6 Best Bale Nettings for Hay Preservation

You walk out to the hay row after a week of rain and see it: that dark, sunken spot on the side of a round bale. You peel back the netwrap and a puff of musty, moldy dust confirms your loss. Choosing the right netwrap isn’t just about keeping a bale together; it’s the first line of defense in preserving the valuable feed you worked so hard to make.

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Why Your Netwrap Choice Affects Hay Spoilage

Netwrap does more than just hold hay in a cylinder. Its real job is to create a weather-resistant shell that protects the bale’s contents from the elements. A good wrap sheds water, reflects sunlight, and maintains the bale’s density, all of which are critical for preventing spoilage.

Think of it this way: a loosely wrapped bale has countless little pockets and crevices. Rain and morning dew settle in these pockets, seeping into the hay and creating the perfect environment for mold and bacteria to thrive. A tight, uniform wrap leaves no place for water to collect.

Furthermore, the sun’s UV rays don’t just bleach the outside of the bale; they break down the nutrients in the outer layers of hay. A wrap with poor UV resistance can become brittle and fail, exposing that hay to both sun and moisture. The right netwrap acts like a high-performance jacket for your hay, keeping the good stuff in and the bad stuff out.

Tama Edge to Edge: For Complete Bale Coverage

One of the most vulnerable parts of a round bale is the "shoulder," that curved edge where the flat end meets the round side. Standard netwrap often stops just short of this edge, leaving a few inches of exposed hay. This exposed shoulder acts like a sponge, wicking moisture directly into the bale.

Tama’s Edge to Edge technology is designed specifically to solve this problem. The net is wide enough to roll over the shoulder and cover the entire cylindrical surface of the bale. This eliminates that exposed weak point, creating a seamless, protected surface from one end to the other.

This complete coverage not only improves water shedding but also helps the bale hold its shape better. A fully contained bale is denser and more stable, making it easier to handle with a spear and less likely to sag or flatten during storage. That uniform shape means less ground contact and better airflow when stacking bales in a row.

John Deere CoverEdge: Superior Water Shedding

John Deere takes the concept of edge protection a step further with its CoverEdge netwrap. Instead of just covering the shoulder, this wrap is designed to extend two to three inches over the edge, covering a portion of the flat face of the bale. This creates a "drip edge," much like the eaves on a house.

This design is incredibly effective at shedding water. Rain that hits the side of the bale is channeled down and off the overhanging edge, preventing it from ever touching the seam where the round side meets the flat end. In a damp climate, this single feature can be the difference between a sound bale and a moldy one.

While it can be slightly more expensive, the value is clear for anyone storing bales outside in a wet region. If you’ve ever lost the outer six inches of a bale to rot, you understand the cost of trapped moisture. CoverEdge is a purpose-built solution for farmers who fight a constant battle against humidity and rain.

Pritchett Netwrap: High UV for Sun Protection

For those of us farming in sunny, arid climates, water might be less of a concern than the relentless sun. Ultraviolet radiation degrades everything it touches, including your netwrap and the precious hay beneath it. Brittle, sun-rotted netwrap can split open, exposing the bale at the worst possible time.

Pritchett Netwrap is well-regarded for its high concentration of UV inhibitors. This special formulation helps the plastic withstand prolonged sun exposure without becoming weak or fragile. It’s an investment in longevity, ensuring the wrap that goes on in July is just as strong when you’re feeding that bale in January.

This is especially important if you don’t have enough barn space and rely on outdoor storage. The outer layer of a sun-beaten bale can lose significant nutritional value, becoming little more than bleached-out fiber. A high-UV wrap protects that outer layer, preserving more of the feedable material you spent time and money to produce.

Ambraco Ultima: Resists Tears and Punctures

Bales lead a rough life. They’re rolled over abrasive stubble, spiked with steel spears, and bumped against equipment and other bales. Every small rip, tear, or puncture in the netwrap is an open door for moisture and spoilage.

Ambraco Ultima is known for its exceptional tear and puncture resistance. It’s manufactured to be tougher and more resilient than standard wraps, providing an extra layer of security against accidental damage. This strength comes from a combination of high-quality resins and a manufacturing process that ensures consistent thickness and integrity.

This durability is a practical form of insurance. Think about moving bales out of a field with sharp, cut-over corn stalks or grabbing a bale that’s been frozen to the ground. A tougher wrap is less likely to snag and tear, maintaining the bale’s protective shell from the field to the feeder.

RKW Rondotex: Uniform Tension Prevents Pockets

You can have the strongest, widest netwrap in the world, but it won’t do its job if it doesn’t apply evenly in the baler. Inconsistent tension during the wrapping process creates loose bands and baggy spots. These areas are notorious for trapping air and water, leading to concentrated pockets of mold that can spoil a significant portion of the bale.

The RKW Rondotex brand has built a reputation on consistency. Each roll is manufactured with precision to ensure it feeds smoothly and applies with uniform tension from the core to the outer edge. This reliability means you can trust your baler to produce a tight, evenly compressed bale every single time.

This isn’t just about spoilage. A uniformly tight bale is also structurally sound. It holds its cylindrical shape better, sheds water more effectively, and is far safer and easier to stack. When you can rely on your wrap to perform consistently, you can focus on baling without constantly worrying about the quality of the wrap.

Bridon Bale Tuff: For High-Density, Tight Bales

Modern balers are capable of packing hay into incredibly dense packages. While great for storage efficiency and transport, this high density puts immense strain on the netwrap. A standard-duty wrap can stretch, or even break, under the pressure, especially when baling heavy, wet crops like baleage.

