Hay accumulator/grapple

[TheMan419]

What I see horse owners doing is buying a couple of the 3x3’s and hauling home on a small single axle trailer. Back trailer into barn or throw tarp over trailer if outside, cut strings, pull flakes off as needed.
Actually looks a heck of a lot easier than handling small bales. Couple old ladies near me have been doing that for 10-15 years now. A 3x3 bale flake is just right for stall feeding.
You don’t have to buy a bunch of small bales and store them.

You still have to buy the same tonnag of hay and store it regardless of the size and shape of the bale. I know in my horse operation I need about 27 tons of hay per year. If that is 1100 small squares or 80 ish 3x3 squares it still needs to be purchased, moved to my farm, unloaded and stored.

Problem I run into is no one wants to guarantee me storage for the winter. They want to sell out of the field on an as produced basis. However I know some of them have storage because I see them advertising hay for sale in the middle of winter. Good for them storing it and selling it when it will bring more $$ of course.

That all said it is not about the number of bales but the tonnage of hay you need for your particular operation.

For most of us horse folks we do not need a tractor large enough to move round or large squares for our operation. That is why we prefer the small squares. No need to buy a bigger tractor. I'd be pushing the limits of my tractor to lift a 700 pound 3x3 square. Not something I want to do all the time.

 

[ddbackhoe]

You still have to buy the same tonnag of hay and store it regardless of the size and shape of the bale. I know in my horse operation I need about 27 tons of hay per year. If that is 1100 small squares or 80 ish 3x3 squares it still needs to be purchased, moved to my farm, unloaded and stored.

Problem I run into is no one wants to guarantee me storage for the winter. They want to sell out of the field on an as produced basis. However I know some of them have storage because I see them advertising hay for sale in the middle of winter. Good for them storing it and selling it when it will bring more $$ of course.

That all said it is not about the number of bales but the tonnage of hay you need for your particular operation.

For most of us horse folks we do not need a tractor large enough to move round or large squares for our operation. That is why we prefer the small squares. No need to buy a bigger tractor. I'd be pushing the limits of my tractor to lift a 700 pound 3x3 square. Not something I want to do all the time.

Exactly what I see with some of our customers. Not everyone has or wants the ability to move bigger and store more. Storage is a problem for everyone and pricing becomes part of the challenge. If I sell you 1100 sm squares at say $4 off the field, what then becomes a fair price for me to haul, stack and store your hay to be dispensed at your pace? That’s ~ 5775 cubic feet of storage, ~ 5 trips with truck and trailer (~250 bales per, ~6 tons) + load/unload

 

[zzvyb6]

NH 1012 bale pickup wagon. Mine has the self unloading feature for dropping onto a trailer, into a PU bed, or into an elevator. Plus I can dump an entire stack of 56 and drive away.

 

[ddbackhoe]

NH 1012 bale pickup wagon. Mine has the self unloading feature for dropping onto a trailer, into a PU bed, or into an elevator. Plus I can dump an entire stack of 56 and drive away.

That might be a good option. Havent seen one of those around here.

 

[Hay Dude]

You still have to buy the same tonnag of hay and store it regardless of the size and shape of the bale. I know in my horse operation I need about 27 tons of hay per year. If that is 1100 small squares or 80 ish 3x3 squares it still needs to be purchased, moved to my farm, unloaded and stored.

Problem I run into is no one wants to guarantee me storage for the winter. They want to sell out of the field on an as produced basis. However I know some of them have storage because I see them advertising hay for sale in the middle of winter. Good for them storing it and selling it when it will bring more $$ of course.

That all said it is not about the number of bales but the tonnage of hay you need for your particular operation.

For most of us horse folks we do not need a tractor large enough to move round or large squares for our operation. That is why we prefer the small squares. No need to buy a bigger tractor. I'd be pushing the limits of my tractor to lift a 700 pound 3x3 square. Not something I want to do all the time.

Cant you get like 4 or 5 3x3’s on a small trailer, back trailer into barn, then simply remove flakes from the end of 3x3 bale as needed?
Then just go back and get 4 or 5 more?
Or have them delivered and stacked so ends of 3x3 are easily accessible on a daily basis and pull flakes off?
That way you don’t have to sit on a large quantity of hay and you pay less for big bales.
Just a thought, and not trying to say one is better than the other.
All the horse operations around me have gone to the 3x3 bale.
An old lady up the street with a couple yard ornament type horses just gets 1 or 2 at a time and leaves them on a tiny single axle trailer with a small tarp strapped over them. Piles flakes off as needed. Kinda laugh, but it works very well and she’s paying less than the equivalent of $3/small bale.
I agree big tractor is needed for 4x5 round bales. I mostly sell mine to beef raising operations and a few horse people.

 

[5030]

it feels like small bales are an ever shrinking market.

One reason why I sold my 575 las month.

 

[LHF2019]

Who is using what kind and how well do you like it? Started baling some smaller places that the kicker and trailer arent the easiest to use with.

Kuhns 1036f. We sell approx 17,000 squares a year with 90% being field pick. Bales never touch a wagon. We stack in field and customers load themselves. We offer 3 price points. Field pickup, prebuy and store, and winter sales. We are unable to keep up with demand.