Bale unroller recommendations?

[Joe Batt]

The last thread on bale unrollers is from 2008. Anyone have recent experience that could recommend one, or features to look for? Peirce looks like the cheapest and also looks like the arms may break off.

I was unrolling by pushing the bales with the FEL, but rolled over a lamb this spring. I need a better solution.

 

[japody]

I have a Deweze. Works great. Makes life a lot easier.

 

[Joe Batt]

I ended up buying a Pierce. Looks heavy duty. All the points that looked weak from the pictures are actually multiple layers of 1/4" plate.

There is a gusset under the cat 1 pin, so a quick hitch will not work. I ended up grinding the bracket off, because I need to use my quick hitch. It looks solid enough, but I may add a similar gusset on the outside of the bracket to make up for what I ground off.

My 5' bales look pretty small in the arms. It looks like it's really built for 6' bales, but "works" for 5' bales. I would get something lighter for 4' bales.

 

[oosik]

Many ranchers around here do not unroll. They have feed stands. The bale is put in the stand - still round. Keeps the hay up off the ground.

 

[Joe Batt]

Many ranchers around here do not unroll. They have feed stands. The bale is put in the stand - still round. Keeps the hay up off the ground.

I just started unrolling some last winter and it worked well for me.

I've lost a couple of ewes in a cradle like feeder, when they got their heads caught as the bale shifted. I've lost a couple of lambs when a bale on the ground fell apart and buried them and then earlier this week I lost a full sized ewe when a bale rolled over on her due to the sheep eating from the bottom, causing it to be unstable and rolling.

In addition, unrolling in the pasture spreads the waste more evenly so that the grass grows better the following year.

 

[oosik]

OK - cattle vs sheep. I see the differences. The fellow on my south boundary has always had trouble with the elk. They eat the dead center out of his rounds. Those rounds go into the feed stands. Last few years he gathers the rounds and covers them. That must keep from "elk damage".

I've told him several times. I'd invite a couple elk to visit my freezer.

He also uses some brand of bale "unroller". Two arms on the back of his flatbed truck. The round bale is pinched between the two arms. He has cattle scattered around on many different properties. Uses this truck to deliver and unroll.

It's a real demanding life style. He's alway having to deliver round bales somewhere - every day, all winter. There is ALWAYS something that needs to be done - somewhere.

I'm sure you must be very familiar with the demands - Joe.

 

[5030]

Many ranchers around here do not unroll. They have feed stands. The bale is put in the stand - still round. Keeps the hay up off the ground.

That is EXACTLY what I did when my wife raised Percheron draft horses. I copied the Klene Pipe Structures bale feeder and added a roof as well. The issue with unrolling a bale is, what they don't eat, they either poop or pee on. We cut our feed (round bales) in half and no hay on the ground either. Nothing worse to deal with than wet, moldy peed or pooped on hay, plus it kills everything underneath.

I would swing the gate open, hook up the swinging side bars (which I spaced so the horses could get a mouthfull and no more at a time), put the bale in, eye to the sky, cut the net and took it off and even with 4 mares it lasted a week. I actually built 2 of them and when my wife quit the horsey business, I put them on CL and sold them both in 2 days. I mounted them both on .40 retention pressure treated 6x10 runners so I could move them around if necessary. Best thing I ever did for feeding hay, like I said, I cut the bale count in half. I was growing my own hay (just like I do now) but the horses were eating my profit (I sell it as well) and I cut that 'loss' in half.

You could build them from wood, problem is, horses like to munch on wood, so I built mine from heavy angle iron and welded everything up.

Like I said, Klene sells them (if they are still in business, I have no idea), but they are easy to build if you can weld and have a metal cutting bandsaw.

 

[oosik]

I have two neighbors. One on the north - one on the south. They are as different as two people could be. North neighbor checks his fence line by riding around on his side by side. A cooler full of beer in the bed. When the beer is gone - he is done checking fence lines. His fences are still in the same condition as they were before he started.

South neighbor checks fence line on his side by side also. His S/S has a bed full of tools and a roll of barbed wire. His fences seldom need repair. He does something when a fence needs repair.

Yin / yang........ life goes on.

 

[Joe Batt]

That is EXACTLY what I did when my wife raised Percheron draft horses. I copied the Klene Pipe Structures bale feeder and added a roof as well. ...

Here's what didn't work for me:

The ewes eventually got their heads in there and strangled.

What I did last year was a mix of manually unrolling and putting out bales on end with a cattle panel wrapped around it. Just leaving a bale out was very wasteful and that's how I lost lambs as the bales fell apart on them.

 

[5030]

You can make the feeder any height off the ground you want to and space the bars on the folding sides any space you deem necessary.

I measured the horse muzzle and spaced the bars accordingly.

Only sheep I like are the rack chops my wife broils.

Just a suggestion on my part, nothing more. Only thing I use cattle panels for is concrete reinforcement.