Questions on handling round bales

[farmerjim]

i'm not too familiar w/ rounds, as i only do small sq's, but if you were stacking them flat side down on a dirt floor i would think that you could have some spoilage? unless you have a wrapper. if you stack them 2high like they sit after coming out of the baler, if there was any spoilage you could just un roll the outer spoiled area and use it for bedding or whatever and keep using the bale, where as if the whole side was spoiled i would think the bale was waste. you could probably get some pallets to stack them flat side down? i see people in my area that do rounds picking them up w/ either a spear on the 3pt or loader, and some w/ the round bale grapple on loaders or bobcat. i see many people wrap them and just store them outside stacked up. just another thought.

 

[redlevel]

If the bale is rolled good and tight you won't get a spear in the round side. I don't understand why you want to stack the flat side down. If you are stacking on dry sand/dirt under a shelter, spoilage will be negligible either way in one year's storage. The rolls in this picture were two years old.

When I was hauling and stacking round bales, I left one on the rear spear as ballast. As you see, it really doesn't protrude that much in the rear. Also, you will be much betternpleased with a front-loader spear that replaces the bucket rather than one that bolts to the bucket. I have tried them both and there is no comparison.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Redlevel - good comments, but your photo didn't come through. I was planning on a FEL spear that replaces the bucket. Only reason I wanted to stack flat side down is to avoid having bales roll and start pushing on the sides of the barn, possibly damaging it.

Farmerjim - we have been grabbing every free pallet we can find for 6 months now to let us store our hay well off the ground whether we do rounds or squares. Square bales on dirt is instant spoilage and mold; even a single layer of pallets doesn't always allow enough air to circulate, but we're planning two layers of pallets between hay and ground, which has worked for us so far.

As for storing outside - that is perfectly fine for most animals other than horses, but horses are amazingly delicate creatures that get sick from very minor problems with their food. We had 100 bales of moldy hay from last year that we couldn't use; gave it to a nearby guy with some cattle and he was thrilled. Cattle are much less sensitive to mold and spoilage. Having said all that, hay that's outside but in a wrapper is probably fine for horses, but you would have to inspect it more closely than if it's been stored inside.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Since you only have one horse (or soon only one), why not just sell him/her too,

If you can convince my wife of that, please go right ahead! I would then be ready to trade my 5105 in for a TLB of some sort and turn our whole property into a tree farm.

 

[Soundguy]

As stated.. the rolling is easy to overcome..

Soundguy

Redlevel - good comments, but your photo didn't come through. I was planning on a FEL spear that replaces the bucket. Only reason I wanted to stack flat side down is to avoid having bales roll and start pushing on the sides of the barn, possibly damaging it.

.

 

[john_bud]

It would be easier to store the small squares, but we have no ready cheap labor and I don't look forward to putting up 500 bales 3x/year.

Wimp.


Sorry, couldn't resist, it was just too dang easy!


On the bales, typical technique is to back into one bale, drive forward into another and drive back to the barn. Can you stack on both sides of the barn? Fel bale on one side, 3pt bale on the other? Might be easier and cut down on bumping into things.

I thought a horse only ate 1 bale every 2 days, not 3 bales a day!

jb

 

[redlevel]

Wimp.


Sorry, couldn't resist, it was just too dang easy!


On the bales, typical technique is to back into one bale, drive forward into another and drive back to the barn. Can you stack on both sides of the barn? Fel bale on one side, 3pt bale on the other? Might be easier and cut down on bumping into things.

I thought a horse only ate 1 bale every 2 days, not 3 bales a day!

jb

You will quickly figure out the most efficient way to do it. It is easier to put the bales exactly where you want them with the loader. Typically, I would get my rows started with both bales (front and rear), then start "stockpiling" the bales from the rear spear. I would stack the bale I hauled in on the loader, then back up fifty or so feet and drop the bale off the 3ph outside the barn. When I accumulated 15 or so bales, I would start stacking the ones I had stockpiled. Then I would start over again. That is much quickier than trying to back in and stack them in the row off the 3ph.

 

[texasjohn]

Listen to REDLEVEL, repeat, listen to REDLEVEL.

He must have the answer... since he does it exactly the way I do.

Spike to side of bake won't work.

Fork on rear and FEL spike... I use all the time.

Always put bale on rear FIRST, then spike one on the front. Yep, you know that, but it's worth repeating.

Always carry front bale as close to ground as you can and not rake hay off.

WARNING...attempting to place bale with FEL without serious rear ballast is dangerous. Every time I get myself into a situation and attempt it I get wheels off the ground and recalibrate my pucker factor... just drop the front bale and place it with your rear fork.

You can turn bale on end using spike..that's how I drop bales into round bale feeders... raise over feeder edge, tip over, let it drop into ring. I do NOT recommend this as a method as the base for your hay stack. You can't manage them properly. Put them on their side as in REDLEVEL's photo. That works best. They WON'T roll... they flatten on the bottom
Once I tried an experiment to stack bales 3 high....couldn't do it with my equipment...didn't get it high enough... SCARY too, even with round bale (1300lbs) on rear fork, 1000 lbs of liquid in tires AND 300 or so extra lbs on the 3ph.

Suggestion... maybe somebody in your area could let you borrow a FEL spike and 3ph fork and you could try stacking some in the field...to get a feel for it. This way, you KNOW what size bale works with YOUR tractor using this technique. I'm not very familar with your tractor... but my FEL lift capability is 2800 lbs or so.... and there are times when I don't fully spike a 1500 lb bale and the relief valve pops..then I need to reposition bale closer to tractor.

Be aware that the 4 wheel assist/drive can be decieving... you have good traction until the center of gravity moves just wrong on you, then bad things start happening fast... so, just move slowly and be ready to drop your front/rear load at all times unless you know you are well balanced and not going to hit pot holes or tilt.

It also works to have a flatbed 16ft trailer on a pickup. Place 3 bales on flatbed with spike. Then, pick up your rear and front bales with tractor and head for barn.....buddy/wife drives pickup. You place tactor bales, then either pick up the trailer bales with spike from side, or back up/into trailer with fork and pick up bales one at a time.

All the above being said, I highly recommend using a spike and fork combination.

 

[RFB]

Have to concur with texasjohn. I run the same rig/setup as he does; last year I put up both 800lb and 1500lb square bales. I will only go 2 high on the 1500's.

Even with proper ballast, I drive with the front-spiked bale about 5 inches off of the ground, and hand-on-stick ready to dump the load. Any little dip and real quick you are busier than a 3 legged cat trying to bury a t**d on an ice pond.

 

[schmism]

busier than a 3 legged cat trying to bury a t**d on an ice pond.

ROTFLMAO

<wipes the tears from my eyes> nice one man... i love hearing new ones!