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Dehy Bale Fills Specialty Market Position
by Chester Peterson, Jr.
Hay & Forage Grower, January 1988
WANTED: High-quality alfalfa in new form for specialty markets and export. Must have long fiber, be economical to ship, handy to use, of consistent moisture and quality, high in protein and vitamin A and free from mold.
Carlton and Ray Bert believe they have a product that fills all those qualifications and more.
After test marketing their "dehy alfalfa chop bale" in Louisiana and Mississippi, they just began selling it in other areas. It's the first packaged hay product of its type in the U.S., although a similar bale is sold in Canada.
They expect to sell most of the new bales to feed stores that will serve a specialty market that includes horse owners and a sprinkling of dairy farmers.
The bales are manufactured by Ray Bert's Bert & Wetta Sales, Maize, KS, and Bert Alfalfa, Larned, KS, head by son Carlton. The two men created U.S. Alfalfa, Larned, to market them.
Carlton Bert explains how the bales are made:
- Alfalfa is windrowed and wilted to 30-40% moisture. Limiting field drying saves leaves, enabling the Berts to guarantee 17% protein in the final product.
- The partially dried hay is run through a forage harvester. Length of chop ranges from 1" to 6", averaging 2-3". The long stems should appeal to livestock Producers who want to feed longer fiber than is in pellets and cubes, says Bert.
The long particles also make it easier for users to evaluate quality. "We couldn't mix in any low-quality alfalfa or grass without it being visible, " says Bert.
- The chopped hay is taken to a conventional dehy, natural gas-fired drum, where it's dried to 8-12% moisture. Then it goes through a specially built cooler that drops the temperature from 140-160°F to atmospheric temperature. Cooling prevents condensation and other problems in storage.
- Shortly after drying, the hay is metered into cubing equipment that compresses it into 50- to 60-lbbales. The bales measure 12x15x21", although the length can vary up to 24". That size makes them easy to stack on pallets.
Bale density is 20-22 lbs/cu ft.
"We aimed for a density in the 20-lb area in order to have a product that isn't economically prohibitive to transport," Bert reports. "We can completely load a 48' trailer and get a full legal weight. Because our bales are denser than regular bales, they'll be less expensive to ship. This will enable us to sell at the same price or only slightly higher than regularly baled hay."
- Each Bale is wrapped in five-mil polyethylene that prevents leaves and dust from shaking loose and maintains a constant moisture content.
"We offer a sealed product that won't take on moisture, " says Bert. "Our dehy alfalfa chop bales deliver a dry roughage that's protected from excessive moisture and mold growth."
That should make them especially attractive to horse owners. Other formst of alfalfa hay take on moisture in damp environments and can get moldy.
In addition, he says the new bales will enable horse owners to reduce hay waste. Horses eating long hay like to pull it from their feeders for chewing. Approximately 20-30% of it ends up as expensive bedding.
Bert Believes the bales are a natural for areas without the drying conditions needed to consistently produce high-quality alfalfa, primarily the Gulf and Eastern Seaboard states. Domestic marketing will be concentrated in those areas.
"The other part of the equation is the overseas market, " he adds.
Almost all the bales' advantages in the U.S. also apply to the export market. For example, he says the Japanese want to buy U.S. hay products, but want longer fiber than is possible with pellets or cubes. Korea and China also could become major alfalfa buyers, if they can find the quality they want.
"Dehy alfalfa chop bales could carve out a big market for U.S. growers," says Bert.
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