Feeding round bales

[tungularafishcamp]

We have a small family farm with a couple dozen cattle. A neighbor has done our haying for 40 years with small square bales for 1/2 the hay. This year we won't have enough so we have to buy some and were thinking on trying round bales. Found a good deal on 800 lb bales trouble is they are 2x what we feed in hay a day.

Any tips on splitting round bales?

Roll out half n put the rest back?

Put the bale out whole n let them eat on it for 2 days?

Between the grapple n the forks I assume I can handle them easily enough.

As you can tell by all the questions I am a fisherman not a farmer

 

[MMagis]

For a couple dozen cattle, they'll go through an 800 lb bale in less than a day. Even faster if you don't have a ring or some type of feeder. But to your question, there's no reason to limit them to one days worth of feed unless you're trying to conserve hay. Most larger ranches roll out the bales. In time you figure out exactly how much to roll out to prevent the hay from become the bathroom and bed by the next day. I'm feeding 13 right now, and I feed two 5x5 bales at a time, in rings. It'll last them a few days, then I make them pick the last day.

 

[Lawnman TX]

Get a couple hay rings so they don't waste as much, and put 2 out at a time with that many cows, that way they all can eat. You will be putting 2 out every 3-4 days.

 

[Jerry/MT]

We have a small family farm with a couple dozen cattle. A neighbor has done our haying for 40 years with small square bales for 1/2 the hay. This year we won't have enough so we have to buy some and were thinking on trying round bales. Found a good deal on 800 lb bales trouble is they are 2x what we feed in hay a day.

Any tips on splitting round bales?

Roll out half n put the rest back?

Put the bale out whole n let them eat on it for 2 days?

Between the grapple n the forks I assume I can handle them easily enough.

As you can tell by all the questions I am a fisherman not a farmer

I have a bale spinner and I feed daily, spinning off about 40 lbs of hay per cow. The bales are about 1400 pounds each.

 

[Farmer495]

1) You can cut the strings/wrap, put the bale on edge and then pull off the hay (unravelling the roll) and feed what you want in current square bale feeder
2) You can put the bale in the field/yard and just let them eat right off it.
3) You can unroll the bale (like a carpet) on the ground, can roll as much off as you want and then carry the bale away
4) Buy a hay ring and put whole bale in. (my pick)

We have 6 foot bale rings that have 18 head slots, one 4x4 roll lasts a day in them, so we feed daily.

Payback on a bale ring is very fast, my estimate is that the cattle tramp/waste 1/2 a bale if unrolled flat. They don't waste hay in a ring.

 

[Soundguy]

Also, can put the hay in a controlled area lil a feed lot or cattle panel it off and let em eat on it then close off access.

Another way, depending on the way it was wrapped is to cut the bale.

Plenty of options.

 

[AGRIMAN]

I would just let them stay in the field myself. I feed 5 to 6 4x6 bales at a time and usually unroll at least 2 of them using the forks/spear. You could unroll about half the bale and remove the rest to feed later if you wanted to.

I have tried to move bales with my grapple on the skid steer a few times because I didn't want to change it and it doesn't work for me. The forks will work fine, but it makes getting the strings off a little aggravating. If I'm using the forks I will cut the strings down low on one side, then pull them off the our side. Bunch all them together and tie them around the back stop on the forks. I then back out of the bale, letting the loader pull the strings out from under the bale.

 

[tungularafishcamp]

Thanks for all the advice guys!

If they work out I was going to see if I could get the family to spring for a couple round feeders.

I think I will leave one out to see how it works first off, I think we are probably under feeding anyway.

Picking up the trailer for the trip north today n will see how many bales I can get it on the way back.
Any bets how many 4x5 round bales I can get on a 7x16 dump trailer?

 

[Soundguy]

3, with the back tied for a single decker load.

if you have enough truck and trailer rating.. 5 is quite possible by stacking 3 low, and 2 high, then binding... if it is bumper pull, and again.. big enough truck, 6, with 1 in the bed and the 5 on the trailer.

 

[tungularafishcamp]

Unfortunately truck will be loaded n has a canopy 2500hd duramax
Trailer has a 12k payload will still have the dump gate on so can't overhang the stern, was hoping to do 4 double rows with one row slightly raised then strap a third row on top. Bales are only 800 lbs.