Bailed or Rolled

[HunterdonPaul]

Hi guys,
We had a beautiful drive today through some of whats left of rural New Jersey - Hunterdon County. We ended up in Frenchtown which is located along the Delaware River. It was quite pretty. On the way we noticed the typical "rolls" of hay in the fields of some farms. Neither me nor my wife know that much about farming. I mentioned to her that I thought those "rolls" of hay weight a whole bunch. My wife didn't think so - she thought not more than 200 lbs. I told her that I thought much more. So I was trying to decide how we could get to the bottom of our debate when I remembered TBN. I am guessing one of you know how heavy these rolls can get and what kind of equipment that you need to make and move them. Also how do you use these rolls?

Anxiously awaiting your responses,
Paul

 

[cowboydoc]

Those "rolls" of hay are called round bales and usually weigh from 1200-1800 pounds.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

i use a spear to lift
pa

 

[JJT]

In my neck of the woods the round bales go 600 - 1200 #'s.

 

[Bird]

Nice picture, Paul. And of course Cowboydoc knows about those round bales. I guess the weight will vary some depending on the type of hay; i.e., alfalfa, coastal or other grass, hay grazer, etc., but the sizes also vary. My experience with the round bales has been using a Gehl baler that makes all bales 5' wide and can be set to automatically make them 3' to 6' diameter (in 6" increments). We usually make them 5' x 5' (6' diameter is really heavy to move around). I know another guy whose baler is adjustable in 1" increments, and of course the Gehl can make them any diameter you want if you do it manually. A neighbor whose primary occupation is hay uses a John Deere baler that makes all bales 4' wide, and while it's adjustable for diameter, he makes them all 4' x 5' because that's what loads and stacks well on his 18 wheeler for delivery without sticking out over the sides. Naturally, you don't move them around by hand. You can use things like forks or carryalls on the front or back of the tractor, but usually use hay spears. Guys in the business, with big enough tractors, usually have a hay spear on each end of the tractor so they can move two bales at once. To feed them, some folks unroll them on the ground, some just stand them on end and remove the string or plastic wrap (depending on which they used to make the bales) and some stand them on end and have a "hay ring" they put around them, so the livestock can stick their heads through it, but can't get in to trample it. I think the primary reason most folks went from the little square bales to the round bales was to reduce the amount of manual labor. One man on a tractor can move a lot more hay with the round bales in less time than he could with or without a tractor with the little square bales.

Hope this answers your questions.

 

[Chuck52]

There's something about a hillside dotted with round bales in the early morning mist ....kinda surrealistic looking.

Chuck

 

[njrqs]

I use HEAPS of mulch hay for my gardens. Have probably bought over 400 of the small rectangular bales in the last 18 months.

Some folk here use the round bales for gardens, but you have to unwind it and carry the hay to where you need it.

At least I can carry the hay to the garden in neat bales.

But sure, the round bales would be the only way to go for LARGE amounts.

Cheers

 

[Bird]

Neil, I guess it depends on what kind of hay, but the first year I started the current garden plot, I tilled it up in the fall, tilled in lots of wood chips, and then a neighbor put one of those big round bales of hay in it and I left the gate open; i.e., fed the cattle right in that garden. When that bale was gone, we put another one a short distance from where the first one had been. Well, the cows fertilized my garden plot all right, but that first summer, I had far too much grass from the seeds that were in the hay, so I haven't used any hay since. Instead I use oat or wheat straw. One big round bale will last me two years. I stand it on end just outside the garden and pull off what I need with a rake and put it under and around my tomato, pepper, cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli plants. Then in the Fall it gets plowed, or tilled, in.

Incidentally, I think all the winter wheat harvest is finished in this area and the combines have moved on north. And most of the straw has either been cut and baled or disked in.

 

[njrqs]

I need one of those fertiliser machines too /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

I also need shares in the hay man as I think I keep him in business.

So far have no weeds from his hay. It is great stuff !!!

I was going to ask for a refund the other day as I only got half a big brown snake in the bale but towards the end of the day I found the other half in another bale !!

Cheers

 

[wroughtn_harv]

<font color=blue>I was going to ask for a refund the other day as I only got half a big brown snake in the bale but towards the end of the day I found the other half in another bale !!</font color=blue>

Around here, norte tejas, that's the common thing to do with a snake, make two of 'em! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif