How do you get the string off?

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

No, we have a moisture problem. You count the number of days that it rains - we count the number of days that we have sunshine! :shock:
Twine rots on the bottom quickly around here. The more the bales get wet, the more they "swell". These start out as super tight bales, can't pull out any to look at if you wanted to when fresh.
Put plastic twine on them - they'll last a few years - no problem. Just different climate.
Hubby saw some dry bales with sisel twine in Montana - 2 years old - they were just as tight & nice as a new bale.

 

[mitchwi]

We don't use twine any more - use net wrap - but I found using a hay hook was the best way to "get ahold" of the twine.
And, Caustic, if we used sisel twine, we would leave half the bale where we stored it, and the other half would be moldie. :shock:
When we have ice, I drop the front end loader on the top of the bales to "squish" the bales to break the ice. This is the method I use with the baleage also. My arms give out trying to beat them with a bat (which I carry in the tractor & have to use sometimes - and yes, shut your eyes - flying ice!!)

You have a baler problem not a twine problem if your baler is rolling them that loose. I have bales that are three years old that you can still move. The string has rotted off but they are still tight.

I am located in WI and we use sisal twine, we store outside (hope to change soon) but when we put out bales, I can usually take off the twine from sides and top, but the twine at the bottom of the bale has already deteriorated. Bales stay together... once in awhile if the bale spins on the bale fork you may lose a round. But for the most part, all stay together.

 

[Dusty]

Corn Knife, Guys sharpen your 24" corn knives or Cane Knives and hack away, the length of the blade gives you a good slam on the bale to break ice and about twice a year you have to sharpen the blade.... Works good on the loader tractor and bale bed.....

 

[ChrisB]

If you do use sisal twine and store outside like I do. Use a bale mover that picks up the bales from underneath instead of a spear that goes into the center. I leave very little hay on the ground, but there is some spoiling, just not enough to make me go through the work of removing netwrap or plastic twine.

 

[Cowdirt]

We don't use twine any more - use net wrap - but I found using a hay hook was the best way to "get ahold" of the twine.
And, Caustic, if we used sisel twine, we would leave half the bale where we stored it, and the other half would be moldie. :shock:
When we have ice, I drop the front end loader on the top of the bales to "squish" the bales to break the ice. This is the method I use with the baleage also. My arms give out trying to beat them with a bat (which I carry in the tractor & have to use sometimes - and yes, shut your eyes - flying ice!!)

You have a baler problem not a twine problem if your baler is rolling them that loose. I have bales that are three years old that you can still move. The string has rotted off but they are still tight.

I am located in WI and we use sisal twine, we store outside (hope to change soon) but when we put out bales, I can usually take off the twine from sides and top, but the twine at the bottom of the bale has already deteriorated. Bales stay together... once in awhile if the bale spins on the bale fork you may lose a round. But for the most part, all stay together.

I have sisal twine and store outside(not a good situation I know) and feed with no significant loss in moving. Of course I leave some on the ground from rot. I have never had a problem with sisal twine and the cows. So I never remove it. I usually have plenty of hay. I don't cover it. Cows are fat on it. I guess I'm paying for the convenience of running a spear in it, putting it in the bale feeder and going back to the computer. :lol:

 

[stocky]

I use an axe. That is the fastest way when the ice covers the bale. Sissel string is fine when you bring the hay to the lot and the lot is close to the field to feed. If you are going to sell the hay later or if you are going to move it a few times or move it a long distance with a bale spear on the pickup after the string rots, it can present a problem. The string will rot in a month or two here. Net reduces waste but is a time consuming pain to deal with. Plastic twine wont rot so quickly, but also is time consuming. If you have enough barn space close to each pasture, then you have a great combination of sissel twine and dry hay. But very few have enough barns for all the hay or barns close enough to each pasture or hayfield.

 

[Beefy]

ive never had this problem before but i like jeannes idea of smashing the bale with the loader. sometimes i have to smash haylage rolls just to get them going.

 

[IL Rancher]

We used to use sisel, and will again (Don't like sisel on corn stalk bales, they have a tendancy to blow up when the sisel rots..) Never had a problem of loosing half the bale, even 2 years later and we get 38 inches of precip around here, along with the umidity.. But we use a hay fork and go under the bales to pick them up instead of spearing them... Spearing them we would sometimes loose some... or if the wind was realy howling we might but not often.. I hate plastic twine... Netwrap's only convienance is you can bale a bit faster.