Another hay unrolling thread

[1982vett]

I tried the unroll one yesterday. They made the hottest mess I've seen in a while. If did that twice a day, for 6 months, I won't have any land left by spring. I'm certain, it'd be more successful, if the ground was froze or dry. "If" it were to dry up some, I plan to try it again.

Unrolling definitly works better in a drought. It also takes more feeding time management. I've had the unroller on the tractor since thanksgiving, unrolled about six.... trying to get rid of some lower quality hay the mess over if they aren't hungry and I don't necessarily want hungry cows. It hasn't be overly wet to get muddy, but they don't like wet hay.

 

[Silver]

Conventional wisdom in these parts is that it is always cheaper to haul cows to the hay than it is to haul hay to the cows. Would it be an option to take enough cows to be fed elsewhere for long enough to make the hay you have on hand last?

 

[Lucky_P]

Still feeding on the pad today. Depending on how much it may dry out today, may try unrolling, at least for the Spring herd, tomorrow... but maybe not. May still be too muddy to attempt in the paddock where the Fall herd is.
Don't have an 'unroller', we just drive to the spot - usually at the crest of the hill, or highest spot(s) in the paddock, unwrap, and roll it downhill - usually have to give it a shove/flip with the FEL, but after that I can usually keep it rolling on my own, and, if it's not going too fast on it's own, I can 're-route' trajectory somewhat along the way.
I try to unroll in a different spot every day - and with 10 acres in each paddock, I've been able to do that so far this winter... about 3 months' worth of feeding, so far.

Mid-TN & price asked about pad size. Ours is an 'L', essentially 80x30, with a 30x16 leg off one side. Easily accomodates 5 bale rings, with plenty of room between them for cows. Cow herd numbers are approximately 40 each in the two herds, with the Fall herd also still carrying the 35 or so Sept/Oct calves.

 

[Bigfoot]

Conventional wisdom in these parts is that it is always cheaper to haul cows to the hay than it is to haul hay to the cows. Would it be an option to take enough cows to be fed elsewhere for long enough to make the hay you have on hand last?

Not really an option.

 

[Bigfoot]

I chained a cedar post to my fel and hung it way out to one side. Used it to mooch the roll along. A more permanent solution would be needed for everyday use. Dash made something that looked promising.

 

[M-5]

I chained a cedar post to my fel and hung it way out to one side. Used it to mooch the roll along. A more permanent solution would be needed for everyday use. Dash made something that looked promising.

a simple wheel mounted off set where the wheel will hit the center of the bale and the prong is only used to keep it straight

 

[jltrent]

My dad and I built this hay unroller in the fall of 1985 for less than $200. It has averaged at least 600 rolls of 5x5 bales a year unrolling. I have never done anything to it except replace the cylinder once and repaint after the first coat of paint got to looking bad . Unrolling the hay lets all the cattle have an equal shot at the hay and if it all is not eaten helps the spring grass get started with the cover. I would hate to feed without it as we use to feed silage also.

 

[snoopdog]

If a cow goes into winter with a bcs of 6 or 7, I don't believe you'll see any negative effects from a score loss of 1 or 2 points . When we unrolled hay 2x a day , we fed only what they would clean up in an hour . I think most people overfeed, we used to and it's a difficult habit to break . As has been mentioned before , winter feed cost is one of the highest percentages , if not the highest , of our yearly cost, so trimming of the fat so to speak is not always a bad thing . Let me put my disclaimer in, I don't advocate starvation , before everyone gets out the pitchforks and torches .

 

[TexasBred]

If a cow goes into winter with a bcs of 6 or 7, I don't believe you'll see any negative effects from a score loss of 1 or 2 points . When we unrolled hay 2x a day , we fed only what they would clean up in an hour . I think most people overfeed, we used to and it's a difficult habit to break . As has been mentioned before , winter feed cost is one of the highest percentages , if not the highest , of our yearly cost, so trimming of the fat so to speak is not always a bad thing . Let me put my disclaimer in, I don't advocate starvation , before everyone gets out the pitchforks and torches .

All the more reason to buy the best hay you an afford then feed it accordingly. :nod:

 

[Bigfoot]

The ground had almosat settled enough to give it another shot, but it rained most of the day yesterday.

 

[ddd75]

I tried the unroll one yesterday. They made the hottest mess I've seen in a while. If did that twice a day, for 6 months, I won't have any land left by spring. I'm certain, it'd be more successful, if the ground was froze or dry. "If" it were to dry up some, I plan to try it again.

I would not even consider unrolling here. My ground stays wet in winter. The clay becomes a pig pen in high traffic. In fact, the benefit to having a designated feed area is to keep them off pasture.

i lived right by you and I was very successful in unrolling hay. The few times that it was too wet to unroll, I placed a weeks worth of bales in several fenced paddocks on the edge of the ridges. Then I just drove the 4 wheeler out and pushed them down the hills. Worked out great. I unrolled hay for 120 hd of cattle always on pasture and they never tore anything up. My place was green 3 weeks before anyone elses. The only thing you noticed was every field / hillside was covered in manure piles.

 

[ddd75]

its been pretty frozen here most of the winter so far.. I've been able to unroll over 200 bales on the fields.

 

[MtnCows93]

ill throw out some ideas i havent heard yet
1- call up your local bread store and see if the'll sell you the expired bread. ive heard of people having good luck with it and its almost free!
2-hunt down some corn stalks and go chop and bale them, feed 2 rolls of hay and 1 roll of stalks a day, pour your stalk bale with liquid feed if you can get it
3- go but one of them $900 cone bale rings, they have very little waste and the most successful cow man around here swears they pay for themselves the first year compared to regular bale rings
4- pick out the biggest fattest cows in your heard and sell them cause they probably eat double the hay of a normal cow
5-hire someone to come grind your hay and feed it out in troughs, less than 2% waste

 

[Tbrake]

Anyone here who unrolls a lot of hay have a variable core baler? I've been unrolling some hay for bedding due to the nasty weather and calving. I've been ripping around the pasture 20+ mph in the truck trying to get the last 3' of the bale to unrole. Was wondering if I could change the density of the center and make them easier to unrole. I have never messed with the variable core setting. It is a Deere 569 baler

 

[Lucky]

Been unrolling hay for several years, can't imagine going back to rings. I feed about 30#'s per head and cut my hay usage nearly in half by unrolling. One of the keys I've found to getting the entire bale to unroll is to unroll it the way it was rolled up. This can be done by feeling the end of the bale. I haven't had any problems with calves getting stepped on or weaker older cows not getting to eat since we started unrolling either. I never have had trouble with it being too muddy to unroll but our tractor does have wider tires. Only down fall I see is having to do it every day. It's a real pain after dark too. If raining really hard I do just set out a few rolls and then try to clean up the mess when it dries up.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Lucky - welcome to the boards

 

[Lucky]

Thanks. Been reading on and off for a long time. Tried to register last year with no luck, finally tried again.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Well, you just switched over to a Beginner. Congratulations. Enjoy the boards. We try to have fun along with learning.