Quick answer: Dry hay vs. baleage is a trade between cost and weather risk. Dry hay is cheaper per ton of dry matter — net wrap or twine runs well under $2 a bale versus roughly $5–8 of stretch film for baleage — but it needs three to five drying days and dry storage. Baleage costs more per ton and stays heavy and wet, but you can cut and bale in a one- to two-day window, keep the leaves, and store it outside. For most beef operations with a reasonable drying window, dry round bales in net wrap are the lower-cost choice; baleage wins in wet climates, on high-quality forage, or when you simply can't get the crop dry. The honest way to compare prices is per pound of dry matter, and the math is below.
Sooner or later every forage producer runs the numbers on dry hay vs. baleage: is it worth buying a wrapper and feeding plastic-wrapped bales, or do you stick with dry hay and put up a shed? It's one of the most-argued questions on the farm forums because the right answer genuinely depends on your weather, your livestock, your labor, and your storage. This guide lays out the real costs and trade-offs — with the dry-matter math and the capital decision spelled out — using producers' own experience from AgTalk alongside extension figures.
The two systems, defined
Dry hay is forage cured in the field to about 12–18% moisture, then baled and secured with net wrap or twine. It stores for years if kept dry, sells and hauls easily, and carries the lowest per-bale wrapping cost — but it needs several rain-free days to cure and real protection from weather in storage.
Baleage (also called wrapped silage or round-bale silage) is forage baled at a much higher 45–55% moisture and sealed in 6+ layers of stretch film so it ferments anaerobically instead of drying. It cuts your weather window to a day or two, holds leaves and quality, and stores outdoors — but the plastic costs real money every year, the bales are heavy and wet to handle, and once you open a bale it has to be fed quickly. For the full how-to on making it, see our first-time baleage guide.
Cost comparison: what each system really runs
The headline numbers below are typical North American extension and producer figures; your fuel, yield, and plastic prices will move them. The single biggest cost difference is the wrap itself, and the single biggest hidden cost is storage loss.
| Factor | Dry hay | Baleage |
|---|---|---|
| Production cost / ton dry matter | ~$80–120 | ~$110–160 |
| Wrap cost per bale | Net wrap or twine, well under $2 | Stretch film, ~$5–8 |
| Target baling moisture | 12–18% | 45–55% |
| Drying window needed | 3–5 dry days | 1–2 days (wilt only) |
| Storage dry-matter loss | 5–15% covered; 20–30% uncovered | 2–10% if plastic stays intact |
| Storage & handling | Light, stores for years, easy to sell/haul | Heavy & wet, feed within ~9–12 months, feed out fast once opened |
Two points the table hides. First, baleage's lower storage loss only holds if the plastic stays sealed — a single tear from a bird, a wire, or rough handling can spoil a bale. Second, dry hay's storage loss swings enormously on whether it's covered. Net-wrapped dry bales left outside on bare ground can give back the 20–30% top of that range, which is why how you store round bales often matters more than which system you picked.
Comparing prices the right way: dry-matter math
You can't compare a 1,500 lb dry bale to a 1,200 lb baleage bale straight across — most of that baleage weight is water. The fair comparison is the price per pound of dry matter (DM), which is the actual feed. Producers on AgTalk work it exactly this way:
"Price of 'Dry' / DM 'Dry' = Price of 'Wet' / DM 'Wet'. If moisture of 'Dry' is 12% and 'Wet' is 50%… DM Dry = 1 − .12 = .88, DM Wet = 1 − .50 = .50."
— cattleman35, North Central Alberta · AgTalk thread 887428
Put numbers on it. Say dry hay at 12% moisture is worth 5 cents a pound as-fed. It's 88% dry matter, so you're really paying about 5.7 cents per pound of dry matter (0.05 ÷ 0.88). To pay the same for dry matter in 50%-moisture baleage, the baleage is worth about 2.8 cents a pound as-fed (0.057 × 0.50). In other words, a baleage bale that weighs the same as a dry bale carries only a little over half the feed — so it should cost roughly half as much per pound at the bale, before you add the cost of the plastic and the extra hauling weight.
That math is also why selling baleage by the bale confuses buyers: a "900 lb" wet bale isn't 900 lb of feed. Price and value both have to be figured on dry matter. A quick caveat — baleage cut earlier often tests a bit higher because it keeps more leaves, so it can be worth a little more per pound of DM than same-field dry hay; run a forage test if the quality difference is real.
The capital question: hay shed or bale wrapper?
For many producers the dry-hay-vs-baleage decision really shows up as a single purchase: build a hay shed to keep dry bales dry, or buy a bale wrapper and go to baleage? The AgTalk thread that asked exactly this captures the trade cleanly. The case for a shed:
"I'd look at the cost and the versatility of a shed vs buying expensive equipment that needs to be maintained with expensive parts."
— Beefbiz · AgTalk thread 818049
And the case for a wrapper:
"The shed will get full but the wrapper will never get full. And you still have to get the hay dry. Plus if you get tired of the cows a wrapper is a lot easier to get your money out of than a shed."
— joethefarmer75, Southern Indiana · AgTalk thread 818049
The honest scorecard from that discussion:
- A shed is a one-time cost with low upkeep, doubles as machinery storage in the off-season, and keeps dry hay for years — but its capacity is fixed, and concentrating a year's feed under one roof is a real fire risk (more than one producer there had lost a barn of hay). See hay bale heating and fire prevention.
