Nicky
Well-known member
So Silver...how do you unroll them without taking off the twine?
Round Bale feeding...need experience
- Thread starter KRob
- Start date
gcreekrch
Well-known member
Nicky said:
Same as we and lots of others do with sisal, cut the twine and roll them out. The twine is gone by the following fall.
Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
gcreekrch said:
He said he never got out of the tractor. I suppose the sisal twine had already rotted on the bottom so they unrolled.
gcreekrch
Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
Have done that also, especially if the ground was wet when we hauled to the stackyard.
Justin
Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
i swithched to plastic twine several years ago. i do have to get out, cut and pull all the twine off of the bale. that can be a hassle at times, but i don't have hay scattered all over hell getting to the cows because of rotted sisal either. it's worth the effort i figure.
Ab Ag did a study that showed a 19% loss using a processor and feeding on open ground, 12% rolling out, and 0% feeding in a feeder. With the processor the biggest loss component was the fines (the high feed value stuff).
We won't have a bale processor here simply because I think they cost WAY TOO much (personal opinion), but the research also validates my tight ash Scottish ways...
When we do feed, we roll them out using the front tire of the 4240, or we graze them. Through our benchmarking program we found out some interesting things about our DMI in our backgrounding enterprise, so we may be looking at feeders for this group, although we are going to try a winter grazing experiment with them first...
We won't have a bale processor here simply because I think they cost WAY TOO much (personal opinion), but the research also validates my tight ash Scottish ways...
When we do feed, we roll them out using the front tire of the 4240, or we graze them. Through our benchmarking program we found out some interesting things about our DMI in our backgrounding enterprise, so we may be looking at feeders for this group, although we are going to try a winter grazing experiment with them first...
movin' on
Well-known member
ltdumbear2 said:
What? Calves....feeding hay.....I don't get it?? :lol: :wink:
jodywy
Well-known member
Five months of snow I calve in march usually over 40 inches of snowmovin' on said:
movin' on
Well-known member
jodywy said:
I understand, but I still don't get it. :wink:
gcreekrch
Well-known member
movin' on said:
If we were all Ranching For Profit deciples there would be someone preaching about how to grow hay and sell it for big money. :wink:
Soapweed
Well-known member
movin' on said:
It just seems like a cowboy and horseman shouldn't have to lower themselves to driving a tractor to feed hay. :wink:
I do agree about needing to be careful while using a processor, around baby calves. It is easy to run them over when they come in from the off side where the driver cannot see. It is also possible to injure a leg on a cow if one comes in on the "blind side" where the tire can run into them. Usually I try to drive fast to an area where the cattle aren't, and then start feeding so there is some hay strung out before they arrive.
Northern Rancher
Well-known member
I alwaays just drove fast by the dealer that sold them lol. One winter we bought 900 canola bales that were starting to heat we got them shredded to stop the heating process which it did. Alot of cows fed with them up here and alot fed without them I'll just leave it at that-they do seem to save some bedding for the winter calvers.
I have a bit of a hard time believing that 20% loss number on the processers. That means for every 10 semiloads you grind,2 drift off downwind. My neighbors shouldn't have to buy hay, as it must be about a foot deep over there.
I think the method of measuring loss in that test was BS. I lost a lot of respect for Grant on that one.
The biggest problem with processers is the same as any other iron. We can't take the depreciation and operating expense to feed cows anymore.
I think the method of measuring loss in that test was BS. I lost a lot of respect for Grant on that one.
The biggest problem with processers is the same as any other iron. We can't take the depreciation and operating expense to feed cows anymore.
Andy
Well-known member
RSL said:
I don't believe there is a way to feed hay with a 0% loss. Depending on the situtaion I will roll out bales or run them through the bale processor or grind hay and make a tmr utilizing other feed sources. For me that is the cheapest feed cost I can have but the most cost in machinery.
per
Well-known member
greybeard said:
I'm not defending any tests here but if you blow the leaves on alfalfa in the wind you could possibly loose 20% of the value of the bale. Wouldn't help the neighbors much as it breaks up into dust.
Faster horses
Well-known member
I know that Mr. FH doesn't worry about losing leaves, he feels like much of it settles back onto the hay. And by using the processor and having
a windrow for the cows to feed on, he liked that much better than breaking the bale with the front tractor tire (which he totally hated doing) and leaving the hay in bigger gobs that the cows walked on and wasted.
It seemed like more waste to him that way. I've seen matts of hay
as a result of feeding using the front tire to break the bale. It even shook
when the cows walked on it.
You know, really, it is to each his own. Everyone likes the way they
do things, or they wouldn't do it that way.
a windrow for the cows to feed on, he liked that much better than breaking the bale with the front tractor tire (which he totally hated doing) and leaving the hay in bigger gobs that the cows walked on and wasted.
It seemed like more waste to him that way. I've seen matts of hay
as a result of feeding using the front tire to break the bale. It even shook
when the cows walked on it.
You know, really, it is to each his own. Everyone likes the way they
do things, or they wouldn't do it that way.
PATB
Well-known member
Feed the round bales in area of the pasture you would like to improve or have some weeds that need controling. The hoof action from cows feeding plus the additional nutients can do wounders for changing small areas. I know feeding round bales in cut over areas can greatly speed up the process of turning an area into decent pasture. Is the hay the cows do not eat wasted if it is improving the fertility of the soil and increasing your grass production?
Hillrider
Member
We have been rolling bales out for 30 years. No need to get out and cut the twine, just push the loader bucket into the twine about half way up the bale, drive forward just a bit and push down with the bucket. They usually pop pretty easily, sisal or bio twine.--I'm really looking into bale grazing, like the person from maine refered to. I know a fellow who puts out a weeks worth of bales at a time. No bale feeders, just scatters them in the hayfield or pasture in the fall. Opens the gate and lets the cows into another weeks worth of hay. Not much wear and tear on the tractor. Talked to another fellow who puts out a three weeks worth at a time.. Says if he would normally shred three bales of hay per day for the cows, he just multiplies 3 times however many days he is going to leave the cows out there. And most of the cows just eat snow instead of coming in to drink. Oodles of benefit to the soil around the bales. 40 percent more grass in that area the next year, way more than makes up for the loss from under the bale residue. It sounds like the grass grows up thru the bale residue in a year or two.
Welcome Hillrider> I am a newbie to this board and have had so much well intentioned and helpful advise. I would be interested in hearing more about your weekly bale feeding plans vs the daily that has been done forever. In my mind there are trade offs of feed losses, diesel fuel/ iron wear useage/ manpower and nutrient spreading (from manure and "wasted" or uneaten feed"). My current thoughts are to reduce the purchased inputs of diesel and iron. The "wasted" hay and nutrient spread is part of a closed system and come from the ranch.
Once again welcome!
Once again welcome!
I feed hay and corn silage mainly all is fed on our corn ground.Normally go over the place twice per winter with the cows. I'll feed about any commodity I can if it can be had cheap. Wet cake and syrup have been priced too high for me. Corn silage works real well with meadow hay.