a large round baler includes a crop pick - up having a tined reel for lifting a windrow of crop to a secondary feeder which moves the crop into the baling chamber . crop feeding is aided by an integrated crop baffle and hold - down assembly suspended from the baler frame for vertical floating movement by a trailing four - bar linkage arrangement . the baffle is located ahead of the pick - up tine reel , and the compressor rods extending rearwardly over the reel from a location close to an upper rear region of the baffle to a region beneath a bale starter roll . the linkage arrangement controls the movement of the integrated crop baffle and hold - down assembly such that the assembly quickly adjusts to varying windrow thickness , and so that interference between the starter roll and the rear sections of the crop hold - down compressor is avoided .