Why are bales of hay round on the east coast and square on the west coast?
I live on the east coast and we mostly make large round bales. We make round bales because it is cost efficient, they can be left outside and are fairly easy to feed. We know people who also make smaller (100# or so) square bales. A few of the dairy farms around here buy large, square alfalfa bales from the midwest and Canada. Round bales and square bales of both sizes can be found anywhere. In the east, the large square bales are generally imported. Our farms are much smaller (few in my area are more than 1000 acres, most average in the 200-300 acre range) than the ranches out west. Our equipment generally costs more to repair and parts usually need to be ordered. A round baler is a fairly compact piece of equipment and doesn’t take up much room. A large square baler does, so it is awkward for storage and transport. All of these reasons contribute to why the large square bales are more popular in the midwest and west. Not to mention a lovely “crop” us Northeastern farmers have that vi
