Hay Bale sizing

[utahmule]

Richard,

How big are the square bales you're talking about? How many could you fit on a typical semi trailer for shipment? What type of hay, grass mix, w/ alf; barley mix etc?

Thanks,

 

[buck1]

Man, that sounds expensive for this area (North, AL). People here sell round bales that size for $25-$30 a roll. We get about $2-$3 per square bale depending on quality and supply/demand.

 

[DarrenP]

I doubt you could pick them up with a compact tractor......

 

[cowboydoc]

Eric,
I've got everything. Grass, alfalfa, grass/alfalfa mix. I can make the square bales any size. Most people don't like them bigger than 40 or 50 lbs. so that's the size I do them mostly. I'm not sure how many you could fit on a semi. Hay isn't that much more expensive in Utah is it?

 

[patrickg]

Richard (AKA Coyboydoc), Do you know if anybody ever put a pipe grid or something across the bottom of a round bale feeder to keep the bale up off the ground? If yes, to what effect? I know from personal observation that just throwing the bale on the ground is not efficient unless you are working to fix errosion and not just feeding stock. Similarly, by observation I note that even with a round bale feeder (the ones I have used) you still get a big dead circle on the ground. Hmmm, maybe the circle is some sort of alien SIGN.

P.S. I havent been to see Mel Gibson in THAT movie yet but in general the idea that any sufficiently adanced race that could come here from wherever and would need some kind of "semaphore" signal on the ground seems highly contradictory.

Patrick

 

[art]

There are many different styles or I should say designs used in the big square baler. Depending on several things you should be in the 1900 to 2000lb range per bale. There is a lot as far as type of hay and the protein levels that change the value of a bale of hay.

 

[utahmule]

It's a long story that I'll go into later. Would you happen to know the moisture content of the grass bales? Is the $2.25 for a ~50 lb grass bale? What type of grass?

Thanks,

 

[cowboydoc]

Patrick,
There have been a number of designs to keep the hay off the ground. Most of them suspend the hay a few feet above the ground. You still get the feed on the ground as the hay will fall as you feed it. Also unless you move the bale ring everytime you feed it the ground underneath will die out too. Actually unless you are not feeding alot of stock and the bale stays out a long time they will clean it up pretty good in the regular round bale feeders.

 

[cowboydoc]

Eric,
I don't know what the moisture content is. Never had it tested. I do put up my bales pretty dry though. The grass is mostly brohm.

 

[patrickg]

RICHARD, Right on with the dying out part. I have these strange "crop circles" in various places. The ground around a feeder gets trampled pretty good and fertilized and that directly under dies out. The next year it looks like some alien's signs. I was thinking maybe a floor that was a matrix of tubing or rod with a layer of roll fencing laying on top to prevent any clumps from falling through while allowing water to drain.

I prefer to move the feeder every time to distribute the damage.

Patrick