To Unroll or Not to Unroll? What Gives the Most Bang for the Buck When Bale Feeding?

[sstterry]

I am not advocating this, but I found it a very interesting read.

https://onpasture.com/2020/02/24/to...the-most-bang-for-the-buck-when-bale-feeding/

 

[Post Oak]

IMHO, it depends on how often that you put out a hay. If you put out hay daily , it’s probably better to unroll. If you are a small guy like me and the cows go through a bale every 2 days, it’s probably better to keep in the hay ring to reduce waste. When I had more land and cows along with slightly smaller bales I would unroll(unless it was raining)and I planted a lot of bahia on bare spots by doing that.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I am not advocating this, but I found it a very interesting read.

https://onpasture.com/2020/02/24/to...the-most-bang-for-the-buck-when-bale-feeding/

Hay rack is the least wasteful I have found.

 

[chaded]

I think it probably varies from operation to operation. I unrolled this winter and next year I will be trying bale grazing. Bale grazing will definitely be less work for me in the winter though and will likely save some on equipment and fuel. I do know that the rings and sacrifice lot are not going to be used anymore. Might see if the neighbor down the road wants to buy my rings.

 

[SBMF 2015]

I run my cows on corn stalks in the winter. I use GoBob Hay Monster feeders. I love them. The cows seem to slide them to get to the center of the bale, but can't lift them. They don't waste any. I'd guess 2-3% waste per bale.
Weather you unroll or use a feeder, the key to no hay loss is making good cured hay to begin with. If it's not moldy the cows will clean it all up if you make them. If the cows are laying in the sun content, and the feeder is still a 1/3 full. Don't give them any more, they won't clean up what was left of the first bale.
I move my feeders every bale.

 

[Banjo]

The concept is good. If you fed 100 cows for example 2 rolls of hay a day unrolled. You should be able to set out 10 rolls and it last 5 days bale grazing. Some how i don't think it would last 5 days but I don't know... I guess one would have to experiment.
If you had plenty of hay it would be good especially for poorer ground.

 

[Banjo]

I remember back before I started rotational grazing and unrolling hay I would set bales out in the pasture at different places then go in with a disk and cut it up just a little and sow fescue seed there and the grass would be awesome for a year or two in those places.
But it won't stay that way for long if you do continuous grazing.

 

[Bigfoot]

Personally. I always pictured bale grazing as an up north thing. Where the ground was frozen solid the majority of the time. Can't picture it working here. i also couldn't picture unrolling working here, and this is my second year unrolling. Knew a guy, that put his rolls in a long row about 30' apart. Moved a hot wire down as they finished off a roll. Thats not bale grazing, but it worked for him.

 

[M.Magis]

Knew a guy, that put his rolls in a long row about 30' apart. Moved a hot wire down as they finished off a roll. Thats not bale grazing, but it worked for him.

I've done that before, and it sure is nice when the mud is axle deep on the tractor. Just take the four wheeler and move the fence when needed.

 

[Stickney94]

I think it probably varies from operation to operation.

I think that is the correct evaluation.

Last winter had I tried bale grazing, I would have tied up some portion of my hay as it got buried in snow drifts (as did the fence) until the middle of April. Then it would have gotten flooded.

This winter it would have worked late fall into early winter. As such, I'm going to try some bale grazing next winter in some select areas and hope for the best.

My biggest issue is snow drifts. I went out this past Sunday, and my weaned calves were in with the herd cows. On Saturday morning snow had drifted into their pen. Sunday night it froze hard. And Sunday morning the calves were able to simply walk over the drift and the 6" of wire still showing to join their moms again (they've been weaned for 2 months, so no big issue).
:lol2:

 

[sstterry]

A cone feeder is the least wasteful I have found, but this year I have almost exclusively unrolled in an attempt to build up some hills and less fertile areas. But there is a lot of waste. I would love to be able to set out several bales at a time and not tear up my feeding area with the tractor every day. Given my set up there is no way I could bale graze.

Eden Shale Farm (the Kentucky Ag Experiment Station) has a whole series of youtube videos of feeding stations they are testing. Very interesting.

