Bailing twine

I bought twenty two rolls of mixed grass hay which was barn stored, weed free and rolled tight. Actually It's the cleanest hay I have seen in Alabama at any price, but it is string tied. This morning I was putting out hay and stopped to remove the bale string and my cows started eating before I had finished the string removal. Three head had string in their mouths so I grabbed the string and attempted to pull it from the cows mouth but the cows were not co-operating and they ate it. They don't look like they are hurting in any way but I am worried that there could be serious problems to come. Is there anything at this point that I can do to prevent loosing a good cow. In the future I am going to remove the hay strings then dump the hay over the fence into the hay ring, that way I won't have to battle the cows.

Is it the biodegradeable string or the plastic string? We use the biodegradeable and never take the strings off the hay. We haven't had any problems with the cows eating it or getting sick from it. I'm sure they eat it from time to time but nothing happens.

They can be fast, if you pull harder it will come back up usually attached to a chewed ball of hay. The dummies seem to go for the string first bite.

Best bet is to keep them away some how, either hold the bale higher, or over top of the feeder and work at it there. Or remove most stings before getting to the cows and then hop out and cut the last few. I use a razor knife and slice right across all strings at once (hard fast swipes and it may take a few tries) and then grab a handful of them and make a quick knot of them all together. That way a cow can't get away with just one.


If they do get away with one, you usually find it mangled somewhere later on in the field after they spit it back up.

Being that it was stored inside it should be quick and easy to remove strings. Mine are frozen in for the most part and I have to work at it.

Thank you

I've found chewed up balls of strings myself. I believe when they Starts chewing their cud they some how spit or cough it back up. But it's never good when a cow eats any kind of junk. Hopefully the cows will spit it up or pass it. I see places that have strings and net wrap all over the pastures.

Big Cheese tell me about the biodegradable string please? I remember sisal string but on round bales stored outside it rots to fast to use.

highgrit":2c9ilo3d said:

I've found chewed up balls of strings myself. I believe when they Starts chewing their cud they some how spit or cough it back up. But it's never good when a cow eats any kind of junk. Hopefully the cows will spit it up or pass it. I see places that have strings and net wrap all over the pastures.

Big Cheese tell me about the biodegradable string please? I remember sisal string but on round bales stored outside it rots to fast to use.

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I assume he means sisal. It does break down fast on the bottom side doesn't it?

Yes if it is kept outside it does rot really fast on the bottom and you lose a little when you feed but you don't have to worry about cutting the string when you feed you just sat the bale out and they start eating and it rots away. Its not called sisal that I know of...it just says biodegradable on the bundle package. We've been using it on round bales since I can remember.

We call it grass string. Idont like the plastic kind cause you have to get it up after you feed it or cut it as you go. Papaw had a cow got choked on the grass kind and died. He cut strings off every bale from then on.

the best way to keep your cows trying to eat the twine.is to take the twine off before you go into the cow pasture.

Craig Miller":3oqceiiv said:

We call it grass string. Idont like the plastic kind cause you have to get it up after you feed it or cut it as you go. Papaw had a cow got choked on the grass kind and died. He cut strings off every bale from then on.

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We've never had that happen that I know of so I hope that never happens. That would be a horrible way to lose a cow. That's why we don't use the plastic either. Even if you do cut it if some gets left on there some how it stays in your pasture. However, in case a cow does eat the string wouldn't the biodegradable be easier on the body then the plastic?? I think this would be a good question to discuss since we are talking about cows eating it. Hopefully the cow doesn't eat it but what if....

Only use plastic here, this is how I quickly tie the ends



Pull em all at once, loop em up and wrap the ends around and pull tight and they hold together.



missed one loop there, but I dont worry too much about that.. Still fits in the garbage ha

About two weeks ago we had a cow die. She was a second calf heifer but not pregnant. She was from a group of heifers that I bought from a elder man selling his herd in Oklahoma. We hauled the carcass to the back woods and left it. My daughter went there this morning after the buzzards and varmints had feasted. She called and told me that there was a lot of twine in the cows digestive system. This was a cow that I bought from an elder gentlemen in OKLA that was dispersing his herd. The twine had to come from his feeding and not mine. I have used net the last three years and make sure no net is left in the field or on any bales that the cows consume. This cow was bought as a heifer that weighed 700 lbs when I bought her. she had had one calf for me. She never bred back and slowly went down hill. She actually starved to death because of the twine. The twine will ball up and be connected between the stomachs and prevent the digestive system from working as it should. I still have some of these cows and none have been as thrifty as they should. Need to sell and let them belong to someone else. I will never buy another replacement but raise just enough heifers for replacement and then you will know what you have. Save from the best cows. Slow way to build a herd but you will know the history and feeding of the replacement heifer you keep.