- A wrapper never "fills up," buys you huge flexibility when rain is coming, and is easy to resell — but you pay for plastic on every bale forever, you still have to wilt the crop, and you add labor wrapping and unwrapping.
- Custom wrapping is the middle path: skip the capital, pay someone per bale when a wet spell forces your hand. Where that service exists it's a low-commitment way to handle the bad-weather cuttings only.
One more note for the shed side: FSA has offered low-interest farm-storage loans, and a shed that doubles as equipment storage spreads its cost across more than just hay. If you go the dry-hay route, a wrapper buying guide still isn't wasted reading — many operations keep a wrapper just for the cuttings they can't get dry.
Weather, quality, and feeding — beyond the dollars
Cost isn't the whole story. The reason producers buy wrappers despite the plastic bill is that baleage takes the weather gamble off the table:
"If rain shows up in the forecast before it is dry, roll it up and it is as good or better than dry, compared to getting half dry hay rained on and raking it back and forth multiple times to get it dry enough to bale."
— clicker, Southern IA · AgTalk thread 818049
Weigh these alongside cost:
- Forage quality. Wilting to 50% loses far fewer leaves than curing to 15%, so baleage often holds more protein and energy — a bigger deal for dairy or growing stock than for a dry beef cow that can be wintered on lower-test hay plus a little supplement.
- Handling weight. A wet baleage bale is heavier than a dry one of the same size; you need the loader and the road to carry it, and hauling water costs money on a per-ton-of-feed basis.
- Feed-out discipline. Dry hay is forgiving — feed it whenever. Baleage starts spoiling once the seal is broken, so it suits operations that can feed a bale every few days, not occasional users. Our guide on how to feed baleage covers the feed-out window.
- Marketability. Dry hay is far easier to sell and ship across the continental US; baleage is mostly a feed-it-yourself product.
Where net wrap fits either way
Net wrap is the low-cost wrap on the dry-hay side of this decision, and it earns its keep twice. First, on dry bales stored outside it sheds water and cuts dry-matter loss to a fraction of what twine gives up — the difference between losing the outer few inches of every bale and keeping it (see storing net-wrapped bales outside). That storage saving is exactly the weakness dry hay has versus baleage, so good net wrap narrows the gap. Second, even on the baleage side you still net-wrap the bale before the plastic — a tight, round, net-wrapped bale has fewer air pockets and ferments better than a loose one.
So whichever path you choose, the wrap is a small line item that protects a large one. If you're weighing the per-bale economics on the dry-hay side, our is net wrap worth it cost breakdown runs those dollars in detail, and quality bale net wrap at factory-direct pricing keeps the dry-hay system's cost advantage intact.
Which should you choose?
- Lean dry hay if you usually get 3–5 dry days at cutting, run beef cows that don't need top-test forage, want feed you can store for years and sell easily, and can keep bales covered or in net wrap outside.
- Lean baleage if your climate fights you for dry-down, you need higher-quality forage for dairy or growing animals, you feed enough to use opened bales quickly, and the weather flexibility is worth the yearly plastic bill.
- Do both — the common real-world answer. Make dry hay when the window is open and wrap the cuttings you can't get dry, custom-wrapping them if you don't want to own a wrapper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dry hay or baleage cheaper?
Dry hay is cheaper per ton of dry matter. Net wrap or twine costs well under $2 a bale, versus roughly $5–8 of stretch film for baleage, and dry hay needs no fermentation. Baleage typically runs $30–60 more per ton of dry matter, mostly from plastic and wrapping. You pay that premium to shrink your weather window and keep more leaves and quality.
How do you compare the value of dry hay and baleage?
Compare price per pound of dry matter, not per bale, because most baleage weight is water. Dry hay at 12% moisture is 88% dry matter; baleage at 50% moisture is 50% dry matter. Divide each bale's price by its dry-matter fraction to get a true cost per pound of feed, then add baleage's higher hauling weight and plastic cost.
What moisture should baleage be baled at?
Aim for 45–55% moisture (45–55% dry matter). Too wet risks butyric, clostridial fermentation and spoilage; too dry ferments poorly and leaves more oxygen in the bale. Wrap within a few hours of baling in at least six layers of film, and add layers in cool or wet climates. Dry hay, by contrast, must be down at 12–18% before baling.
Should I build a hay shed or buy a bale wrapper?
A shed is a low-maintenance, one-time cost that stores dry hay for years and doubles as machinery storage, but its capacity is fixed and it concentrates fire risk. A wrapper never fills up and adds weather flexibility, but you pay for plastic every year and still must wilt the crop. Many producers do both, or custom-wrap only their rained-out cuttings.
Does net wrap matter if I'm making baleage?
Yes. You net-wrap the bale before applying stretch film, and a tight, round, net-wrapped bale has fewer air pockets, so it ferments better than a loose one. On the dry-hay side, net wrap sheds water far better than twine on bales stored outside, cutting dry-matter loss to a fraction. Net wrap helps both systems.
The XES Netting team manufactures bale net wrap for round balers and writes these guides so forage operators can find clear, source-cited answers. Every farmer quote in this post comes from a real AgTalk discussion, linked at the quote — go read the threads in full. Cost ranges, moisture targets, and storage-loss figures reflect typical North American extension and producer data; confirm current prices and the right targets for your crop and region.
Featured photo: Black round silage bales (plastic-wrapped baleage) by Steven Lilley, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
