How do you feed big round cornstalk bales?

[derekcattle]

Currently I'm using a bale ring to feed big round cornstalk bales to my cows. A lot of the stalks go to waste so I was wondering how other people feed stalks so less of it goes to waste? I just have a small herd so I don't have a TMR wagon or anything like that where I could grind it up and feed it.

Thanks.

 

[Bez+]

We do not often use them - but - if we are talking what I think we are talking - aftermath of combined corn - there is a heck of a pile of unpalatable stuff in those bales anyways - so we just set them on the ground - cut the twine or net and walk away.

Cows sort it out.

Bez+

 

[redluv]

I know you said you don't have a grinder...but we grind ours with hay. Like Bez said, there's a lot of stuff in cornstalks that the cows won't eat, so I wouldn't worry too much about waste. The stuff on the ground will at least make good bedding.

 

[c farmer]

I run a stalk chopper over the fields, round bale and net wrap and feed in a bale ring, works good.

 

[CattleHand]

Molasses helps cattle eat the old leaves of milo better (having molasses available). May help get more out of the corn, but like everyone said some of that they just wont touch, its not worth much to them. Especially if you have green grass coming in.