Apparatus for splitting bales and retaining wrap

An apparatus for splitting wrapped bales of forage and retaining wrap, each bale having a length and a diameter and defining a center axis, the apparatus comprising:

• a rotatable frame including an interior framework oriented at an angle relative to a plurality of tines projecting forwardly from the frame, the interior framework and tines together defining an upwardly-opening cradle that supports and centers a bale of forage bound with a wrap above an inverted apex of the cradle;
• an elongate hooking mechanism extending laterally across the length of the underside of the bale and configured to capture the wrap together with a thin layer of forage along the length of the bale;
• an elongate blade rotatably supported on the frame and configured to rotate downward through the bale toward the inverted apex of the cradle;
• a first actuation device that activates the elongate hooking mechanism to capture the wrap and the thin layer of forage;
• and
• a second actuation device that rotates the elongate blade downward to cut through the forage and split the bale,
• wherein the elongate hooking mechanism further comprises a hook tube having a plurality of curved hooks that sweep upward, over, and downward through the bale to capture the thin layer of forage along the length of the bale.