HUMMMM

[Scotty]

Should You Remove The Net Wrap From Bales?
Ideally, net wrap should be removed from bales before tub-grinding or processing, but there's no definitive research indicating that not doing so leads to intestinal problems.

That's what Greg Lardy, North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension beef cattle specialist, gleaned from conversations with manufacturers of net-wrapping balers. He was tracking down the answer for a North Dakota producer who wondered whether he should worry about taking off the wrap.

"According to company reps, there have been no conclusive studies on the topic to date. However, they were unaware of any reports of intestinal or stomach damage in cattle due to ingesting the small pieces of plastic resulting from net-wrapped bales being tub-ground or shredded with the wrap on," Lardy reports.

He says cow-calf producers seem most likely to remove the wrap, using the logic that cows are around longer and would have the opportunity to ingest more of the plastic bits than stocker or feeder cattle.

Meanwhile, Lardy asks producers to let him know their observations and experiences along these lines. Contact him at [email protected] or 701-231-7660.

Me thinks me still will.

Scotty

 

[ollie']

Tub grinders chew it up pretty small. I dont think wrap would be a problem there. If you are setting the bales out to cows, they can choke on the wrap.

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

Pure laziness not removing the plastic. :roll:

 

[Chuck]

And it will take the seals out of the gearboxes on your batwing mower. :(

 

[preston39]

scotty...,
I wouldn't take a chance. We do not net wrap but, I insist the round bale strings be cut, gathered and properly discarded while the hay is on the tractor or truck stinger. I would feel the same way with net wrap. Enough problems with the animals why ask for more.

 

[dun]

Net wrap is so handy for dumping in erosion ditches or low spots and covering with dirt/rocks. That's what we do with it anyway

dun

 

[joe]

my ABS rep had a 9 mo old calf die, and when posted they found a small amount of shreds in the stomach from ground hay. Not the cause of death tho, but it was still there just the same. I remove all net wrap put it in mineral bags and burn. That stuff gets on everything...drive shaft, tractor wheels, etc.

 

[Scotty]

Its amazing to me how often Ashley comes home and talks about " another cows with twine around her leg" or " another post with a gut full of twine." My time is precious to me but not worth loosing a cow.


Scotty

 

[TLCfromARK]

We remove it, bag it & burn it. It's not just a hazard to livestock, it's deadly trap for any small game. It jumps ( seems like ) onto any button on your shirt or coat & wraps around it.

If I was falling out of a airplane I'd rather have a armload of hay net wrap than a parachute, I know that it would hang up on or wrap around something before I went very far.

;-)

 

[Dusty Britches]

We bought net wrapped bales for the first time this year. I am very disappointed for several reasons -

1. To effectively remove all the net wrap, I get off the tractor, cut a slit on the far end (from the tractor) roll it up a few inches, get back on the tractor, flip the roll on the end, get off the tractor, roll the ring over to it, put the ring over the bale, cut the rest of the wrap and pull it out.

2. I started feeding this way, b/c when I cut the wrap and removed it, the bottom half would fall off and I couldn't get my rings on.

3. The man I bought the stuff from says he can't roll it as tight as string wrap becasue the net will break.

4. So that tells me that while the bales look the same size as my sting wrapped bales and they are prettier sitting in the hay pen, I'm getting less hay for the money. A fact that I later proved to myself when I fed a sting wrap then a net wrap. The string wrap was noticibly heavier. And, my string wrap bales last longer.

So, I'm thinking next year - I'm going back to string wrap bales.

As far as removeing the wrap - every time all the time. I hate seeing trash in my pastures and the cows cannot benefit from eating it, so why let them?

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

I think the guy you bought your hay from is full of bunk! I bought net wrapped bales and the bottom does not fall off when I remove the net while still on the hay spear,it's goot n tite! :lol:

 

[dj]

Dusty Britches
Why do you turn the bales on end?

 

[Farmhand]

I'd be questioning the man who net wrapped those bales. Find another source to buy from. Net wrapped here is just as heavy if not heavier than string wrapped. Bales hold together better too. We slit and then dump them off the spears on end into the hay ring. I'm not sure why you are putting the bale down first and then setting ring on over the bale. Personally we like net wrap better but they can cost a little more than string wrapped.

 

[frenchie]

I hate net-wrap ... It tends to freeze to the ground up here.

 

[ChrisB]

I used net wrap one year and we happened to get a late season rain then it turned cold. Not only did the wrap stick to the ground it was a 10-15 minute job getting the wrap off the bale. I won't even use plastic twine anymore. With sisal twine I can just spear the bale and dump it in the feeder, much faster.

 

[Dusty Britches]

Yet another reason to not buy net wrapped bales!

I fed this morning, since the roads were iced up and we decided to wait to go to work. Dang net wrap was frozen to the bales. I couldn't get part of it off.

And you are so right ! Next year we will have to find someone else to buy from. It seems difficult to find a good producer. We thought we found one, so the next year we ordered our bales before he cut. We picked them up and we were very disappointed - the bales were only about 800 pounds.

This year, we foudn this guy who net wraps bales only 8 miles from us. And his bales fall apart when we cut the wrap off.

But, I think I found someone 5 miles from us who may actually be honest. Except he also owns the used car dealership in town. :shock: But we bought some extra bales from him and they were high and tight. Maybe he'll give us an honest shake next year.

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

Put out a net wrapped bale this mornin. Was froze to the ground and the net wrap was frozen to the bale but didn't have any trouble cutting the wrap off and placeing the bale in the ring end up.

 

[George]

I hate net-wrap ... It tends to freeze to the ground up here.

I'm with you on this one.You pick up a bale that is frozen to the ground half the net tears off,and if it is rotary straw in the bale.There is straw everywhere,then when you cut the other half of the net,and try to get it off the bale.It is frozen to the bale,and you can't get it off.Tried it on a baler i was demoing last year,i hated it come winter.Sure am glad i decided to buy the baler with twine tie instead.That net-wrap,is a royal pain in the *ss!!

 

[sidney411]

Dusty - don't discount ALL netwrapping just because that guy you bought it from doesn't know jack $*!T. We had our hay baled last year and they netwrapped it. Those hay bales are so tight I can barely stab them with the spear on the tractor without just pushing them over. They are still a lot 'rounder' then the bales we baled this year. The net wrap comes off very easy - no knife involved, just unwind it. Even on the bottom where the hay has started to turn dark and yucky the wrap comes off easily and the bales stay intact. I like it better then the string we use, because I have to actually cut it but the string baler was a lot cheaper then the wrap baler.

The hay bales differ so much between balers and the people that actually bale it up. From what I've seen I would not own a different brand baler then a John Deere.

 

[Gale Seddon]

Whatever the wrapping on the bale -- twine or net -- I try to get it off before putting the bale in the ring cause with my luck, one of the animals will end up eating something it shouldn't. My husband does all the tractor stuff and I do the grunt work...removing all that twine makes it easier in the long run because when we spread manure, any leftover twine, etc., ends up getting caught in the spreader and lucky me ends up having to cut it out of there too, between loads, not a pleasant job. Incentive to learn the tractor end of things maybe?