letting cattle do the fertilizing ???

[Dave]

The trouble with a straight unrolling of hay is how much gets walked on, laid on, and crapped on while they are eating. That is why we either flake off the big squares with space between or use the hydraulic spinners to unroll round bales. Leave a patch of hay for them to eat with enough room to the next patch that they aren't standing on on hay while eating. There is still some waste but not nearly as much. Hay is the single most expensive thing in the annual cow expense. I want them to eat every single blade of it.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Hey Dave I guess I can handle all this "wasted" hay. Haha

Closest to the camera is yesterday's hay where the cows are is where I just fed. What very small amount of waste there is will help grow better grass next year.

 

[annmariemz23]

Got some really stickery hay for a lower price. Hay is just not available right now. We pulled so many stickers out of eyes that we started feeding on the ground. Even then, the stickers crawled up their faces.

 

[Nesikep]

if you're feeding them the right amount on frozen ground, there's no hay waste. I dry lot them around calving time and collect that manure, compost it and spread it, usually after the first cut.
I used to break up the bales, but found that just cutting the strings and leaving them, they'd crap on them less

 

[Nick Wagner]

Do you have dung beetles that survive the cold that bury the manure for you in summer?

Ken

Here in northern Ohio, I've never seen a burying or rolling dung beetle. We have what I think is a dung beetle, they dive right in fresh cow pies and burrow or swim in them but I've seen those same beetles under dead carcasses. From my observations, a lot of the manure breakdown here is done by birds digging for maggots and by worms. Pies don't last long.

For comparison, temperatures have been above freezing and rain every day or two. Mud knee deep, lost a boot last week doing chores. Supposed to freeze tonight, finally.

 

[Bob Kinford]

I've had good luck feeding on poor pastures, just moving the rings each time. It does require disking/dragging and some seed in the spring, but it really helped the soil.

 

[RDFF]

if you're feeding them the right amount on frozen ground, there's no hay waste. I dry lot them around calving time and collect that manure, compost it and spread it, usually after the first cut.
I used to break up the bales, but found that just cutting the strings and leaving them, they'd crap on them less

View attachment 11770

Small squares? How the heck are you able to get around with a 4 wheeler with a load of bales behind in deep snow? I count 15 head in the pic, so about 8 bales a day... sounds like a job with a 4 wheeler and that small cart you've got behind it. Beautiful country!

 

[RDFF]

Here in northern Ohio, I've never seen a burying or rolling dung beetle. We have what I think is a dung beetle, they dive right in fresh cow pies and burrow or swim in them but I've seen those same beetles under dead carcasses. From my observations, a lot of the manure breakdown here is done by birds digging for maggots and by worms. Pies don't last long.

For comparison, temperatures have been above freezing and rain every day or two. Mud knee deep, lost a boot last week doing chores. Supposed to freeze tonight, finally.

Glad I live in the frozen tundra! Poor man's concrete is sure a help!

 

[Nesikep]

Small squares? How the heck are you able to get around with a 4 wheeler with a load of bales behind in deep snow? I count 15 head in the pic, so about 8 bales a day... sounds like a job with a 4 wheeler and that small cart you've got behind it. Beautiful country!

when it's cold out they're hungry, eat about 11 bales right now for about 20 head
there's few 4 wheelers out there that work harder than mine, I do have a blade for it to plow snow, and it'll push a fair bit

5 bales on the quad, 6 on the trailer

 

[Dave]

Depending on the size of your little square bales. One little bale equals just slightly more hay than one flake off a big square.

