round bale handler for team

[mickey]

Soapweed the picture of you and the bale handler must of been taken a long time ago. The picture looks of a much younger man.

[Jinglebob]

I have one I built myself, similar to Soapweeds. Mine uses 2 winches. One to close the arms around the bale and another to lift the bale off the ground. I have a neighbor who built one like Soap's, but he found that it wasn't very handy to carry two bales, as Soap mentioned, it's hard to see the second bale.

I'll try to get a picture.

What I found out.

I want hand operated winches, as when it's cold, a little exercise helps to keep you warm and I used a team to GET AWAY from cold, hard starting engines that use gas and oil. The neighbors has a gas engine and he likes it, but I always liked the peace and quiet and never having to worry about a gas motor. (I'm not very mechanically inclined )

I found that it was easier to put the hay close to the cows and then just haul and feed one big bale at a time.

My winch that raises the bale is 2 speed, so on heavier bales you can switch to the lower gear. Bale goes up slower, but takes less effort.

All mine really is, is a bale unroller/hauler that would fit on a 3 point hitch, mounted over the back axel of the frame off an old 28 chevy car, that was in the junk pile.

Very little cost to make.

If I made a new one, I would make it to fit on the bolsters of a farm wagon so I could take it off and put it on one with runners, for those times when the snow gets deep. And I would like a 5 wheel, for the front axel. Then you can get into or out of, about anywhere.

I fed a lot of hay for quite a few years, with mine. Wore out several winches. Got a really well broke team from using them.

Oh and springs on your wagon are a good thing!

I also found that when you feed with a team you are much more aware of what kind and quality of hay you are feeding and you are closer to the cows and see more about them than you do in a tractor. Also, if you need to move them, you can do a pretty fair job with a team, if they have a little "spirit' to them.

As for the cake feeder, I got an old hopper off from an old combine. Rigged it up to set on a stand with pipes in back, to hook the pins from the bale unroller into. You can back up to it and load it just like a bale and then feed cake or corn and then set it down while you are feeding hay. Pick it back up and go home. I was driving about a mile to get to the cattle, so on cold days one trip was much nicer than two.

Good luck.

[Faster horses]

Hey, it was 21, almost 22 years ago...

[Soapweed]

[Soapweed]

[DJL]

Thanks for the pics Soapweed. It looks like a pretty good outfit, and a pretty simple plan. As to the 'better outfit', we do have one of them too for when it's thirty below or a rushed day.
JB, I look forward to seeing pics of your rig too. Then I'll have to get the son welding! We have a very well broke team, just need something for them to do.

[Jinglebob]