Round bale attachment

[Mousehunter]

Just started restocking my herd after years of leasing out the ranch. My hay buggy has seen better days and I am pretty sure my hay spear (like a lot of other equipment) was stolen. Curious if anybody has a preference of equipment other than fel and 3pt spears to move bales. Am considering a new tractor, but for the moment have a track loader - only it is hard for it to be in 2 places at one time.

This is more of a long term idea rather than a short one. My hay fields need a lot of work, so will be purchasing feed this winter - which can be cubes as easy as bales. Honestly also looking at trip feeders.

 

[Xfaxman]

What size and shape hay bales?

We have always prefered a spear on the front for 5x6 round bales.

 

[LouNY]

A lot of our round bales are wrapped.When we stack bales we prefer to stack them like oil cans, on end.
The squeeze grapples work the best for us.
With the squeeze type you can place a bale in a feeder not drop and slam it, you can also remove portions of a bale at times.

 

[Mousehunter]

I have been out for long enough I don’t know what normal is. I know the contract hay guys stack like you mentioned above, but most of them are now stacking under metal “barns”, usually open on at least 1/2 the sides. They stack 3-4 high I think, but have not been counting. My families contract bailer told me that he would not bail for me anymore. He has transitioned more from a contract bailer, to selling hay (as more and more gentry ranchers are getting out of the cattle side of the business and having someone cut their fields to maintain them and the ag tax rates). Ultimately buying their hay is a somewhat cost effective way to leverage the actual ranchers acreage without needing to lease more land and deal with more fences and herds.

I will most likely end up with my own tractor in addition to my loader, so perhaps at some point I will collect some bailing gear as well. If I do that, very possible I will be doing lighter rather than heavier bails - such as 4x4’s (if but only because I will have a small tractor (sub 100hp).

 

[Mousehunter]

I have been out for long enough I don稚 know what normal is. I know the contract hay guys stack like you mentioned above, but most of them are now stacking under metal 澱arns? usually open on at least 1/2 the sides. They stack 3-4 high I think, but have not been counting. My families contract bailer told me that he would not bail for me anymore. He has transitioned more from a contract bailer, to selling hay (as more and more gentry ranchers are getting out of the cattle side of the business and having someone cut their fields to maintain them and the ag tax rates). Ultimately buying their hay is a somewhat cost effective way to leverage the actual ranchers acreage without needing to lease more land and deal with more fences and herds.

I will most likely end up with my own tractor in addition to my loader, so perhaps at some point I will collect some bailing gear as well. If I do that, very possible I will be doing lighter rather than heavier bails - such as 4x4痴 (if but only because I will have a small tractor (sub 100hp).