins. Baling above 65% moisture (below 35% DM) in the absence of LAB inoculant produces clostridially spoiled silage; baling below 40% moisture (above 60% DM) produces incomplete fermentation and aerobic deterioration at feedout. The 5 to 10 minute investment in confirming moisture before each baling session prevents the batch failures that discourage new haylage producers from continuing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"9YG-1.0<\/p>\n

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Feeding Sheep and Goats on Baleage: What Changes at the Trough<\/h2>\n

The Adjustment Period and Palatability<\/h3>\n

Sheep and goats transitioning from dry hay to baleage typically show a 5 to 10 day adjustment period where daily intake is lower than the theoretical target. This is a normal response to the novel smell (fermentation acids and LAB metabolites), texture (softer and wetter than hay), and colour (olive-green rather than golden) of good-quality haylage. The adjustment period can be shortened by: introducing haylage gradually alongside familiar dry hay in a 50:50 ratio for the first week, ensuring the haylage is genuinely well-fermented (pH 4.2 to 4.8 at opening, clean acidic smell, no ammonia odour) rather than poorly made, and ensuring fresh water is available at all times \u2014 baleage has significantly higher moisture content than hay and sheep will drink slightly less water per day but need access.<\/p>\n

Feed-Out Management for Small SA Flocks<\/h3>\n

The primary management consideration for small SA sheep and goat operations feeding baleage is feed-out rate relative to bale size. A 1.0 m bale of haylage at 45% DM contains approximately 90 to 120 kg DM \u2014 enough for 100 ewes at 1.0 kg DM per head per day for approximately 1 day. Opening a new bale daily fits the feed management rhythm of most SA small flock operations. The risk is leaving a partially opened bale exposed to air for more than 48 hours in warm conditions \u2014 above 20\u00b0C ambient, aerobic deterioration of the exposed face begins within 24 to 36 hours. Plan feed-out to ensure each opened bale is consumed completely within 2 days maximum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"9YCM-850<\/p>\n

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Common Mistakes When SA Sheep Farmers First Try Baleage<\/h2>\n
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\u274c Baling at Hay Moisture \u2014 Then Wrapping It<\/div>\n

The most common first-year mistake from farmers who own a hay baler and add a wrapper. Wrapping material at 14 to 16% moisture (dry hay DM) with silage film produces a sealed bale that does not ferment \u2014 there is insufficient moisture for LAB activity \u2014 but does develop mould from residual moisture under the film. The result is mouldy ‘silage’ that is neither hay nor fermented baleage. Always target 40 to 55% DM (45 to 60% moisture) when baling for film wrapping.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u274c Using Only 4 Film Layers to Save Cost<\/div>\n

At AUD $8 to $14 per bale for 6 layers of film, the temptation to use 4 layers and save AUD $3 to $5 per bale is understandable. The consequence \u2014 a 30 to 40% reduction in oxygen barrier performance \u2014 means that minor film damage from UV, birds, or farm equipment penetrates to the bale interior 2 to 3 times faster. In SA’s intense summer UV environment, 4-layer film on outdoor-stored bales shows cracking and brittleness within 6 to 8 months; 6-layer film routinely lasts 14 to 18 months intact. Always use 6 layers minimum for SA storage conditions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u26a0 Feeding Baleage to High-Pregnancy Ewes Without Nutritional Testing<\/div>\n

Well-fermented good-quality baleage supports late pregnancy and lactation well. Poorly fermented baleage with elevated ammonia nitrogen (above 10% of total nitrogen) causes subclinical metabolic stress in high-pregnancy ewes that manifests as reduced lamb birth weights and elevated pregnancy toxaemia risk. Test at least one representative bale from each cutting event before feeding to high-value pregnant ewes. This is a 10-minute forage test from a rural testing laboratory \u2014 budget AUD $40 to $60 per sample.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Not Applying a LAB Inoculant on Low-WSC Crops<\/div>\n

