How to Take Up the Slack in a Round Bale Hay NetUpdated 3 minutes ago

We know round bales aren’t always perfectly uniform, even when they’re labelled the same size. Bale height, density and overall shape can vary from supplier to supplier, and during drought conditions especially, hay sources can change regularly. That means you might not always know exactly what size bale is arriving next.

For this reason, many of our customers intentionally choose to purchase the next size up in a round bale hay net. A slightly larger net can actually make positioning and fitting easier, particularly when bales differ in height or aren’t perfectly shaped. The extra room allows you to adjust the net to achieve a secure, safe and effective fit.

The Large Square Bales may also need the slack taken up, depending on the size of the bale you are putting your net onto as this is a one size fits all hay net. It will fit 8x3x3, 8x4x3, 8x4x4 and 3×3×9 Large Square bales of hay. Therefore, there will be some slack in the netting if you are fitting it to the smaller sized bales such as an 8×3×3 bale, where there will may be some excess netting, as it is designed to fit bales up to 8×4×4. Encapsulating the net around the hay bale will help absorb much of the extra slack.

In the guide, we walk you through how to take up excess slack in your round bale hay and a large square bale net so it sits snugly around your bale while still working exactly as intended as a slow feeder.

CLICK HERE to see the PDF guide on how to take up the excess slack in a round bale hay net.

Step 1

• Fit hay net as per page 1 of the above PDF or these instructions. So the net is over the entire bale and pulled down to ground level as above.
• For 3x4 and 4x4 bales, it's best to fully encapsulate the bale. Once the net is pulled down to the ground, flip the bale over so you can pull the rest of the net up and over, then tighten and tie off the drawstring so the bale is completely enclosed. 4x4s are small enough to be easily rubbed or pushed over by horses, so a net that's only tied at the base could leave the hay exposed.
• For 5x4 and 6x4 bales, you have a choice. You can either tighten the drawstring around the base of the bale and tie it off there, or fully encapsulate the bale as described above.

Step 2

• Grab one side of the net and pull it firmly against the bale, so all the loose, excess netting gathers on the opposite side. This shows you how much extra netting needs to be rolled up and tucked out of the way.

Step 3

• Take hold of the loose netting along its outer edge and roll it in towards the bale, gathering up the excess as you go. Roll the excess netting in so that the net then becomes tight around the bale as pictured.

Step 4

• Using baling twine or rope, secure the extra netting in place to ensure the net remains tight around the bale.

Step 7

• Your bale is now complete. If you take your time rolling in and tying off the excess netting the first time, it will stay in place, so you won't need to redo it every time you refill the net.

Don't Forget

• Your Large Square 8x3x3, 8x4x3, and 8x4x4 hay net will also fit all sizes of round bales making it a truly versatile hay net.