A pickup unit for an agricultural baler. The pickup unit includes a frame; a pickup roll carried by the frame; and a windrow conditioning roll carried by the frame and positioned in front of the pickup roll when in an operating position. The windrow conditioning roll includes a center core and a pair of counter-rotating flightings surrounding the center core. The counter-rotating flightings are connected together in a manner such that wrapping of crop material around the windrow conditioning roll is inhibited.