Been unrolling hay

[tom4018]

I started back unrolling hay today. I would have liked to have made it to the 15th, before starting back. Mathematicaly, I just couldn’t wait that long, I’m gonna Unroll 2 a day. That’ll work out to 21 pounds of hay per cow. I guess me and the cows will all be anxious for the green up. If I get some snow cover, I’ll go back to the rings, and free choice. If I have everything figured right, I should run smack out, the last week of March. I’m holding about 20 calves til spring, and I have a few dead beat family members that rely on me for everything, and it’s hard to say for sure, but I hope I coast in on what I got. I have just got to find some more hay ground next year, or reduce my herd. I don’t like this cows not having all they won’t in February and early March. We get a touch more daylight, and I’ll add a little ddg and shelled corn to the mix, and I won’t feel quit so bad.

What are you feeding? Trying to feed mine some to stretch the hay. Had some hay located and guy sold it out from under me.

 

[Bigfoot]

I started back unrolling hay today. I would have liked to have made it to the 15th, before starting back. Mathematicaly, I just couldn’t wait that long, I’m gonna Unroll 2 a day. That’ll work out to 21 pounds of hay per cow. I guess me and the cows will all be anxious for the green up. If I get some snow cover, I’ll go back to the rings, and free choice. If I have everything figured right, I should run smack out, the last week of March. I’m holding about 20 calves til spring, and I have a few dead beat family members that rely on me for everything, and it’s hard to say for sure, but I hope I coast in on what I got. I have just got to find some more hay ground next year, or reduce my herd. I don’t like this cows not having all they won’t in February and early March. We get a touch more daylight, and I’ll add a little ddg and shelled corn to the mix, and I won’t feel quit so bad.

What are you feeding? Trying to feed mine some to stretch the hay. Had some hay located and guy sold it out from under me.

Strictly hay for now. It’s my hay, and not to sound like the braggarts on here, but it’s good stuff. Zero weeds and zero stems. 20 pounds of it a day, is more nutrition than 30 pounds of what my dad bought at the hay auction. It’s completely junk, and he gave $62 a roll. Said the good hay approached $100 a roll.

When I feed a cow, and it’s looking like I’ll end up feeding these, I mix 60% ddg with 40% corn. Has to be mixed by hand, because I don’t have any other way. I have 2 gravity wagons, and together they hold 6 tons. Mixing that, and putting out 600 pounds a day is pretty hard. It does replace a mountain of hay though. I can’t post a picture here to save my life, but Jed turned me on to the feeders I use. Plastic 55 gallon drums bolted together. Easy to move, and feed around the edges of what I’ve already laid to waste feeding hay. Putting out a supplement is probably a pain in the tail everywhere, but is where we live for sure, and the way I go about it ain’t easy either. If I had the stuff to do it with, and the facilities it’d be a different story. I just can’t afford the stuff and the facilities.

Texas bred hopefully will show up and check off on my numbers, or give you actual numbers, but I have about 8 cents a pound in the feed, I figure each pound replaces 2.5 to 3 pounds of hay. Which to me, makes it cheaper than hay. It’s just a gut buster to fool with the way I have to go about it.

 

[pricefarm]

The ground here finally froze this week so I have been unrolling hay. The cows love it they are out of the mud. They clean it up very well. But this coming week we are going to be back in the 60s so the ground will unthaw and be a muddy mess again so back to the feed lot.

 

[sstterry]

I started back unrolling hay today. I would have liked to have made it to the 15th, before starting back. Mathematicaly, I just couldn’t wait that long, I’m gonna Unroll 2 a day. That’ll work out to 21 pounds of hay per cow. I guess me and the cows will all be anxious for the green up. If I get some snow cover, I’ll go back to the rings, and free choice. If I have everything figured right, I should run smack out, the last week of March. I’m holding about 20 calves til spring, and I have a few dead beat family members that rely on me for everything, and it’s hard to say for sure, but I hope I coast in on what I got. I have just got to find some more hay ground next year, or reduce my herd. I don’t like this cows not having all they won’t in February and early March. We get a touch more daylight, and I’ll add a little ddg and shelled corn to the mix, and I won’t feel quit so bad.

What are you feeding? Trying to feed mine some to stretch the hay. Had some hay located and guy sold it out from under me.

Here is a pretty good article on the optimal mix for your feed's nutrient composition.

 

[sstterry]

Sorry, I forgot to add the link this morning.

https://www.beefmagazine.com/nutrit...s-how-use-2017-data-mix-best-feed-your-cattle

 

[Ky hills]

I unroll most of mine in each field that I can. The way we are situated I have some roads out the ridges and I set off to side and push then and let momentum of gravity do the rest. there is some waste to it but I doubt no more than feeding without rings.

