Mud around hay ring

[rjbovine]

Can't believe how muddy it is already . Wish texas had some of the wet weather. Anyway how do you handle the mud around your hay ring . I've got a chance for some concrete slabs . Thinking about placing them , then filling in around with roadpack . Would this be a good idea . Got to find out how much to get slab hauled . Just hate to see cows in such a mess . :frowns:

 

[Gale Seddon]

Yes, we've got it and I hate it too! At this point in time, about all I can do is pray for a freeze, which is bound to happen in December, right? Sure makes it easier in some ways.

I am not sure about the concrete, I'd be afraid animals would slip on it and then you've got some real problems!

 

[bigbull338]

Can't believe how muddy it is already . Wish texas had some of the wet weather. Anyway how do you handle the mud around your hay ring . I've got a chance for some concrete slabs . Thinking about placing them , then filling in around with roadpack . Would this be a good idea . Got to find out how much to get slab hauled . Just hate to see cows in such a mess . :frowns:

that yould work if you could put some slabbs togather,but youd have to make them wide enough that the cows dont get knocked off of them trying to eat hay.if you can moving the hay ring to fresh ground everytime you feed a bale works to.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Forget those rings and go to cradles. Less wasted hay. Don't buy them but rather build them. We've had this discussion in the forums over and over. Here's a pic of the ones built out of old trampoline frames that cost about $15 a piece to build. CB put me on to the idea a few years back. Best thing i ever did. Mud is never an issue any more.

http://ranchers.net/photopost/showphoto ... puser/2144

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

We feed using hay rings set on a large concrete slab with deep grooves cut in it and a rough finish to minimize slipping. Works pretty well.

Boogie, why isn't mud a factor around your homemade hay feeders? Seems to me anytime the ground is wet and the cattle stand there eating you've got a recipe for mud, no?

 

[bigbull338]

We feed using hay rings set on a large concrete slab with deep grooves cut in it and a rough finish to minimize slipping. Works pretty well.

Boogie, why isn't mud a factor around your homemade hay feeders? Seems to me anytime the ground is wet and the cattle stand there eating you've got a recipe for mud, no?

i think boogie moves the cradles every few days.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

A hay ring can also be moved. We have certain pastures where that is how we handle (well, attempt to handle) the mud issue.

I've read about folks on here rolling out their big bales but for the life of me I can't figure out how that would work.

 

[bigbull338]

we use the hay rings here as well,an move them as needed.to me rolling the out allows the cows to pee an crapp on the hay.an that to me is wasteful.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

That's what I was thinking bigbull.

 

[mlazyj]

simple move your rings . We unroll bales all the time , you don't feed anymore than they need , If they are laying on it , they aren't that hungry , back off on the feed . It doesn't matter if your unrolling or running your hay through a proccessor , If they are wasteing it your feeding to much .

 

[angus9259]

simple move your rings . We unroll bales all the time , you don't feed anymore than they need , If they are laying on it , they aren't that hungry , back off on the feed . It doesn't matter if your unrolling or running your hay through a proccessor , If they are wasteing it your feeding to much .

True and well said on all counts.

The mud is baaaad right now. We got 2 inches of rain yesterday and 4 inches of wet snow today. Just keep moving the ring feeders, but even then it's hard to keep up with.

The problem with rolling it out in the mud though is they WILL walk on it even as they eat it. In the mud, it'll disappear pretty fast.

 

[circlew]

I roll my hay out, unless its raining or real wet. Then I just set out a roll in the woods. The cows will pee and crap on it but the waste is still way lower than if it were fed in a ring.

 

[dun]

simple move your rings . We unroll bales all the time , you don't feed anymore than they need , If they are laying on it , they aren't that hungry , back off on the feed . It doesn't matter if your unrolling or running your hay through a proccessor , If they are wasteing it your feeding to much .

True and well said on all counts.

The mud is baaaad right now. We got 2 inches of rain yesterday and 4 inches of wet snow today. Just keep moving the ring feeders, but even then it's hard to keep up with.

The problem with rolling it out in the mud though is they WILL walk on it even as they eat it. In the mud, it'll disappear pretty fast.

I've heard people talk about unrolling it then putting a temp hotwire down the middle of the unrolled hay. To here them talk the cows eat the hay and will reach under it to get what they need. But then you would have to pull the wire and move it every day then put it back up.

 

[hillrancher]

I roll out lots of my hay and put some in rings. They will eat the rolled out hay first. when rings is empty it is time to feed hay again. The reason I like to rollout hay is to re seed where is neede Also I have advantage cows don't sleep on hillsides and make sure the bail is tured correct and turn it loose and we have a bail truck that can unroll . Yes we do have mud problem some winters. This is not one of them yet. By not unrolling more than they will clean up I do not have anymore waste than in the rings.

 

[backhoeboogie]

We feed using hay rings set on a large concrete slab with deep grooves cut in it and a rough finish to minimize slipping. Works pretty well.

Boogie, why isn't mud a factor around your homemade hay feeders? Seems to me anytime the ground is wet and the cattle stand there eating you've got a recipe for mud, no?

i think boogie moves the cradles every few days.

Yes. The hay does not contact the ground or get mashed in. Rings get tossed off of the hay when the bale gets small and it gets smashed into the ground. Does not happen with cradles. I can pull that cradle into a muddy pasture, put hay in it with virtually no waste. Caustic put me on to this.

Also consider teeth with sandy loamy soil. Less grinding if they are not eating it off of the ground I would think.

 

[JSCATTLE]

I have hay cradles also .. I usually unroll my hay until it gets to wet . Right now you couldn't rake up a willbarrow load of hay with a yard rake from where I unroll the hay .. as long as they are hungry and you don't over feed they will pick up as much as they can. With it in one line and only 4 foot wide the cows don't crap on it much they line up like they were at a feed trough ..

 

[mlazyj]

I forget , most of you folks are from around here , muds not till april , we're dry and froze

 

[TexasBred]

Can't believe how muddy it is already . Wish texas had some of the wet weather. Anyway how do you handle the mud around your hay ring . I've got a chance for some concrete slabs . Thinking about placing them , then filling in around with roadpack . Would this be a good idea . Got to find out how much to get slab hauled . Just hate to see cows in such a mess . :frowns:

rj..doesn't seem to matter how much concrete you pour....there has got to be an edge to it and at the edge there will always be mud and eventually about a foot deep hog wallow.

 

[CKC1586]

Can't believe how muddy it is already . Wish texas had some of the wet weather. Anyway how do you handle the mud around your hay ring . I've got a chance for some concrete slabs . Thinking about placing them , then filling in around with roadpack . Would this be a good idea . Got to find out how much to get slab hauled . Just hate to see cows in such a mess . :frowns:

rj..doesn't seem to matter how much concrete you pour....there has got to be an edge to it and at the edge there will always be mud and eventually about a foot deep hog wallow.

Yup! :nod:

 

[rjbovine]

The cradle idea I would like , just need a front loader on the tractor . Thats on the wish list . I was thinking with the feeding pad it should help with hay waste as well . Just kicking around some ideas .