Pasture legumes (medic, subclover, vetch) common in SA’s mid-north have lower water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content than ryegrass or cereal crops \u2014 making them harder to ferment reliably without inoculant support. Apply a homofermentative LAB inoculant to all baleage made from legume-dominant swards. The cost is AUD $1.50 to $3.00 per bale \u2014 trivial relative to the insurance value against a batch failure on material that took a full paddock rotation to produce.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Frequently Asked Questions From SA Sheep and Goat Producers<\/h2>\n
\nCan I make baleage from annual pasture medic and subclover common in SA?<\/span>+<\/span><\/summary>\n
Yes \u2014 annual legume pastures including medic and subclover can be baleage-wrapped successfully at 45 to 55% DM with LAB inoculant. The fermentation is more challenging than for ryegrass or cereal silage due to lower WSC content (typically 5 to 9% DM in SA legume pastures at optimal cutting stage), so inoculant is not optional for these crops. Target cutting at the early-to-mid pod development stage for best WSC content, wilt to 45 to 50% DM (confirmed with a moisture meter), apply inoculant at the baler pickup, and wrap within 2 hours of baling. Crude protein in well-made legume baleage from SA annual pastures typically runs 18 to 24% DM \u2014 excellent for late-pregnancy and lactating ewes.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n
\nHow do I store baleage in SA without a shed?<\/span>+<\/span><\/summary>\n
Outdoor storage is standard for baleage \u2014 the film provides the waterproofing that a hay barn provides for dry hay. Site bales on a hard-packed gravel or compacted earth pad (not bare soil, which wicks moisture into the bale base), orient bales so their cut face is perpendicular to the prevailing westerly winds (which in most SA agricultural areas reduces film stress from wind loading), exclude livestock from the storage area with temporary electric fence, and carry out monthly film inspection and repair through the summer storage period. UV-stabilised white or light-coloured film extends storage life in SA’s high-UV climate compared to standard green film.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n
\nDoes baleage work for Merino wool sheep specifically, or just meat breeds?<\/span>+<\/span><\/summary>\n
Baleage works for Merino flocks with one specific management consideration: the soft, moist texture of baleage relative to hay creates a higher risk of face and eye irritation in fine-wool Merinos if bales are fed at a face height that allows the acidic baleage material to contact fleece around the eyes. Use feeders or bale rings that allow sheep to access baleage from the side rather than burying their face into the bale top. Alternatively, tip bales onto their side during feedout, which distributes access around the circumference and prevents face immersion.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n
\nWhat is the smallest flock size where baleage production makes economic sense?<\/span>+<\/span><\/summary>\n
For SA small ruminant operations, the minimum flock size where the capital investment in a film wrapper pays back within 5 seasons is approximately 150 to 200 ewes or does \u2014 producing an annual baleage requirement of 100 to 180 bales per season. Below this, the wrapper investment is not justified by direct cost savings, and the better approach is to contract baleage wrapping (some agricultural contractors in SA’s Mid North offer wrapping services separately from baling) or to continue with dry hay and manage weather risk through earlier cutting and faster-drying management.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n
\nHow much weight gain difference is there between baleage and hay in lamb finishing?<\/span>+<\/span><\/summary>\n
In controlled feeding trials comparing good-quality grass-legume baleage (pH 4.2\u20134.5, 22% CP, 10.5 MJ ME\/kg DM) with equivalent-analysis dry hay from the same sward, daily weight gains in finishing lambs are consistently 3 to 8% higher on baleage than hay \u2014 driven primarily by higher voluntary dry matter intake from baleage’s better palatability after the adjustment period. The practical significance of this performance advantage depends on whether your finishing system is throughput-limited (where a 5% faster finishing rate reduces days on feed and feed costs meaningfully) or market-constrained (where lambs must reach a specific weight window regardless of rate).<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n

\"9GS-5.0<\/p>\n

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EverPower Baling Machinery \u00b7 Condell Park NSW 2200<\/div>\n

Discuss Your SA Sheep or Goat Farm Baleage Transition<\/h2>\n

Tell us your flock size, existing baling equipment, and the specific hay quality problems you’re trying to solve \u2014 we’ll advise whether baleage makes sense for your operation and what additional equipment you’d need.<\/p>\n

Request a Quote<\/a> About EverPower<\/a><\/div>\n
+61 2 9708 3322<\/a>  |  \u2709 sales@silage-baler.com<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Small Ruminants \u00b7 South Australia \u00b7 Preservation Method Why SA Sheep and Goat Farmers Are Ditching Hay \u2014 and What to Know Before You Follow The honest comparison between dry hay and haylage for operations running 100 to 400 head in South Australia’s Mediterranean climate \u2014 when baleage genuinely outperforms hay, when it doesn’t, and […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-applications"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/silage-baler.com\/ky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/silage-baler.com\/ky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/silage-baler.com\/ky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silage-baler.com\/ky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silage-baler.com\/ky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1016"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/silage-baler.com\/ky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1016\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1021,"href":"https:\/\/silage-baler.com\/ky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1016\/revisions\/1021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/silage-baler.com\/ky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silage-baler.com\/ky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/silage-baler.com\/ky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}