 

[mo gman]

have you tried rolling the bale with the front spear of the tractor? If you determine which way the hay is rolled, you can use the spear as a guide to unroll the bale.

 

[Bigfoot]

have you tried rolling the bale with the front spear of the tractor? If you determine which way the hay is rolled, you can use the spear as a guide to unroll the bale.

My current rolls are unrolling just fine. Fed some rolls I bought, and they wouldn’t in roll at all. Hard to tear apart with hay hooks. Rolled with a Heston FWIW.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

The baler I used last summer had the passive "bale slice" option which slices the bales into cookies or sorts. Found out this winter those bales don't really unroll they just turn into a pile of hay. Lol.

New baler is a full crop cutter which I bought with intentions of making fewer but denser bales. If I utilize the knives I may have to think of a different feeding setup than unrolling.

 

[ddd75]

i was looking at a super slicer II

 

[TexasBred]

I started back unrolling hay today. I would have liked to have made it to the 15th, before starting back. Mathematicaly, I just couldn’t wait that long, I’m gonna Unroll 2 a day. That’ll work out to 21 pounds of hay per cow. I guess me and the cows will all be anxious for the green up. If I get some snow cover, I’ll go back to the rings, and free choice. If I have everything figured right, I should run smack out, the last week of March. I’m holding about 20 calves til spring, and I have a few dead beat family members that rely on me for everything, and it’s hard to say for sure, but I hope I coast in on what I got. I have just got to find some more hay ground next year, or reduce my herd. I don’t like this cows not having all they won’t in February and early March. We get a touch more daylight, and I’ll add a little ddg and shelled corn to the mix, and I won’t feel quit so bad.

What are you feeding? Trying to feed mine some to stretch the hay. Had some hay located and guy sold it out from under me.

Strictly hay for now. It’s my hay, and not to sound like the braggarts on here, but it’s good stuff. Zero weeds and zero stems. 20 pounds of it a day, is more nutrition than 30 pounds of what my dad bought at the hay auction. It’s completely junk, and he gave $62 a roll. Said the good hay approached $100 a roll.

When I feed a cow, and it’s looking like I’ll end up feeding these, I mix 60% ddg with 40% corn. Has to be mixed by hand, because I don’t have any other way. I have 2 gravity wagons, and together they hold 6 tons. Mixing that, and putting out 600 pounds a day is pretty hard. It does replace a mountain of hay though. I can’t post a picture here to save my life, but Jed turned me on to the feeders I use. Plastic 55 gallon drums bolted together. Easy to move, and feed around the edges of what I’ve already laid to waste feeding hay. Putting out a supplement is probably a pain in the tail everywhere, but is where we live for sure, and the way I go about it ain’t easy either. If I had the stuff to do it with, and the facilities it’d be a different story. I just can’t afford the stuff and the facilities.

Texas bred hopefully will show up and check off on my numbers, or give you actual numbers, but I have about 8 cents a pound in the feed, I figure each pound replaces 2.5 to 3 pounds of hay. Which to me, makes it cheaper than hay. It’s just a gut buster to fool with the way I have to go about it.

Bigfoot I have no idea how much hay it is replacing but that mix is right at 20% crude protein depending on the ddg. All of the ddg is considered roughage so equivalent to high quality alfalfa. Your cattle certainly should be in very good condition.

 

[JMJ Farms]

i was looking at a super slicer II

I’ve got one. And it works. And I like it. But if money wasn’t a factor I’d get a Vermeer or Haybuster processor. Night and day.

 

[ddd75]

i was looking at a super slicer II

I’ve got one. And it works. And I like it. But if money wasn’t a factor I’d get a Vermeer or Haybuster processor. Night and day.

what i don't want with the haybuster is all the dust.. i'm thinking it cuts it up too small and the wind will blow a lot of ffeed. i'm wanting to use this to feed out in the field and bunks as well.


anyway to not cut it up so fine with a haybuster?

 

[JMJ Farms]

i was looking at a super slicer II

I’ve got one. And it works. And I like it. But if money wasn’t a factor I’d get a Vermeer or Haybuster processor. Night and day.

what i don't want with the haybuster is all the dust.. i'm thinking it cuts it up too small and the wind will blow a lot of ffeed. i'm wanting to use this to feed out in the field and bunks as well.


anyway to not cut it up so fine with a haybuster?