 

[Nesikep]

Depending on the size of your little square bales. One little bale equals just slightly more hay than one flake off a big square.

they're usually 70-90 lbs, lighter side for first cut, heavier side on 2nd cut.. our baler is a 16x18 chamber which is the bigger "small square" compared to the 14x18

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

You got a LOT of different answers - but - bottom line is what is your soil/fields like?
I am in upstate NY - we are making ruts with a 4-wheeler. We "should" be frozen, but we are not. No matter. Our falls & springs are way too wet. We have sacrifice areas that the cattle are wintered in - NOT our major pastures. We tore up all the land - between tractor tires & cattle feet - feeding in round feeders and periodically moving them when it got so wallowed out a cow could get stuck, let alone a calf.
We also went to fence line feeding. I have gravel beds (wish I had concrete!!).
All I can say is you have to figure out what YOUR land can handle. I think for a small producer, putting bales all over a field, and polywire feeding seems pretty handy.
PS - we would KNOW where you live and be able to answer you better if you would go up to the top of the page and click where you name is - put your LOCATION. Thank you!

 

[CalumetFarms]

This is my first season unrolling, I used to have a "winter pasture" that I would stockpile then let it catch hell all winter. I was so tired of the mess from how I was feeding so I sold my feeder wagon and all my rings.
I now know bale unrolling is something I should have started years ago, virtually no waste, I'm feeding out across my biggest pasture where I absolutely don't won't any mud or rutts and aside from manure I can't tell where I've fed.
Best part, it creates a 500 foot long feed trough where every cow and calf can access the hay, no pushing or shoving, no mud.
As for the soil benefit, I'll find out in the spring, but it can only help.

 

[Banjo]

I think its all good...whatever you do, if you continuous graze it or mow it short in the heat of the summer what ever benefit you get won't last long. 90 degree days will give you 120 and up degrees on the soil if exposed. I learned that a few years ago taking a hand held thermometer gun....thick grass 6 to 8 inches tall...the soil beneath it will be 80 degrees(good).....short grass with exposed soil will be over 120 degrees plus. Soil life can't tolerate that temperature very long.

 

[RDFF]

I think its all good...whatever you do, if you continuous graze it or mow it short in the heat of the summer what ever benefit you get won't last long. 90 degree days will give you 120 and up degrees on the soil if exposed. I learned that a few years ago taking a hand held thermometer gun....thick grass 6 to 8 inches tall...the soil beneath it will be 80 degrees(good).....short grass with exposed soil will be over 120 degrees plus. Soil life can't tolerate that temperature very long.

Exactly! It's all about management. By unrolling, you're choosing to manage to maximize the benefits of the resources by evenly spreading them out over the whole pasture, while minimizing potential negative damage by avoiding the concentration of the resources and impacts too heavily in any one area.

The trouble with a straight unrolling of hay is how much gets walked on, laid on, and crapped on while they are eating. That is why we either flake off the big squares with space between or use the hydraulic spinners to unroll round bales. Leave a patch of hay for them to eat with enough room to the next patch that they aren't standing on on hay while eating. There is still some waste but not nearly as much. Hay is the single most expensive thing in the annual cow expense. I want them to eat every single blade of it.

Because I have my unroller mounted on my front end loader, I can do the same thing as you mention they do with the spinners... just set it down, pick it up, set it down, etc. "No" moving parts. Haven't really seen a difference though doing it that way or just unrolling in a long swath. I used to consider the point that a 5' swath was maybe too wide, and it'd be "better" to unroll with a sidewinder. Not convinced of that though anymore, and the added complexity sure wouldn't be worth it, for THAT point, to me. They're going to step on it and lay on it some, regardless of which way it gets unrolled. If you unroll in a full width swath, and then limit them to only what they'll clean up with polywire, they'll line up head to head and butts out along that swath almost entirely, until they've had their fill.

It's all about management.

 

[Dave]

Because I have my unroller mounted on my front end loader, I can do the same thing as you mention they do with the spinners... just set it down, pick it up, set it down, etc. "No" moving parts. Haven't really seen a difference though doing it that way or just unrolling in a long swath. I used to consider the point that a 5' swath was maybe too wide, and it'd be "better" to unroll with a sidewinder. Not convinced of that though anymore, and the added complexity sure wouldn't be worth it, for THAT point, to me. They're going to step on it and lay on it some, regardless of which way it gets unrolled. If you unroll in a full width swath, and then limit them to only what they'll clean up with polywire, they'll line up head to head and butts out along that swath almost entirely, until they've had their fill.

