Feeding round bales

tungularafishcamp · Jan 20, 2016

We have a small family farm with a couple dozen cattle. A neighbor has done our haying for 40 years with small square bales for 1/2 the hay. This year we won't have enough so we have to buy some and were thinking on trying round bales. Found a good deal on 800 lb bales trouble is they are 2x what we feed in hay a day.

Any tips on splitting round bales?

Roll out half n put the rest back?

Put the bale out whole n let them eat on it for 2 days?

Between the grapple n the forks I assume I can handle them easily enough.

As you can tell by all the questions I am a fisherman not a farmer

MMagis · Jan 20, 2016

For a couple dozen cattle, they'll go through an 800 lb bale in less than a day. Even faster if you don't have a ring or some type of feeder. But to your question, there's no reason to limit them to one days worth of feed unless you're trying to conserve hay. Most larger ranches roll out the bales. In time you figure out exactly how much to roll out to prevent the hay from become the bathroom and bed by the next day. I'm feeding 13 right now, and I feed two 5x5 bales at a time, in rings. It'll last them a few days, then I make them pick the last day.

Lawnman TX · Jan 20, 2016

Get a couple hay rings so they don't waste as much, and put 2 out at a time with that many cows, that way they all can eat. You will be putting 2 out every 3-4 days.

Jerry/MT · Jan 20, 2016

tungularafishcamp said:
We have a small family farm with a couple dozen cattle. A neighbor has done our haying for 40 years with small square bales for 1/2 the hay. This year we won't have enough so we have to buy some and were thinking on trying round bales. Found a good deal on 800 lb bales trouble is they are 2x what we feed in hay a day.

Any tips on splitting round bales?

Roll out half n put the rest back?

Put the bale out whole n let them eat on it for 2 days?

Between the grapple n the forks I assume I can handle them easily enough.

As you can tell by all the questions I am a fisherman not a farmer

I have a bale spinner and I feed daily, spinning off about 40 lbs of hay per cow. The bales are about 1400 pounds each.

Farmer495 · Jan 20, 2016

1) You can cut the strings/wrap, put the bale on edge and then pull off the hay (unravelling the roll) and feed what you want in current square bale feeder
2) You can put the bale in the field/yard and just let them eat right off it.
3) You can unroll the bale (like a carpet) on the ground, can roll as much off as you want and then carry the bale away
4) Buy a hay ring and put whole bale in. (my pick)

We have 6 foot bale rings that have 18 head slots, one 4x4 roll lasts a day in them, so we feed daily.

Payback on a bale ring is very fast, my estimate is that the cattle tramp/waste 1/2 a bale if unrolled flat. They don't waste hay in a ring.

Soundguy · Jan 20, 2016

Also, can put the hay in a controlled area lil a feed lot or cattle panel it off and let em eat on it then close off access.

Another way, depending on the way it was wrapped is to cut the bale.

Plenty of options.

AGRIMAN · Jan 20, 2016

I would just let them stay in the field myself. I feed 5 to 6 4x6 bales at a time and usually unroll at least 2 of them using the forks/spear. You could unroll about half the bale and remove the rest to feed later if you wanted to.

I have tried to move bales with my grapple on the skid steer a few times because I didn't want to change it and it doesn't work for me. The forks will work fine, but it makes getting the strings off a little aggravating. If I'm using the forks I will cut the strings down low on one side, then pull them off the our side. Bunch all them together and tie them around the back stop on the forks. I then back out of the bale, letting the loader pull the strings out from under the bale.

tungularafishcamp · Jan 21, 2016

Thanks for all the advice guys!

If they work out I was going to see if I could get the family to spring for a couple round feeders.

I think I will leave one out to see how it works first off, I think we are probably under feeding anyway.

Picking up the trailer for the trip north today n will see how many bales I can get it on the way back.
Any bets how many 4x5 round bales I can get on a 7x16 dump trailer?

Soundguy · Jan 21, 2016

3, with the back tied for a single decker load.

if you have enough truck and trailer rating.. 5 is quite possible by stacking 3 low, and 2 high, then binding... if it is bumper pull, and again.. big enough truck, 6, with 1 in the bed and the 5 on the trailer.

tungularafishcamp · Jan 21, 2016

Unfortunately truck will be loaded n has a canopy 2500hd duramax
Trailer has a 12k payload will still have the dump gate on so can't overhang the stern, was hoping to do 4 double rows with one row slightly raised then strap a third row on top. Bales are only 800 lbs.