I bought the Super Slicer from my neighbor when he bought a Vermeer BP8000. We both unroll on pastures and the three biggest things I have observed are.
1) The speed of processing is not even comparable. Vermeer(or Haybuster) hands down.
2) The Super Slicer unrolls the bale so to speak. The Vermeer mixes it more during processing. My bales sit outside so I have some rot on the bottom. The Super Slicer unrolls this in a wad. The Vermeer mixes it with the good hay and they clean it up. If barn stored this would be a nonissue but it is for us.
3) The Vermeer feeds in a much narrower windrow. Equals almost zero waste. Bunk feeding, either would work.
Also the Vermeer allows you to drop the curtain and feed in a windrow or leave the curtain up and blow the hay. We have covered pond dams and seeded new hayfields and pastures with his. Bottom line, either will work, but if one can afford it, the Vermeer is a much tougher more versatile machine.

 

[ddd75]

I’ve got one. And it works. And I like it. But if money wasn’t a factor I’d get a Vermeer or Haybuster processor. Night and day.

what i don't want with the haybuster is all the dust.. i'm thinking it cuts it up too small and the wind will blow a lot of ffeed. i'm wanting to use this to feed out in the field and bunks as well.


anyway to not cut it up so fine with a haybuster?

I bought the Super Slicer from my neighbor when he bought a Vermeer BP8000. We both unroll on pastures and the three biggest things I have observed are.
1) The speed of processing is not even comparable. Vermeer(or Haybuster) hands down.
2) The Super Slicer unrolls the bale so to speak. The Vermeer mixes it more during processing. My bales sit outside so I have some rot on the bottom. The Super Slicer unrolls this in a wad. The Vermeer mixes it with the good hay and they clean it up. If barn stored this would be a nonissue but it is for us.
3) The Vermeer feeds in a much narrower windrow. Equals almost zero waste. Bunk feeding, either would work.
Also the Vermeer allows you to drop the curtain and feed in a windrow or leave the curtain up and blow the hay. We have covered pond dams and seeded new hayfields and pastures with his. Bottom line, either will work, but if one can afford it, the Vermeer is a much tougher more versatile machine.

thanks for the info :cowboy:

 

[snoopdog]

All well laid plans laid to rest, we'll be buying more hay, and will be unrolling, limit feeding, and free choice feeding, as mother nature permits. Found some for 35 a 4x5, everyone else asking 50plus

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I, also, am going to be really close. Cattle are eating a lot, and since the majority are nursing calves, sure don't want to short them.
Hopefully, they will slow down if we ever get decent weather.

 

[Silver]

i was looking at a super slicer II

I’ve got one. And it works. And I like it. But if money wasn’t a factor I’d get a Vermeer or Haybuster processor. Night and day.

what i don't want with the haybuster is all the dust.. i'm thinking it cuts it up too small and the wind will blow a lot of ffeed. i'm wanting to use this to feed out in the field and bunks as well.


anyway to not cut it up so fine with a haybuster?

We got rid of our Haybuster years ago. On a bright sunny day the snow would have a green tinge for a mile downwind. We have a lot of alfalfa in our hay, and of course the leaves are the most valuable but fragile part.
Also, it's another machine to buy, maintain, extra fuel burnt, and hard on pto's. A three point bale unroller get's the job done quite nicely and cost effectively.
Worked nice for spreading bedding though. Or mixing some marginal hay with good hay to better utilize the poor hay. But I'm happier without it.

 

[ddd75]

I’ve got one. And it works. And I like it. But if money wasn’t a factor I’d get a Vermeer or Haybuster processor. Night and day.

what i don't want with the haybuster is all the dust.. i'm thinking it cuts it up too small and the wind will blow a lot of ffeed. i'm wanting to use this to feed out in the field and bunks as well.


anyway to not cut it up so fine with a haybuster?

We got rid of our Haybuster years ago. On a bright sunny day the snow would have a green tinge for a mile downwind. We have a lot of alfalfa in our hay, and of course the leaves are the most valuable but fragile part.
Also, it's another machine to buy, maintain, extra fuel burnt, and hard on pto's. A three point bale unroller get's the job done quite nicely and cost effectively.
Worked nice for spreading bedding though. Or mixing some marginal hay with good hay to better utilize the poor hay. But I'm happier without it.

so my thinking that it will blow a lot of hay (waste) is correct.. it seems like that super slicer keeps it more of a blanket of hay.

I have a 3 point baler spinner now and it works pretty good, but the cores stuck in it are really starting to hurt my hands after yanking on them for years. Also.. when feeding 200'ish cows I want to be able to carry enough bales in one trip to feed them all.

 

[gizmom]

We were at the Cattlemen’s convention one of the speakers was talking about the benefits of unrolling. One discussed was the amount of nutrients being put back into the pasture which was something I hadn’t factored into the equation.

Gizmom