 

[Nesikep]

My neighbors do it the same way Bigfoot describes.. put out a whole bunch of bales out and move a hot wire.

I feed small squares, when it's frozen they clean everything up, I don't spread the hay, just cut the twines... When it's muddy it's not as efficient, but it works for my herd.. I usually keep them a little more hungry when it's muddy

 

[Col Reb]

Every time I don’t put hay in a ring, as soon as it gets low enough for a bunch of calves to lay on it, they do. Then they pee & crap on it then it just goes to waste. Seems like they would have to eat fast before they start standing on it & taking a dump. If there’s a 100 head & they’re hungry I’d bet it goes pretty fast but I don’t think it would work for someone like me....however, would be a good way to get some grass started as long as it’s good hay. Otherwise, you’ll have a bunch of junk coming up in the pasture you’ll have to deal with in the spring/summer.

 

[Post Oak]

I have been putting my hay out in a 50’ x 50’ grid this year with an electric line between each bale and have been feeding one bale at a time. It has been working fine and the manure distribution is great. Next year I plan on including overseeding clover in the system.

 

[bird dog]

You have to only unroll what they will clean up in two hours or less. Otherwise you are not going to be pleased with the waste. For me that is about 10 lbs per animal. 1100 lb roll for 65 cows 45 calves 2 bulls. They eat 75% in the first hour, then another 10 to 15% before I feed them another one. They get 10 rolls a week but this will be cut back in the next couple weeks. They are on pasture rotation.

 

[kenny thomas]

I am not advocating this, but I found it a very interesting read.

https://onpasture.com/2020/02/24/to...the-most-bang-for-the-buck-when-bale-feeding/

The article is about building the soil up by using the wasted hay is how I read it, not which is the best way to save hay waste. Each has its own use.

 

[BFE]

I have been reading a lot on this topic and am going to build a unroller trailer to pull with the 4 wheeler to experiment with it. I think it's great for soil building. If I see too much waste, I'll run a hot wire down the middle of the bale path to keep them off of the hay. They can lay on yesterday's picked over hay.

I currently use Gobob haymonsters. They're bomb proof and don't leave much waste as previously posted.

 

[Bigfoot]

I changed the area where I unroll on monday. I've unrolled 8 bales of crabgrass hay stored under a tarp. You literally couldn't fill your pockets with the waste from 8 rolls. Three rolls came from the bottom of the stack, and some moisture damge on the bottom. That was really the only waste present. I would have to say that depending on what your feeding, unrolling may not add much organic matter to the soil. If all goes well, I hope to notill in some bin run corn on this field. I really wanted some hoof print action, to hopefully wakeup the crabgrass in the seed bank. Didn't look like I even got as much of that as I wanted.

 

[chaded]

I have unrolled most of the year and am now experimenting with some bale grazing to give me a little comparison before I decide what to do for next year. I disagree with the author’s friend Steve in the article somewhat when he says you don’t get the litter left over with unrolling that you do with bale grazing.

From what I am experiencing this year it really depends on what your feeding (quality wise) like Bigfoot mentioned and I am noticing it also depends on where your feeding (ground conditions).

I have unrolled some first cutting, lower quality, mature hay and unrolled second cutting what I would call some really nicely cured johnsongrass hay (cows broke in my barn to get it this year) and the first cutting hay left quite a bit whereas the second cutting you could barely tell I unrolled hay there. Doesn’t matter to me either way, cows got fed and spread their own pee and poop, organic matter and seed is a bonus.

I also did the same thing with the bales just being out and got the same results. First cutting they left a pretty big pile behind, second cutting bale they licked the ground clean again.

The one thing I did not like with the bale grazing on one of the most recent bales ate was that they just churned the ground around the bale, looks like chocolate pudding. Whereas, at another location they didn’t do that, (ground condition was different). So far, I like what the ground looks like afterwards better with unrolling but like the less labor/time involved with the bale grazing. There is No free lunch I am learning.

 

[snoopdog]

I would have to say that depending on what your feeding, unrolling may not add much organic matter to the soil Now , this I would disagree with. We have generally fed in rings, but after cutting the second heifer outof one, started almost exclusively unrolling. However,by moving rings you can accomplish the same thing, whatever works for your setup.