Bale grinder

[SBMF 2015]

My cows run on corn stalks all winter. They get corn silage and ryelage/haylage in bunks every night.
I barrow a bagger and my old chopper doesn’t like hay. So I’m not planning on chopping any more hay or rye.
I have talked to a couple custom guys. What they charge and their minimum number of bales to grind at a time doesn’t fit my needs. Not to mention they are not willing to take the time to take the net wrap off before they grind. I’d be okay with that for the feedlot cattle, but not my stock cows.

Anyone grinding hay for themselves? What brand/model are you using?
I was looking pretty hard at a Roto-grind or a Haybuster. They’re all an investment, none of them are cheap. I’m I overlooking something better?

Thanks

 

[Atimm693]

We borrowed a Haybuster for a short while one year, just to finish the season.

Our experience, you need a lot of power, and it will plug every orifice in your tractor with chaff. 100hp wasn't enough, 125 minimum IMO. They have a governor that stops the tub from rotating whenever a slug of hay goes through, so in theory you can run it with a smaller tractor but it doesn't work that well.

From what I've heard a good one will do 20 bales/hr, ours wasn't anywhere close to that but the hammer mill wasn't in the best shape.

As with any high RPM machine, you will have a lot of maintenance.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Planning on running the grinder with a JD 4640. Their 156 pto hp stock.
Roto grind claims 90hp min, but I think our 4020 would fall flat on its face.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Rented a Roto-grind 3 years ago to grind 300 bales of mulch and it was slower than molasses at -40°. From sheering driveline pins to having bales just sit and spin and not grind, it was a miserable experience could easily run it on 100hp but barely accomplish anything.

After 2 days and only 150 bales done I gave up and borrowed a Vermeer and it gobbled up the 2nd half of bales in an afternoon. Had it on a 200hp tractor and it gave it a workout but the machine was also accomplishing a lot more than the Roto-Grind in 1/4 the time.

 

[Stocker Steve]

There are custom truck mounted grinders here.

Grinding hay is expensive. Why not feed the hay in bale rings?

 

[RDFF]

Forget grinding, IMO. Why use all that fuel and wear out a tractor and a grinder? God gave cows teeth for a reason... let 'em use 'em! I prefer to unroll my bales across the pasture, and let the cows spread their own manure then too.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Why not feed the hay in bale rings?

I can control their intake so much better, feeding in bunks, and I don't have the muddy circles around the bale feeders to straighten out before we plant. ( I winter cows on corn stalls)

 

[SBMF 2015]

Forget grinding, IMO. Why use all that fuel and wear out a tractor and a grinder? God gave cows teeth for a reason... let 'em use 'em! I prefer to unroll my bales across the pasture, and let the cows spread their own manure then too.

Oh, they still have to use their teeth.
It costs to much to raise hay around here. I expect my cows to clean up 90+% of a bale when I feed them. They can't sort as easily if its ground and mixed we corn silage.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Do cows graze corn stocks in IL?

 

[SBMF 2015]

Do cows graze corn stocks in IL?

Any crop residue. With crop rotation they'll winter on bean stubble next year. This brings the cows off pasture for winter/spring and close to the buildings when they're calving.
The bale feeders are out in the Crop ground and the cows have access to a concrete lot with H bunks. They'll graze until we get heavy snow.

 

[uplandnut]

Instead of a grinder what about on unroller like silver has? I believe you can get them with an extension for feeding in bunks and they claim they are easier on the pto and require less hp.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Instead of a grinder what about on unroller like silver has? I believe you can get them with an extension for feeding in bunks and they claim they are easier on the pto and require less hp.

They waste to much. We are seeing more and more unexpected winter thaws. The mud has been terrible.
Feeding long hay in bunks they pull it out and stand on it.

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

We have the same issue with mud and it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon.
I figure when we roll one down the hill we're probably losing 40%, maybe more to the mud.
But the pastures been so wet I can't get the tractor in to put the rolls in the hay rings.
When we try to feed them in the bunk they just drag it everywhere and foul up the corral.

 

[Silver]

Won’t work for this season but perhaps a good solution would be to bale with a crop cutter, then feed into bunks with a Hustler or Tubeline bale feeder.

 

[Stocker Steve]

We have at least 4 months of rock-solid soil, but yes, there can be a short-term residue penalty from feeding long hay on crop ground,

Small operators here have sacrifice lots for feeding long hay, and they let the residue compost before spreading. BTOs here usually feed with TMRs. Are you using one? I know their hay grinding ability varies a lot.

Seems like a truck mounted custom grinder could work if you took the strings off?

 

[SBMF 2015]

We have at least 4 months of rock-solid soil, but yes, there can be a short-term residue penalty from feeding long hay on crop ground,

Small operators here have sacrifice lots for feeding long hay, and they let the residue compost before spreading. BTOs here usually feed with TMRs. Are you using one? I know their hay grinding ability varies a lot.

Seems like a truck mounted custom grinder could work if you took the strings off?

I am using a TMR, but not a vertical mixer. So no grinding ability. Long hay is a big no no in Auggie style mixers.
There are custom guys available, but they only want to do big jobs (100 bales+) and they don't want to wait while you take the wrap off.
I could tolerate grinding the wrap if I was only feeding it to fdr cattle, but not for my cows.

 

[wbvs58]

How does the grinder deal with the net wrap? Does it come out well chopped up or is it in longer stringish looking lengths?

Ken

 

[Atimm693]

How does the grinder deal with the net wrap? Does it come out well chopped up or is it in longer stringish looking lengths?

Ken

I imagine it varies with the type of net, we use Vermeer and you really had to look to find a strand of net, what you could find was 3-4 inches, about the same as the ground hay.

We use a Vermeer 604 Pro with the chopper system, mostly wrapped 4x4 silage bales, sudan, alfalfa, and wheat.

Chopped bales are not good for unrolling, once you cut the net off you pretty much end up with a pile of hay. I'm not sure if you'd be able to get one in an unroller without making a huge mess.

From what I've heard auger mixers will do okay with dry ground/chopped hay but really struggle if it's wet, so silage is out.

 

[SBMF 2015]

How does the grinder deal with the net wrap? Does it come out well chopped up or is it in longer stringish looking lengths?

Ken

Most of the time you just find 1” pieces, but sometimes you get longer pieces

 

[RDFF]

We use a Vermeer 604 Pro with the chopper system, mostly wrapped 4x4 silage bales, sudan, alfalfa, and wheat.

Chopped bales are not good for unrolling, once you cut the net off you pretty much end up with a pile of hay. I'm not sure if you'd be able to get one in an unroller without making a huge mess.

You want a Hustler Combi RX... it'll handle anything you throw at it according to their literature.

Combi RX Multi-Feeder Range | Hustler Equipment