It's all about management.

I was just saying how and why it seems to be done here. Actually not very many round bales used around here and I have heard them referred to as "old school". So there is very little unrolling done.

I feed big squares. 3x4x8 bales. They are set on edge on a 4 wheel drive flatbed pickup. Drive to the desired location. The pickup is shifted into first gear low range. Step out and climb up on the bed. As the pickup slowly idles across the field I push individual flakes off the side. Two bales I would guess about 300 feet to get pushed off. Maybe a little more. I see some guys who do that with 4 bales. Two on the deck and two more cross ways on top of the other two. I am not that agile and catty to do that any more. If I need 4 bales I make two trips.

 

[Little Joe]

One of my herds finding swaths that were unrolled before 11" of snow fell on it. Limiting their access with polywire. 150 head here. I generally prefer to time my unrolling to avoid covering it with snow, but they'll find it anyway, as you can see here.
View attachment 11756
This is the homemade unroller that I use, my son at the controls. This was a rare "really nice day" in December. About 30 degrees.
View attachment 11757
This is the result, taken right after unrolling recently. 5 new swaths, each 1/4 mile long. You can see the old swath from the previous unrolling, between the second and third new swath from the right. These are REALLY crappy bales of mostly giant ragweed stems, and that was unrolled about the same swath density as you see on the new ones here. They've cleaned up everything but that ragweed. I was going to be gone for a few days after unrolling here, so gave them more than I typically do, although it's not uncommon for me to unroll as much as 2 weeks ahead, and then just limit them with polywire. By doing this, you can pick and choose what days you want to be out there in (nasty weather, frozen ground vs. mud, heavy snow coming, etc.) Yes, they do lay on it some (if you're not limiting thier access daily with polywire), and they'll crap on it too some, but as long as it's staying frozen, the manure up here in Minnesota doesn't get alot of chance to spoil much hay........... freezes as fast as it comes out the back end most of the time, and then stays that way till they've cleaned up all the edible hay. This is "the other herd". 85 head here currently.
View attachment 11758

Is that an Allis Chalmers 160 tractor?

 

[RDFF]

Is that an Allis Chalmers 160 tractor?

185, works good for handling 2 bales like this at a time when these pics were taken. Too small though when the snow gets deep for me here in Minnesota... should have FWA then and more horses.

 

[RDFF]

I was just saying how and why it seems to be done here. Actually not very many round bales used around here and I have heard them referred to as "old school". So there is very little unrolling done.

I feed big squares. 3x4x8 bales. They are set on edge on a 4 wheel drive flatbed pickup. Drive to the desired location. The pickup is shifted into first gear low range. Step out and climb up on the bed. As the pickup slowly idles across the field I push individual flakes off the side. Two bales I would guess about 300 feet to get pushed off. Maybe a little more. I see some guys who do that with 4 bales. Two on the deck and two more cross ways on top of the other two. I am not that agile and catty to do that any more. If I need 4 bales I make two trips.

Yup, I've seen the country your in....... I used to work with the big squares here too, and did it the same way. We get too much snow to make a truck work here most of the time, and here, you can't even think about leaving them sit outside.... WAY, WAY too much rain/spoilage. Rounds though, if stored outside properly, can work. The rounds are taking over more and more of our market share again, after the big squares had taken over a pretty good percentage of it. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that our area has been moving toward making silage bales pretty quickly.... too much rain to be able to get it dry during the summer. If I can't just graze it directly, I still prefer dry hay. Baling cost, plus net wrap, plus plastic... plus the cost of the wrapper............and then the additional disposal difficulties on top of it............. cost gets up there that way too.

 

[CowboyRam]

We feed big squares with the manure spreader. It seems to work really well, a lot better than feeding off a wagon when it is below zero, and the wind is getting it on. I move over each time.