Xfaxman · Jan 21, 2016

I recommend a poly bale ring, there are many styles: https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...4.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..7.4.2991.HhJ9JXtbLGo

We have horses, that requires a different style, so the horses mane doesn't get rubbed off by a top bar.

Soundguy · Jan 21, 2016

tungularafishcamp said:
Unfortunately truck will be loaded n has a canopy 2500hd duramax
Trailer has a 12k payload will still have the dump gate on so can't overhang the stern, was hoping to do 4 double rows with one row slightly raised then strap a third row on top. Bales are only 800 lbs.

i don't think you are going to get 2 side by side on a 7' trailer width.. nor do I think you will get 4 in a line on a 16' dump with a gate.

No way you are getting 11 bales on there.

MMagis · Jan 21, 2016

You MIGHT get two rows on bottom. Depends somewhat on the bales, how tight and square they are. I have a 7’ wide trailer, and some 4x4 bales will fit two wide, and some just aren’t safe. But at best, I think you’re looking at 2x3 on the bottom. I can’t see the 4th row even being close to fitting.

Soundguy · Jan 21, 2016

here is 14 on my trailer.. I think 11 will be a squeeze for yours.

MH8675309 · Jan 21, 2016

I think once you try it you wont go back to square bales. Just remember you get what you pay for. Cheap hay aint always a bargain.

Egon · Jan 21, 2016

Here's a rig a friend of mine uses?

sweettractors · Jan 21, 2016

This implement allows the farmer to unroll as much or as little as he requires. Ken Sweet
New Dirt Dog Round Bale Unroller with Cylinder Hoses Can SHIP Fast and Cheap | eBay

tungularafishcamp · Jan 22, 2016

I didn't realize you can't spear the bales from the side so my double row plan didn't fly even with some dunnage I had brought to lift the bales up on the sides.

I did get 7 on there,n was coming back that anyway so it worked out fine especially since it's an experiment. Will have a flatbed next time.

With our copious amounts of winter rain here in the Oregon coast range leaving hay out for days doesn't seem like it would be great for stretching hay dollars.
Found these hay huts while googling options, anyone use them?

Hay Feeders for Horses | Round Bale Feeder | Covered Hay Feeder

npalen · Jan 22, 2016

sweettractors said:
This implement allows the farmer to unroll as much or as little as he requires. Ken Sweet
New Dirt Dog Round Bale Unroller with Cylinder Hoses Can SHIP Fast and Cheap | eBay

DewEze | Harper Industries

The livestock folks around here use a similar device for loading, hauling and unrolling large round bales up to 6' diameter. It's mounted to a purpose made pickup flatbed with electric over hydraulics for clamping the bale and picking it up. Makes the rear end of the pickup squat a little when picking up a large bale of alfalfa.
I helped a local farmer haul water and feed cattle for a couple weeks this winter. We had one small group of heifers that got a 1/4 of a round bale per day. Did a little math to see what parts of a 6' round bale constituted a quarter bale. Turns out, using a 6' diameter bale, that 5'was about 3/4, 4' about 1/2 and 3' was the last quarter. We were unrolling the bales on the ground and it was a guesstimate at best but the critters didn't second guess us.

TnAndy · Jan 22, 2016

tungularafishcamp said:
With our copious amounts of winter rain here in the Oregon coast range leaving hay out for days doesn't seem like it would be great for stretching hay dollars.
Found these hay huts while googling options, anyone use them?

Hay Feeders for Horses | Round Bale Feeder | Covered Hay Feeder

I built my own "hay hut".....or what I call "the last **** round bail feeder" after going thru several crappy hay rings. Cows seem to love to lean in and destroy hay rings, and then me moving them like XFaxman pictures above didn't do them any good either.

Used 6x6 locust for the skids, 6x6 oak corner posts, 2x oak for the side walls and bed. Gate on front swings open to load, back metal grate is bolted fixed. Metal is 1.5" square tubing. Made to fit a 4x5 round bale inserted with spear. They waste very little with this, and it stays dry.

(crappy pic, sorry)