Baled silage, or baleage, has gained popularity across the southeastern United States, especially in seasons with frequent rainfall events. Baleage is stored forage that is baled between 40% and 60% moisture, wrapped in plastic to create an oxygen-free environment, and allowed to ferment before feeding. It can be an efficient method for storing excess forage, but there are advantages and disadvantages compared to traditional dry hay production. Hence, the battle of the bales.

Silage has been a staple feed on farms for generations, but it requires some specialized and expensive harvesting, storage, and feeding infrastructure. For the haymaker, it’s always difficult to see the neighbor’s hay crop safely tucked away in a silo while their hay, which was cut the same day, is getting washed in the windrow. In the past 15 years or so, many of these disgruntled haymakers have moved their production system to baleage without having to make a huge capital i

Hay exports in 2025 totaled 2.7 million metric tons (MT), according to USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). This was down 17% year-over-year, following a relatively flat trend the previous year. Trade disputes and steep exchange rates with our nation’s largest hay export markets had a significant impact on the reduced annual total. China and Japan — the biggest consumers of U.S. alfalfa and grass hay, respectively — imported substantially less product in 2025. In fact,