Square bales or round bales?

[sksmsllc]

At 12 bales a week- I hope this is my last load until spring. Next year it's going to be 16 round bales.



Who uses square bales?

 

[Mousefield]

We have used square bales for the past 10 years for our goats. Last year we got two calves and a few months ago two more, the other two left if you know what I mean. Sold a lot of lumber that was stacked behind my chicken coop so now have the space for the round bales. About 3 weeks I got 2 round bales delivered that fits nicely in the new space. They are 660 pounds each. I think it depends on what you are feeding, how many and can you handle the round bales. I think for us we will look at a mix of square and round bales this year. The round bales per pound are about 1/2 the price of square, at least in our area. The cattle lady that is kitty corner to our place use only round bales but is haylege (spelling?) not hay.

 

[ncnurseryman]

I always used square bales, but I had sheep. The bales were easier to store out of the rain and easier to handle, but I think for cows round bales are the way to go, given how much more they eat. Here in NC everyone uses round bales for cows and square for everything else. I think too because here at least the round bales are not the same quality as the square and cows will eat the lesser quality hay. Horses and sheep are much more particular on what they will eat.

 

[sksmsllc]

This is my first year using hay - I feed 17 goats 2 horses and 4 donkeys and it's looking like 4 round bales and 270 square bales to get the job done. Round bales cost $45 each and equal 16 square bales. Square bales cost $4.50 each. So my hay bill for this winter was: $1,395. So if I convert to all round bales I need 21 round next year total $945 saves me $450. -- live and learn! Ouch!

 

[sksmsllc]

Hay in loft

 

[foreman Etexas]

My father-in-law always bought the small square bales of Alfalfa. I added it up for him what cost he has in the small ones,now he buys the big square bales.I do have to unload them for him but he has a big barn to store them in. He has two plastic bed mats that go in a pickup set up on ground were I can put one bale in and when he bust it open to feed his sheep,the good stuff dont get in the dirt,no waste this way. I usually just feed round bales to my cattle but do put up around 50 squares,case I have to keep a cow pinned up in corral or something. But for those that dont have a way to move round bales could always get one of these..

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj4iHTusFVY&feature=player_detailpage[/ame]

 

[bigbull338]

round bales will always be cheaper than buying square bales no matter what.the question is are you set up to feed the round bales an handle haul an unload them.

 

[sksmsllc]

I use a 3pt hay spear for my round bales and can haul 6 at a time on my trailer



My plan next year is to buy 18 round an 50 square for when I've got to pin up some goats and kids like we have had to this year:

 

[foreman Etexas]

Depending on weight,can get 11 on that trailer. This is some Alfalfa bales I picked up this year $150pc. average around 1800lbs:drool:

 

[sksmsllc]

Nice rig! That's a lot of hay!

 

[foreman Etexas]

Nice rig! That's a lot of hay!

Thanks!! We usually dont have to buy hay,but this year been bad only made 31 bales, bought 33 rice bales($80 a roll),10 Alfalfa($150 a roll) and still buying what good coastal we come across,up to 28 so far and going to get 5 more next weekend($100 a roll).We usually make 120 to 180 round bales and can bale up 500/600 squares if some friends need some and I like to have some put up in barn just in case... Heres some pics of the bales we made this year

 

[bigbull338]

i hope we get a good cutting of hay this year.so far we havent had to buy any hay this year.found some for $60 bale if we need it though.

 

[foreman Etexas]

i hope we get a good cutting of hay this year.so far we havent had to buy any hay this year.found some for $60 bale if we need it though.

I'll have some cows for sale if we dont

 

[MotorSeven]

At 12 bales a week- I hope this is my last load until spring. Next year it's going to be 16 round bales.

View attachment 249984

Who uses square bales?

Lot's of small horse & goat owners here like square bales because they don't have a tractor. Square here go for under $3 and there are about 11 square bales in a 4x4 round that sells from $8 to $15.

We roll all of our hay into 4x4's and store them in a barn. Kept in the dry they are exactly the same as square in quality. We sell ours for $10 and roll around 350 bales a year. So, if you are going to start using round just don't buy the one's sitting in the field that have been getting rained on for a month or two.

 

[MotorSeven]

$60 a bale...what size? Holeeeey cr@p

 

[foreman Etexas]

$60 a bale...what size? Holeeeey cr@p

MotorSeven you taking orders for hay yet

 

[MotorSeven]

I feel for y'all. If I was faced with having to buy hay at those prices the cattle & horses would be gone in a heartbeat.

Oh, and we are having a wet mild winter. The last wet mild winter here was followed by a drought and yes hay was going for $40 a roll.

 

[foreman Etexas]

I feel for y'all. If I was faced with having to buy hay at those prices the cattle & horses would be gone in a heartbeat.

The 4x5 bales that have been kept outside are $95 to $125 around here. I would have bought your whole barn for $10 a bale and trucked it down here....

 

[MotorSeven]

If you had to feed cattle at that price you are loosing a lot of money, so why not sell off, then re-build the herd?

 

[MotorSeven]

Depending on weight,can get 11 on that trailer. This is some Alfalfa bales I picked up this year $150pc. average around 1800lbs:drool:

1800...you do things bigger in Texas. Mine are around 800 & I can haul 19 at a time: