Which is better, square bales or round, when buying hay?
The quality of the hay is about the same, if they’ve been stored right, so the answer to this question lies in your situation, equipment, storage area, and experience. In general, if you don’t want to use tractors, square bales are much easier to manage. They do require stacking and protection from rain, but are small enough (40-50 pounds is what we usually see around here) for an average adult to be able to move relatively easily. Round bales are usually much less expensive per ton of hay, though, so if you have a tractor or can store the bales in the field where they will be fed, round bales are definitely cost effective.
