Feeding round bales

[Egon]

Using the bucket to clean up the feeding area every few days also helps.

 

[MMagis]

I like to feed in my poorer pastures all winter, but I move the feeder with each new bale. I leave the wasted hay/manure there all winter until spring and then push what’s left into compost piles. Once those areas are dry I pull the disk over them and re-seed. It’s done wonders for some really poor dirt.

 

[tungularafishcamp]

Fed the first round bale this am, just cut the twine n unrolled it 60 some feet, stood it on end n picked it back up some loose stuff was ready to fall so pulled that off n put the rest in the barn, was pretty ez until the cattle figured out it was hay I was messin with and wanted to help

I like the idea of the home made huts best, would definitely put them on skids n move a bit every time I loaded them. Also thought about only having one solid side n feed off the other 3 sides. That way maybe we could get by with just two feeders.

 

[stuckmotor]

I like the hut idea too. I think my cows would appreciate a gutter or drip diverter on the side where rain comes off of the roof of the hut.

 

[japody]

These unrollers are handy on our farm for a couple other reasons other than just feeding cattle. By changing rotating feeding areas with the unroller, we do not have the massive mud bog associated with stationery rings/feeders. In addition, we have seen tremendous new growth of legumes and some grass in the spring where have unrolled and fed hay. It seems that seed falls out of the hay and the cattle incorporate them into the soil. How about that for a easy and cheap reseeding method? Ken Sweet

++What he and others have said. My unroller is mounted on the 3 pt.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Jerry/MT,
I sometimes unroll a bale and there seems to be lots wasted. Is there less waste with a spinner and if so, why?
Stuck

I don't have any scientific data regarding the amount of waste, just visual observation.
In theory the spinner will unroll a round bale into a windrow. With my cows, feeding alfalfa grass, I don't see much trampling or crapping and the hay disappears. With grass we see some leftover of the weathered outside part of the bales. The real trick with the spinner is not to over feed. That's what I don't like about feeders. Unless you move them every few days you make a big mess around the feeder and I have had cattle drag hay out of them and then lay on it in bad weather. By using a spinner (and I guess an un-roller) you can feed all over the field so you distribute manure pretty well.

I really think the best way to feed cattle large round bales and probably even square bales ( large and small) is with a haybuster, but for small operators, it's hard to justify the expense( ~$12-$25K new $7-10K used). One of my neighbors who has a couple of hundred head has one with load cells on it so he can off load a given amount of hay in a nice windrow to feed. He claims it has paid for itself with the savings in feed.

 

[npalen]

One problem I noticed with unrolling bales is knowing which direction to unroll. Unrolling opposite direction that is was baled, which may be unknown, is ideal. Sometimes have to drop the bale and drive around to pick it up from the opposite side.
A bale that has been wrapped with, well, bale wrap can be a challenge. The cows are in there trying to get a quick bite so you have to chase them away in order to cut and unroll the wrap. The bulls will try to ascertain there manhood to the ladies by bucking the bale which adds to the cluster.

 

[stuckmotor]

Jerry,
Thank you. I read an article where a guy said he'd been able to add several head after building a spinner and wondered why it was more efficient.

 

[Tx Jim]

One problem I noticed with unrolling bales is knowing which direction to unroll. Unrolling opposite direction that is was baled, which may be unknown, is ideal. Sometimes have to drop the bale and drive around to pick it up from the opposite side.
A bale that has been wrapped with, well, bale wrap can be a challenge. The cows are in there trying to get a quick bite so you have to chase them away in order to cut and unroll the wrap. The bulls will try to ascertain there manhood to the ladies by bucking the bale which adds to the cluster.

Not a challenge to determine which direction bale was rolled if one pays attention to end of twine/net on the outside of bale. IMHO unrolls same as unrolling toilet paper or paper towels. Check direction of twine or net before entering area where livestock are located.

 

[sweettractors]

One problem I noticed with unrolling bales is knowing which direction to unroll. Unrolling opposite direction that is was baled, which may be unknown, is ideal. Sometimes have to drop the bale and drive around to pick it up from the opposite side.
A bale that has been wrapped with, well, bale wrap can be a challenge. The cows are in there trying to get a quick bite so you have to chase them away in order to cut and unroll the wrap. The bulls will try to ascertain there manhood to the ladies by bucking the bale which adds to the cluster.

You are right on target with cows being in the way while taking off net wrap. The net wrap is murder on brush hog lower shaft output seals during the summer mowing/clipping. That is why I usually try to take the wrap off before I open the gate to go into the field. I would be very careful when cutting off wrap with rowdy cattle around. Ken Sweet