anyone ever ...

[machslammer]

Built or put slats across hay rings to keep the hay out of the mud? How did it work and how many slats should be sufficient? Would 2x6 or 2x8 hold or should weld metal rods across? Or use a few 4x4? Thanks. Those funnel rings here are 600. I can do 4 rings for less than that worth pressure treated wood

 

[aprille218]

We've put bales on wooden pallets we've gotten for free before during the mud season. The pallets don't last more than 1 season but being free it works. Make sure you have a ring around them that the calves can't get into because their feet will get stuck in the pallets though.
Aprille

 

[hurleyjd]

You mean to tell us you cannot find a place to feed that is not muddy. Try moving that hay ring more often.

 

[Bez__]

You mean to tell us you cannot find a place to feed that is not muddy. Try moving that hay ring more often.

Seems to me that it gets muddier outside the hay ring - which we never use any more - than inside.

I am with hurleyjd on this one.

Bez__

 

[machslammer]

Well for 1 I'm in Tn where there are hills/mountains to most. Our cattle are shorter on one side than the other standing on a hillside most of the day. . Now where we enter our field is pretty flat and about 30 yards wide and 150 yards long. . Other than that its hill side or about a 200 yard long hill that is not fun in the mud sliding over the hill with a 1k# bale of hay on the front end. After about 2 months of moving the 4 rings, 10 feet this way or that, the entire flat ridge is a muddy mess feeding 1_2x week 4 rolls each time and the tractor running over the rainy muddy ground also doesn't help . .. next suggestion?

 

[Nesikep]

There are places in the world that have nothing but mud depending on the time of year...

 

[branguscowgirl]

My ground was similar to your yours while in OR.
We bolted L brackets onside the ring and bolted a heavy plywood bottom in it. It did make the ring very heavy to move but easier to roll.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Try unrolling the bale down the hill.

 

[TN Cattle Man]

I know this doesn't answer your question regarding hay rings, but from what you described it sounds like a hay wagon would better suit your conditions.

 

[fitz]

Well for 1 I'm in Tn where there are hills/mountains to most. Our cattle are shorter on one side than the other standing on a hillside most of the day. . Now where we enter our field is pretty flat and about 30 yards wide and 150 yards long. . Other than that its hill side or about a 200 yard long hill that is not fun in the mud sliding over the hill with a 1k# bale of hay on the front end. After about 2 months of moving the 4 rings, 10 feet this way or that, the entire flat ridge is a muddy mess feeding 1_2x week 4 rolls each time and the tractor running over the rainy muddy ground also doesn't help . .. next suggestion?

I know exactly what you're talking about. When you have to put out enough to do a week or so it's tough.
I'm fortunate to be around mine all the time now so they just get what they'll clean up each day. Rolling it out with ground this wet they'll plow a hillside for you. Have tried the hay wagons also. I just resign to a given area to feed with rings. They destroy it and I disc and sow grass come dry spring.

fitz

 

[Bez__]

next suggestion?

Yup - feed once a winter and bale graze - you will lose a bit more hay but it is easier on the ground, easier on the cattle, easier on the equipment and you have no expense for fuel, no maintenance, no labour, etc

Pencil it out and it comes in that the hay losses are more than paid for.

Most folks will not believe me - and very few folks will even attempt it - but after doing it for 40 years I know it works - in all conditions.

We bale graze for 7 months of the year and sometimes almost 8 if the weather does not cooperate - how long you actually feed hay? Two or three?

Last year we started mid October and they went on pasture May 20 or thereabouts.

Your part of the world?

Piece of cake.

Bez__

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

next suggestion?

Yup - feed once a winter and bale graze - you will lose a bit more hay but it is easier on the ground, easier on the cattle, easier on the equipment and you have no expense for fuel, no maintenance, no labour, etc

Pencil it out and it comes in that the hay losses are more than paid for.

Most folks will not believe me - and very few folks will even attempt it - but after doing it for 40 years I know it works - in all conditions.

