Hay feeding question

[coach4christ]

Who unrolls their hay when they feed? What are the benefits? I have always left the rolls whole. The other day someone mentioned that I ought to unroll them. I asked them why and they just shrugged their shoulders and didn't have a reason. Just curious.

 

[TexasBred]

Who unrolls their hay when they feed? What are the benefits? I have always left the rolls whole. The other day someone mentioned that I ought to unroll them. I asked them why and they just shrugged their shoulders and didn't have a reason. Just curious.

I don't but a lot of folks here do I believe. Seems like a line of hay would just encourage the cattle to crap and pee on it and end up with just about as much waste. I don't feed cubes in a line either for the same reason.

 

[Isomade]

I unroll mine. When put in rings you need a "sacrifice" area and the grass doesn't grow well where it set the next year. When I unroll I make sure to only put out what they need that day. They clean it up and it allows me to spread the manure all over the pasture. It also ensures that they all get some hay, instead of a few hogs getting more than their share. If you unroll more than they need in a day they will crap on it and lay in it.

 

[OLD DUSTY]

I unroll mine. When put in rings you need a "sacrifice" area and the grass doesn't grow well where it set the next year. When I unroll I make sure to only put out what they need that day. They clean it up and it allows me to spread the manure all over the pasture. It also ensures that they all get some hay, instead of a few hogs getting more than their share. If you unroll more than they need in a day they will crap on it and lay in it.

Ditto, also no hay rings needed.

 

[James T]

Theres a fella down the road from me that unroll his down a slight decline and it seems to work out fine but, he has quite a few cows and they clean it all up real nice. No waste. In addition, he has very little grass because of the severe drought --> his cows are real hungry!

 

[Isomade]

Theres a fella down the road from me that unroll his down a slight decline and it seems to work out fine but, he has quite a few cows and they clean it all up real nice. No waste. In addition, he has very little grass because of the severe drought --> his cows are real hungry!

I didn't know you lived by me. :lol:

 

[Caustic Burno]

I use a hay rack that holds two big rounds, they eat what falls under it cut's the waste way down.

 

[Ouachita]

I use a hay rack that holds two big rounds, they eat what falls under it cut's the waste way down.

Can you post a picture of your setup CB? (or anybody else that has a similar setup). I have thought about building a rig on skids, maybe wheels, with 4 vertical post and drooping chains. Kinda like a suspended basketball net, except no outlet for the bale at bottom. I only have 26 head now to winter. I've always used 2 rings, and move them everytime I feed.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

We have a large concrete pad with grooves in it for traction behind the feed barn for the cattle to come to and eat from the rings. It's pretty easy to scrape the manure off the pad periodically during the winter.

 

[Caustic Burno]

 

[Ouachita]

Thanks CB. Nice looking place too. I also notice the bent wire panel. Did you put those bends in it on purpose, for a particular reason? I'm only asking cause I've already got plenty of bent ones that might work for this project if I just tweek'em a bit to match yours

 

[Caustic Burno]

Didn't have in there orginally, when the bale got ate down a large chunk could fall through and they could grab it and scatter it. So I cut a piece of cattle panel and welded it in the bottom fixed the problem.

 

[OklaBrangusBreeder]

We feed our hay by unrolling. For no other reason then it gives all cows (and calves) an even chance to get what they want. Seems like in the rings, the more aggressive cows get more than their share and the others come up short.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I'm going to attempt to unroll a bale or two over Thanksgiving and if my mother in law lights me up over it I'm blaming you guys.

 

[papavillars]

Thanks CB, for the pictures. even I should be able to make that rig. Nice looking place. Newest report is not good for next years rainfall.

 

[1982vett]

Thanks CB, for the pictures. even I should be able to make that rig. Nice looking place. Newest report is not good for next years rainfall.

LOL.....Who needs a report to have that idea? Lets see...rainfall sucked this year....rainfall sucked last year...rainfall sucked the year before last....4 years ago? Yep...sucked......Wish I had an idea what it might be like next year.

 

[TexasBred]

CB looks like you're got quite a few dead trees like the rest of us. Almost unheard of in your area til this year.

 

[1982vett]

CB looks like you're got quite a few dead trees like the rest of us. Almost unheard of in your area til this year.

:lol: TB...if i'm not mistaken...that's and old pic and the trees are "dead" because it's COLD

 

[TexasBred]

You're probably right Vet. Just saw some green grass but could be rye/wheat etc. Heck I didn't think it ever got cold enough in CB's area to even make teh trees go dormant. ;-) He hunts tree rats in shorts and a muscle shirt and lots of skeeter dope.

 

[Caustic Burno]

CB looks like you're got quite a few dead trees like the rest of us. Almost unheard of in your area til this year.

There are trees that Hiawatha peed under dieing.
Dam skeeter's were like a cloud in the bottom this morning.
That picture was taken two or three year's ago.