crossbreed
Well-known member
Correct. We unroll in google weather and during bad weather we will put out enough hay in feeders to get past the wet spell to save tearing up ground. Keeps these old bones warm and dry also
Hay Unrollers
- Thread starter Kthompson
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Mark Reynolds
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What is google weather? Possibly pixilated clouds and precipitation?
chaded
Well-known member
I unroll in good and bad weather. In fact, I don't take the tractor in the pastures in the winter anymore unless absolutely necessary. The UTV doesn't tear them up and cause ruts.
After following hay feeding threads here for several years, I don't think I would be off base to say, from the standpoint of cow nutrition and economy, unrolling the amount of hay that cows will clean up in a day is clearly the best option available. Time and labor considerations and regularity of feeding certainly factor in, but in a perfect world, we would roll out daily. The problem is that for those on heavy soils, in parts of the country where the ground doesn't freeze, rolling out with a tractor is not feasible. Just placing bales in different spots every few days or even weekly becomes a nightmare. Damage to pastures is irreparable, not to mention the advanced level of equipment required over normal ranching requirements (4WD,etc.). For those of us in heavy rainfall, heavy soils environments, an unroller pulled by a 4-wheeler or side by side is the perfect if not only solution.
Is that a Greg Judy unroller? If not, what brand is it?
chaded
Well-known member
Yes it is. It is very well built and I have no complaints with it.
crossbreed
Well-known member
Or a thumb that can't read
Kthompson
Member
Thank You for all the replies! I am shopping for one now 
libertygarden
Well-known member
A word of caution, not about hay unrollers, but about the hay unrolled. Last year, I unrolled about 20 bales across my fields. Some hay rolls were excellent quality, but the TX drought and the hay shortages that followed forced me to buy from intermediaries of lesser reputation. This year, my fields are a solid patch of Cockel burrs because I bought weedy hay. So unless your are willing to pay premium from well known sellers in your region, I would stick to hay rings because you'll be unrolling the good and the bad, and usually the weeds grow with a lot more impetus than the grasses.
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Kthompson
Member
Good Advice!
Dave
Well-known member
I really like the idea of spreading it out not just rolling in a line. The one neighbor who uses round bales has one of those hydraulic spinners on the 3 point. He spins some off, stops the spin, keeps driving ahead another 20-30 feet and spins off another clump. Doing that significantly reduces the amount of hay that gets walked on. Cows are nose first into the hay. I do the same thing feeding the big squares. You can see it in the picture the last two flakes the cows haven't got to yet.
I use a 3 point unroller if I'm on high ground or its dry out. Doing so in wet bottom ground is very wasteful unless it's frozen.
On real wet ground I tend to set out whole bales without rings. Seems to be less waste.
I think an unroller is a wonderful investment if you feed hay. You can drastically improve fertility by being strategic. That's the only type of added fertility my place gets and it's better every year.
Considering making hay here next year and will unroll it back on the field from which it came. Hopefully that will keep a balance going.
On real wet ground I tend to set out whole bales without rings. Seems to be less waste.
I think an unroller is a wonderful investment if you feed hay. You can drastically improve fertility by being strategic. That's the only type of added fertility my place gets and it's better every year.
Considering making hay here next year and will unroll it back on the field from which it came. Hopefully that will keep a balance going.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
Fertilizer $value to the pasture due to hay wastage is an argument to 'support' poor management. (Which I am King of.)
Like @simme , I'd much rather return whatever 'fertilizer value' in that hay I purchased (or paid to produce) to the soil in the form of cow manure PLUS the savings or income derived from that hay nourishing my cattle before being deposited as manure or urine.
A vote from me for unrolling - but only if you feed what they'll clean up in 2-3 hours.
rocket2222
Well-known member
I got one from here
https://www.everythingattachments.c...-Round-Hay-Bale-Unroller-p/ea-hbu-4-5w-v2.htm
This is a newer model than mine, mine looks a little more basic, the stand legs make it easy to hook up.
https://www.everythingattachments.c...-Round-Hay-Bale-Unroller-p/ea-hbu-4-5w-v2.htm
This is a newer model than mine, mine looks a little more basic, the stand legs make it easy to hook up.
Dave
Well-known member
chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
The trouble with the hydraulic "spin off" style (other than cost) is you now have a hydraulic motor, chain, sprockets, bearings, etc. All of which are prime failure points when its -30 degrees and the cows need feeding.
The squeeze style that just let the bale do the unrolling really have very little to go wrong. I bought mine used for 500 bucks from a guy who probably unrolled 100k bales with it, and I unroll 1k or so a year and it just works without question.
The squeeze style that just let the bale do the unrolling really have very little to go wrong. I bought mine used for 500 bucks from a guy who probably unrolled 100k bales with it, and I unroll 1k or so a year and it just works without question.
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