Scotland’s Farm Advisory Service (FAS) has issued a safety reminder to farmers purchasing straw for winter feed and bedding.

The notification comes after parts of Scotland received more than twice the normal rainfall for August.

Additional weight

Craig Bothwell of SAC Consulting said: “50mm of rain can easily add 50kg, or more, to the weight of a 1.2m round bale.

"With the additional weight being concentrated in one area, bales become increasingly unstable when stacking and carting.”

Bothwell added: “There have been 15 farm fatalities in the last five years caused by things collapsing, including falling bales, so it would be sensible this autumn to consider handling any straw bales which have been rained on the same as you would wrapped bales of silage.”

The FAS issued a series of tips for safe handling of bales this autumn. These include:

  • Avoid overloading trailers or stacking bales too high.
  • Make sure that bales are properly secured before transporting.
  • Restrict loads to two bales in height.
  • Always stack bales on a flat, firm and well-drained surface.
  • Avoid climbing on stacks and use an appropriate platform if applying a cover sheet to bales.

  • Allow bales with a high grass content time to dry before stacking in sheds. Alternatively, treat with silage additive or ammonia.

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