Hay ring vs unrolling.

[Tx Jim]

If I understand the way you are unrolling yours there is a difference in the way you and I are unrolling the hay.

You are correct because it's difficult enough to re-bale an opps bale in a straight line without trying to do it in a circle.

 

[DT86]

You are correct because it's difficult enough to re-bale an opps bale in a straight line without trying to do it in a circle.

I wouldn't know.

I thought we were feeding hay here? My cows don't seem to mind eating in a circle.

 

[GGB]

We've used rings in the past but have mostly gone to unrolling to give all the cattle a better chance to feed. The other thing we've changed is to put the bales in the corn stalks in the places that need the soil built up. We've always fed the bales in our pastures till this year, but decided to see if it will help improve the sandy parts of the crop ground.

In our situation we've usually had extra hay, but it was a little close a year ago due to the dry summer when we didn't get as much hay to put up. We also may try using cover crops to help with the soil and for the cattle to eat, but are still early in the discussion phase.

Still, the biggest advantage of unrolling the bales has been that we haven't had cattle fighting each other to feed at the same time.

 

[Tx Jim]

I wouldn't know.

I thought we were feeding hay here? My cows don't seem to mind eating in a circle.

The art of un-rolling a rd bale of hay with a tractor's frt tire is the same rather for feeding or re-baling!!!!!!!!!

 

[DT86]

The art of un-rolling a rd bale of hay with a tractor's frt tire is the same rather for feeding or re-baling!!!!!!!!!

You are full of yourself, aren't you?

 

[Tx Jim]

NOPE but with 25 yrs of custom baling hay I've had plenty of opportunities to perfect unrolling a rd bale because of wrapping failures. If you choose to disagree with me then so be it. I can envision that a bale that has been baled incorrectly(lower on one side) can be difficult to unroll in a straight line as it will tend to roll in a circle.

 

[DT86]

Jim, No one disagrees with you.

I agree, you are the tractor drivin'est, hay unrollin'est, most majestic being to ever grace me with a reply online.

The only thing I am, humbly, suggesting is that my cows show no preference to eating in a straight line or a circle.

I still think you fail to see that I unroll mine in a different fashion than yourself, which can cause them to not unroll straight.


If you really want to continue to argue that your method is better, I'm just going to laugh because it is silly.

 

[Tx Jim]

DT86
Sorry but I never stated that I was the best at anything just that I had a lot of years of experience. I hope you have a wonderful New Year.
Jim

 

[southerndeere]

Ok we have always used hay rings. I don't understand the benefits of unrolling. To me it would waste a lot of hay. What dose everyone think.

I agree. Use to unroll across pasture but seemed to waste a lot
of good hay. Switched to a tight hay ring an seemed to be a lot less waste

 

[Soundguy]

I agree. Use to unroll across pasture but seemed to waste a lot
of good hay. Switched to a tight hay ring an seemed to be a lot less waste

i'd loose hay if i unrolled it too.. i use a small ring.. etc.

 

[farmer2009]

i'd loose hay if i unrolled it too.. i use a small ring.. etc.

This was my thought to. I use rings but thought I would ask what was being used to get a better understanding of how ya'll are doing it. I was thinking you was using a bale processor or something to measure the amount of hay to unroll. But now I see you just guess. I use a hay ring per no more than 5 head (including calves) to minimize the fighting. It also alows me to feed hay every 5 or so days so I can attempt to plan around storms and thawed ground. I also use a sacrifice pasture to feed hay during the summer it gets disked and planted in a sourhgum-Sudan and it the fall a plant a wheat and feed over the wheat. Moving ring helps manage mud.

But everyone has to find what is best for them. This is what works for me.

 

[Soundguy]

But everyone has to find what is best for them. This is what works for me.

this is what it all bois down to...

 

[foreman Etexas]

I think what works best for me is to unroll just long enough that the cows are eating next to each other(keeps them from having enough room to stand on it)and throw the rest in the ring on a 5x6 bale,the 4x5's usually unroll all the bale. If it puts down a thin windrow I back up over top what put out and put another layer on top.

 

[D7E]

When i see people complaining about waste is when people throw many bales out and expect to get away with it once a week or so. I know guys who just park a trailer with 40 bales in a field and call it good for a month . They need to eat it before it gets walked on or with sheep if in a rack they will leave it if it's been muzzled and breathed on too much . We often rolled out a half bale ....wrap a rope around it and take it home for tomorrow .

 

[bigbull338]

as ive said before we feed in hay rings.so theres no waste if any.unless the hay is real bad.an our cows are eating 8 5 by 6 bales a week.

 

[sweettractors]

New Dirt Dog Round Bale Unroller with Cylinder Hoses Can SHIP Fast and Cheap | eBay

Above is a link to the one we sell. Unrolling hay has major advantages, If you ever have sick, younger, slower animals in the group or even a Boss female or a Dominate male in a feeding group, You and your livestock will be well served to use a bale unroller. As a extra added benefit to "Fair and Balanced" feeding provided with a bale unroller, there is another just as important benefit from using one. We roll our grass/clover mixed hay out on areas of the fields that don't have a good stand of grass or legumes. As the cattle eat in these places, some seed gets worked back into the soil in these areas and bingo.....next growing season we have new grass. I call it no cost pasture renovation. Ken Sweet