Wheat straw is cheap, abundant, and — on its own — barely worth feeding: low protein, low digestibility, mostly gut fill. Ammoniating it changes that. By sealing a stack under plastic and treating it with anhydrous ammonia, producers turn low-grade straw into a more digestible, higher-protein feed that helps stretch a hay supply in a drought or a high-cost year. It works, but it involves a hazardous chemical and a real safety catch around young calves, so it's worth understanding before you try it.
Quick answer: Ammoniating wheat straw means sealing a stack (commonly 88–105 bales in a 3-2-1 or 4-3 stack under a 40×100 ft sheet of black plastic), then adding anhydrous ammonia at about 1–1.5% of bale weight and letting it "cook" — longer in cold weather, around a month. It raises protein, palatability, and digestibility of low-quality straw. Two cautions: anhydrous ammonia is hazardous and must be handled with proper equipment, and producers warn it can pass through into milk and kill very young calves — so don't feed it to nursing cows. Treat only low-quality forage, and air the bales out a few days before feeding. Net wrap is not involved in the treatment; it just holds the straw bales you start with.
What it does — and why bother
The whole point is to make junk straw worth eating. The ammonia reaction breaks down fiber bonds, so cattle digest more of it, and it adds non-protein nitrogen. Asked what ammoniating achieves, the producers were direct:
"It increases the digestibility of the straw."
— kstate90, North Central Kansas · AgTalk thread 1093776
"Raises protein level, increases palatability, increases digestibility."
— 68milkman, Monett, Missouri · AgTalk thread 1093776
That's why it shows up in drought years and high-cost winters — it turns a cheap byproduct into something that can carry a cow when good hay is short or dear.
How producers set up the stack
The method is consistent across the producers who do it: build a tight stack, seal it under black plastic, weight and seal the edges, and meter in anhydrous. One Kansas producer's recipe:
"If I remember right we would do 88 bales in a stack. 3-2-1 stack. 40X100' roll of black plastic. Pile dirt around the edge to hold the plastic down. Stack bales on ends to hold the ends shut. It works better when it is warmer but will work when cold. When you get ready to use it we would let the bales air out a few days before feeding them."
— kstate90, North Central Kansas · AgTalk thread 1093776
A Missouri producer adds the rate and timing detail — and the trend toward a lighter rate:
"Number of bales depends on size. 6' tall stack 3-2-1. 5.5 or less stack 4-3. (105 5x5.5') 40x100 plastic... Seal edges with gravel lime or dirt... 1.5% of bale weight use to be the rate. We have cut back to 1%. In colder weather it should probably 'cook' for a month before feeding."
— 68milkman, Monett, Missouri · AgTalk thread 1093776
| Step | Producer practice |
|---|---|
| Stack | 88 bales (3-2-1) or 105 5×5.5' (4-3); bales on ends to close the ends |
| Cover | 40×100 ft black plastic sheet |
| Seal edges | Dirt, gravel, or lime piled along the edges |
| Anhydrous rate | ~1–1.5% of bale weight (some have cut back to 1%) |
| Fill | Pipe with holes + cap on one end, NH₃ fitting on the other; trickle in slowly, overnight |
| Cook | Works warmer; in cold weather give it about a month |
| Before feeding | Open and let bales air out a few days |
The safety catch every producer should hear
This is the part that matters most. Anhydrous ammonia is a hazardous, caustic gas that demands proper handling, PPE, and respect — that's a given. But there's a feeding-side danger that's less well known, and a Missouri producer who's done it for years flags it plainly:
"The anhydrous can make it way trough the cow Into the milk and kill very young calves. We don't feed it to nursing cows. Vet says it can't happen. I've seen enough dead calves to disagree. If you are blending it with other feed stuffs it would probably be okay. We feed it free choice in rings. The lower quality stuff you treat the less risk."
— 68milkman, Monett, Missouri · AgTalk thread 1093776
Two rules fall out of that. First, don't feed ammoniated forage to nursing cows — the producer experience is that it can move into the milk and harm young calves, whatever the textbook says. Second, only treat genuinely low-quality forage. Ammoniating higher-quality grass hay is associated with a toxicity problem ("bovine bonkers"), so this is a tool for straw and low-grade roughage, not good hay. Treat the junk, not the good stuff, and the risk stays low.
Is it worth it?
That depends on your hay situation and ammonia price — the same producer who shared the recipe also said to "crunch the numbers at these prices." In a normal year with cheap hay, it's rarely worth the hassle and hazard. In a drought or a high-cost winter, turning low-grade straw into digestible feed can pencil out, especially if you've got the straw and a safe way to handle anhydrous. It's a stretch-the-supply tool, not an everyday practice. For the lower-hazard end of upgrading marginal forage, compare with hay preservatives and, for wet forage, wrapping wet hay.
Where XES fits
Ammoniating happens after baling, under plastic — net wrap isn't part of the treatment. Where it matters is the straw bale you start with: tight, well-formed straw bales stack square, seal better under the sheet, and handle without falling apart. XES Extreme net wrap is DLG-tested (Report #7439) for strength and full-width coverage on coarse, slippery straw, and UV-rated 12 months (tested to ISO 4892-2). See how many net wraps per bale for straw wrap counts, or compare sizes on the net wrap product page.
The bottom line
Ammoniating wheat straw is a real way to turn cheap, low-grade straw into more digestible, higher-protein feed when hay is short or expensive. Build a tight stack, seal it under black plastic, meter anhydrous in at about 1–1.5% of bale weight, and let it cook — about a month in the cold. Handle the anhydrous with proper equipment and respect, treat only low-quality forage, and keep ammoniated feed away from nursing cows because producers have seen it harm young calves through the milk. Used right, it's a useful drought-year tool; used carelessly, it's a hazard — so know the rules before you start.
Frequently asked questions
What does ammoniating straw do?
It raises the protein, palatability, and digestibility of low-quality straw by breaking down fiber and adding non-protein nitrogen. The result is a feed cattle digest and accept better than untreated straw, useful for stretching a hay supply in a drought or high-cost year.
How much anhydrous ammonia do you use on straw?
Producers use roughly 1 to 1.5% of the bale weight in anhydrous ammonia, with some cutting back toward 1%. It's metered in slowly, often overnight, through a capped pipe with holes and an NH₃ fitting, into a sealed plastic-covered stack. Follow current extension rate guidance for your conditions.
How long does ammoniated straw need to cook?
It works faster in warm weather; in cold weather producers give it about a month sealed under the plastic before opening. After opening, let the bales air out for a few days before feeding so excess ammonia dissipates.
Is ammoniated straw safe to feed?
To most cattle, yes, when done correctly — but producers warn against feeding it to nursing cows, because the ammonia can pass into the milk and harm very young calves. Treat only low-quality forage; ammoniating higher-quality grass hay is linked to a toxicity problem. And anhydrous ammonia itself is a hazardous gas that requires proper handling and protective equipment.
Is ammoniating straw worth it?
It depends on hay availability and ammonia price. In a normal year with cheap hay it's usually not worth the hazard and labor. In a drought or high-cost winter, turning low-grade straw into digestible feed can pay, especially if you already have the straw and can handle anhydrous safely. Run the numbers at current prices.
This guide is maintained by the XES Netting team — a bale net-wrap manufacturer. Every farmer quote in this post is verbatim with a thread link, so you can read the originals. Ammoniating involves hazardous anhydrous ammonia; follow extension guidance and safety requirements, and consult your veterinarian. These are producer-reported practices, not guarantees.
Related guides
Featured photo: A lone roll of straw among the stubble of the Great Wheat Field by Chris Reynolds, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