We bale graze for 7 months of the year and sometimes almost 8 if the weather does not cooperate - how long you actually feed hay? Two or three?

Last year we started mid October and they went on pasture May 20 or thereabouts.

Your part of the world?

Piece of cake.

Bez__

Do you use a hot wire Bez?

 

[Bez__]

Hot wire?

Sometimes - but when you have 3-4 feet of snow on the ground and some big drifts they stay with the feed even if the gates are open.

You can separate with hot wire if the snow is marginal - like it is here now.

I do not have enough animals left to worry about now.

Sometimes we use different fields - sometimes we park hay in the bush - every year is different.

All it takes in your imagination - what works for you might or might not work for us and vice versa.

We always try to park the hay in areas shielded from the wind and up off the low ground - we only feed low ground after the freeze and that means we might put out 100 bales in late November to get that area covered. Heavy brush land can be excellent pasture in about 4-5 years if you do it right. Wintering them in it kills it dead when they break down the branches and then we let them graze it in the summer to kill off the new growth.

This is an excellent way to get marginal ground cleared as well - we always use cows to clear bush and willows and low lying scrub land - takes a bit longer but is far cheaper than using equipment.

The old cows only come for water every few days - they eat snow.

The younger cows come for water every day.

Aaron is up on this - we do it differently and at the same time he essentially does the same thing. Big difference is I do not use hay rings - I set the bales out and take the wrap or twine off and leave them.

Got to go and prep for a funeral - might be around tomorrow.

You guys have a great and safe New Years Eve.

Bez__

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Thanks for the lesson Bez.

Happy New Year!

 

[ERNIBIGB]

I tried a old tractor tire on a whim.It holds the bale off the ground and they seem to clean up the hay a little better. I'm with you on having to try to move hay rings. I have enough rings this year to alternate between two separate areas.One is up on the hillside and I try to fill them when it dries out a little.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

next suggestion?

Yup - feed once a winter and bale graze - you will lose a bit more hay but it is easier on the ground, easier on the cattle, easier on the equipment and you have no expense for fuel, no maintenance, no labour, etc

Pencil it out and it comes in that the hay losses are more than paid for.

Most folks will not believe me - and very few folks will even attempt it - but after doing it for 40 years I know it works - in all conditions.

We bale graze for 7 months of the year and sometimes almost 8 if the weather does not cooperate - how long you actually feed hay? Two or three?

Last year we started mid October and they went on pasture May 20 or thereabouts.

Your part of the world?

Piece of cake.

Bez__

I do this with four hay rings and a single hot wire and it works great for me. I put out 20 rolls at a time and just move the hot wire and feeders as they eat up a roll.

 

[Kingfisher]

I don't get it....mine eat the muddy side first on a new bale...

 

[Katpau]

I live in Oregon and mud can be a a problem here for half the year. In my area there are few flats and most of them are in riparian areas. We ended up putting down some road fabric and then covering that with rock in order to have a few solid areas to feed on. I know that does not help now, but it is something to keep in mind for a dry season project.

 

[machslammer]

Bez

I start feeding hay in Oct and keep at least a roll out year round as I run prob more cows than ground supplies. But around here normally it is from oct-nov to april-may.

Katpau

That sounds like what I prob need to do.

Hillbilly

Aren't you still cutting the ground up moving your rings around? We pick ours up and move with the hay fork.

I see my cattle 2x wk usually and my dad sees the other 5 days. So I put hay out 2x a week and rolling 1 roll a day wouldn't work for me. My little operation will eat about 4-7 rolls a week depending on how cold it gets. Once our ground finally freezes..then it's not a problem.
We move the hay rings once a week from end to end, but even driving the tractor over it grinds it up. It is pretty the next spring where the seeds have planted themselves, but I need something to just keep it up off the ground. I may make a chain sling in some of my rings to see if that will do the trick.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

I use the cheap hay rings that are light enough to move by hand. You could do this with the heavy duty ones if you were as big as Sasquach, but I am not, so I use the cheaper and lighter ones.