Bridon’s Bale Tuff is engineered specifically for these high-stress applications. It has a higher tensile strength, meaning it can withstand more force before it stretches or snaps. This ensures that your dense, heavy bales stay tightly packed from the moment they leave the chamber.

If you run a newer baler and push it to its limits to get the tightest bales possible, using a heavy-duty wrap is non-negotiable. The integrity of the entire bale depends on the wrap’s ability to contain that pressure. Using a standard wrap on a high-density bale is asking for a failed wrap and a collapsed, spoiled mess.

Selecting Netwrap: Factors Beyond Brand Name

While these brands offer excellent solutions, the "best" netwrap is ultimately the one that best fits your specific operation. A premium, over-the-edge wrap is overkill if all your bales are stored inside a dry barn. Conversely, a basic wrap is a poor choice for long-term outdoor storage in a rainy climate.

Before you buy a pallet, consider your own context. A few key factors will guide your decision:

• Storage Method: Are bales stored inside or outside? On gravel, pallets, or bare ground?
• Local Climate: Is your primary enemy rain and humidity or intense sun and UV exposure?
• Forage Type: Coarse, stemmy crops like sorghum are harder on wrap than soft, leafy alfalfa.
• Baler Performance: Does your baler make tight, dense bales or softer, lower-density ones?

The smartest approach is to match the wrap to the risk. If your bales will sit outside for eight months through rain and snow, investing in a premium, tear-resistant, full-coverage wrap is a wise financial decision. If you’re baling dry grass that will be fed within two months, a reliable standard wrap will likely do the job just fine. Don’t be afraid to try a single roll of a new brand to see how it performs in your baler and your conditions.

Ultimately, view your netwrap not as a supply cost, but as an investment in preserving the quality of your hay. The few extra dollars you spend per roll on the right product can save you hundreds of dollars in spoiled feed and protect the health of your animals. A well-wrapped bale is a well-protected asset.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is bale netting for hay preservation?

Bale netting is a knitted polyethylene mesh wrapped around harvested forage to maintain bale shape, shed water, and reduce dry matter loss during storage. This synthetic wrap covers the entire circumference of round or square bales, pulling the outer stems flat to form a protective thatch layer. Farmers use it primarily on high-density grass, alfalfa, or straw to stop wind degradation and cut indoor or outdoor storage losses down to roughly 5 to 10 percent.

What does UV protection do in round bale netting for outdoor storage?

Ultraviolet inhibitors in round bale netting prevent sunlight from breaking down the polyethylene plastic polymer chains during extended outdoor storage. Without UV stabilizers, solar radiation causes standard plastic netting to become brittle and shred within two to three months of field exposure. High-quality netting features at least 12 to 24 months of UV defense, allowing hay producers to store bales along fence lines through winter without structural collapse. Check the product roll label for guaranteed UV ratings before purchasing.

How many wraps of bale netting are needed to preserve round hay bales?

Round hay bales require between two and four full turns of bale netting depending on crop moisture, forage coarseness, and storage conditions. Dry grass hay stored in an indoor barn holds well with 2.0 to 2.5 wraps. Coarse materials like corn stalks, high-pressure silage, or outdoor-stored alfalfa demand 3.0 to 4.0 wraps to resist puncturing and shed rainfall effectively. Always inspect the baler tension bar and adjust wrap counts higher if bale edges appear loose.

How do you properly store net-wrapped hay bales outdoors to stop bottom rot?

Storing net-wrapped hay bales on well-drained surfaces like coarse crushed gravel, wooden pallets, or old tires prevents ground moisture from rotting the bottom layer. Place bales tightly end-to-end in continuous rows oriented north-to-south, which maximizes daily sun exposure on both rounded sides. Keep at least three feet of open clearance between rows to allow air circulation and tractor access. Never stack net-wrapped bales outside without a tarp, as water traps in the flat joints between layers and accelerates mold growth.

Is bale netting or sisal twine better for hay preservation?

Net wrap outperforms sisal twine for hay preservation by significantly reducing baling time, repelling rainwater better, and cutting storage spoilage in half. University field trials show net-wrapped bales lose roughly 5 to 8 percent dry matter outdoors, compared to 15 to 25 percent for twined bales. Netting requires only two to three baler rotations per bale versus 20 to 30 for twine, cutting tractor run time and preserving higher forage protein.

How much does bale netting cost per round bale of hay?

Most farmers pay between $1.00 and $2.50 in bale netting per five-foot round bale, depending on roll length and applied wrap count. A standard 48-inch by 9,840-foot roll costs between $200 and $280 and typically covers 250 to 350 round bales using 2.5 wraps each. Heavy-duty zebra-striped or edge-to-edge premium nets sit at the top of that price range. Buying multi-roll pallets in late winter before peak harvesting season often shaves 10 to 15 percent off retail pricing.

Why does bale netting tear or split on round bales during baling?

Tears in bale netting usually occur when rough crop stems puncture the mesh, duckbill tension is excessive, or the cutoff knife is dull. Sharp burrs on baler rollers or rusted guide pans can also snag and rip netting during feeding. Check the net routing path for rough metal, clean away accumulated plant sap, and verify brake tension against baler manual settings. Sharpening the cutter bar ensures clean releases without frayed edges.

Is bale netting safe to leave on round bales when feeding cattle?

Cattle should never be allowed to feed on round bales with bale netting attached due to severe hardware disease and internal blockage risks. Ingested plastic netting accumulates in the rumen, forming indigestible plastic masses that can lead to rapid weight loss, impaction, or death. Livestock can also tangle hooves or horns in loose mesh left around hay rings. Always cut and completely peel off the netting before dropping the bale into a feeder or unrolling it across pastures.