Product Overview
Baler’s Choice is a market-leading hay and straw preservative designed to protect the quality of your forage and optimize the productivity of your agricultural operation. It allows you to safely bale hay with moisture levels up to 30%, extending your baling window and reducing the risks associated with high moisture.
Its patented buffered propionic acid formulation is gentle on machinery, yet powerful against spoilage agents.
Manufacturer: Harvest Tec
Key Product Features
- Buffered Formulation: Unlike pure propionic acids, Baler’s Choice is chemically buffered to have a pH of 6.0, an almost neutral level similar to rainwater. This makes it non-corrosive to baling equipment, protecting bearings and other wear parts of the machinery.
- High-Performance Ingredients:
- Propionic Acid (64.5%): The active ingredient that effectively inhibits the growth of molds, yeasts, and mycotoxins, the main causes of hay spoilage.
- Citric Acid: Helps preserve the natural green color and fresh aroma of hay, improving its nutritional value and palatability for livestock.
- Surfactant: Ensures uniform product coverage, minimizing wind drift and guaranteeing consistent application throughout the bale.
- Low Volatility: The Baler’s Choice formulation is stable and does not evaporate on contact with air, ensuring that the product remains in the bale long-term and continues to protect the hay during storage.
- Freeze Resistance: The product is designed to withstand freezing conditions without losing its potency or effectiveness, allowing for safe storage even outdoors, as long as the container is well sealed.
- Versatility: It is effective on all types of hay and straw, including alfalfa, Bermuda, clover, fescue, and other grasses.
Main Benefits
- Increased Productivity: Allows producers to start baling earlier and finish later, extending the workday and resulting in an average daily production increase of up to 30%.
- Improved Forage Quality: Prevents heating and mold formation, which results in greener hay with higher nutritional value and less dust and harmful spores.
- Reduced Losses: By allowing baling of wetter hay, it minimizes losses due to leaf shatter and prevents the risk of spontaneous combustion, which can occur with hay over 27% moisture.
- Livestock Safety: By inhibiting the growth of mold and mycotoxins, it helps prevent respiratory diseases and other health problems in cattle and horses.
- Protection of Machinery Investment: The non-corrosive formulation of the product protects your baler, reducing maintenance costs and extending the equipment’s lifespan.
Recommended Application Rates
The following table shows the suggested application rates based on hay moisture content, vital for ensuring maximum product effectiveness.
| Hay Moisture | Application Rate (liters per ton) |
| 0 – 15% | No treatment required |
| 16 – 22% | 1.9 |
| 23 – 26% | 3.8 |
| 27 – 30% | 7.6 |
| Above 30% | Baling not recommended |
Frequently Asked Questions about Baler’s Choice Hay Preservative
Equipment Compatibility
Baler’s Choice has been designed for use with Harvest Tec application systems, whether automatic (700 Series) or electronic.
These systems, with high-precision moisture sensors, guarantee accurate and efficient application, minimizing waste. The use of unapproved products can cause corrosion and damage to the equipment.
What is Baler’s Choice™ Hay Preservative?
Baler’s Choice™ is a liquid hay preservative, based on buffered propionic acid. It is designed to allow hay to be baled with higher moisture content (up to 30%) without the risk of mold, fungi, or mycotoxins developing.
Its formula is designed to be safe for the operator and non-corrosive to machinery.
How does Baler’s Choice™ work?
The product works by releasing its active ingredient, propionic acid. This acid inhibits the growth of microorganisms (mold, fungi, and yeasts) that cause hay spoilage.
Being buffered (with an almost neutral pH of 6.0), the product is less volatile and corrosive than pure propionic acid, ensuring safe application and equipment protection.
What are the benefits of using Baler’s Choice™?
- Extended baling window: Allows for longer working hours, from dawn to dusk, taking advantage of higher moisture hay.
- Increased productivity: By baling at higher moisture, the process is faster, and up to 30% more bales per hour can be produced.
- Improved forage quality: Helps retain the color, aroma, and nutritional value of hay, as leaf loss and fermentation are reduced.
- Safety: Prevents the formation of mold and mycotoxins, which are harmful to livestock health.
- Non-corrosive: Its buffered formula prevents damage to the baler and application equipment.
What is the difference with pure propionic acid?
Pure propionic acid is corrosive, dangerous to handle, and volatile, meaning much of it evaporates before being effective. Baler’s Choice™ uses a buffered formula, which makes it:
- Safe: Does not burn skin or eyes.
- Non-corrosive: Does not damage the metal or rubber of the baler.
- More effective: The acid remains in the hay, where it is needed, instead of evaporating.
How is Baler’s Choice™ applied?
It is applied using a preservative application system, usually mounted on the baler. Harvest Tec systems use moisture sensors that measure the bale’s water content in real-time and automatically adjust the application rate to ensure uniform coverage.
The dosage varies depending on the hay’s moisture level.
What are the recommended application rates?
Rates are measured in liters per ton of hay:
- Hay with 16% to 21% moisture: 1.9 L/ton.
- Hay with 22% to 25% moisture: 3.8 L/ton.
- Hay with 26% to 30% moisture: 5.7 L/ton.
Is it safe for livestock?
Yes, Baler’s Choice™ is completely safe for animal consumption. Propionic acid is commonly used in the food industry and is a natural byproduct of ruminant metabolism in livestock. There is no waiting period or use restrictions.