Dealing with net wrap in winter

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JeffK-MN

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What is the best way to deal with large round bales stored outside with net wrap? We have had a lot of frozen net wrap this year. We used to use twine string but now a lot of the bales we bought have netting instead of twine.
How do you cover them to prevent the ice buildup? How are some of you removing the net wrap when it's frozen?
Thanks.
Jeff
 
Drop on end from high. Find the end of the wrap. Walk around the bale 3x.
We have been dropping them and setting them a part in the sun. That helps alot, it's hard to find the beginning of the wrap so I cut it with a knife.
 
Some years/conditions are just worse and lead to ice. I almost always have twine bales. Last year I got an inch of bale w the twine all spring. Just pulled them to the side and burnt the twine and hay almost daily. I think cutting the net wrap would complicate it but sometimes not much you can do.
 
I set them on the flat side in the sun. When a sunny day is in the forecast I will set out as many bales as I think ill need to get thru until the next sunny day. Last week even at -18 with the sun I was able to get the net off a whole bunch of bales.
 
A hay barn is the ultimate solution but before I had that I would cover a few bales with a tarp and only use those on icy days.
 
I've also rolled them in the pasture with the loader till the ice was broken up but that don't always work.
Here's one thawing in the garage overnight, nothing beats a covered bale though.
 

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I'm not a fan of net wrap any time. It just makes a big ole mess.

I have about 30 old net wrap bales I'm going to haul out in the pasture and try to get as much off as possible. I'm going to let the cows have their way with it and then burn it in the spring.

That will be the last net wrap I will ever deal with. I told the custom hay guys several years ago they will not be paid for any net wrap bales. Every one around here has pretty much abandoned it now but they tried to push it hard several years back.
 
I've never dealt with any net wrap and don't want to either. I try to store as much hay inside as possible. My hay storage is a long way from some feeding areas so I bring several rolls around to the yard which is a centralized location for faster and easier access. The ice storm hit and couldn't get around to the hay, so had to use what was close. Those strings were hard enough to get off, no way I would fool with the wrap.
 
I greatly prefer netwrap. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind it sheds water better and even helps with uv protection. It hauls better on a truck spear and looks better to customers. I my usual weather one swipe across the bale with a sharp knife and pull it off in one piece. Not gather up a bunch of loose ends like string.
During the great polar vortex of 21 I got to see some ice that made it a Bytch. But I feed just as many string bales and it wasn't any easier to unwrap and harder to get it all up.
I used tcs method of sliding the spear under the wrap and breaking it then flipping it and pulling it off with the spear.
Bales delivered to cows by truck we started just leaving it on with the bale on its side. ( I don't use rings and never dump a bale in the same spot)
We started going around picking up the net and string yesterday. Imo again the next was easier to clean up.
I can sure see sisal being much easier. But it's not much good into the next season. I might start rolling a portion with sisal for poor weather.
 
TMR is an inefficient, expensive way to grind a bale. Most of the big guys here get a custom guy in with a tub grinder or use a bale shredder on the bales first.
 
I prefer net wrap for keeping the bales good... sheds water better, maintains shape better. Don't like it for freezing onto the bales though on the underside. Going to put some kind of support under them next year I think to keep them off the ground, or get the bales set out and ready for bale grazing before freezing weather maybe. But I prefer unrolling them across the pastures, so that doesn't leave me much for options.
 
Thanks for all the info. It's just something when buying hay I have to put up with. Sisal twine is the best when I can find it. -Jeff
 

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