unrolling hay

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The super slicer overall doesn't look all that complicated. It appears that it would be ideal for the way I like to feed. Spreading the cattle out does help with boss cows control especially when you run all ages together. My next question is how would rocks that are in the round bales fare in the slicer?
 
kjonesel":35dnd1wr said:
The super slicer overall doesn't look all that complicated. It appears that it would be ideal for the way I like to feed. Spreading the cattle out does help with boss cows control especially when you run all ages together. My next question is how would rocks that are in the round bales fare in the slicer?

Now that one I can't answer. My GUESS would be that it would simply dull the knives on the sickle bar. I guess if it was a big enough rock it could cause a knife to break or cause the feeder chain to jump off the sprocket, but I would think this would be highly unlikely.
 
joeu235":1zhyx6aa said:
My first thought about the DewEze is "That's pretty cool"
My second thought is "Looks like more stuff to break down'

My thought was " spend all that time and money rolling hay up, now I have to spend money to unroll it. Least the cows can do is 'unroll' their own supper"
 
bball":12eh3sza said:
joeu235":12eh3sza said:
My first thought about the DewEze is "That's pretty cool"
My second thought is "Looks like more stuff to break down'

My thought was " spend all that time and money rolling hay up, now I have to spend money to unroll it. Least the cows can do is 'unroll' their own supper"

My first thought was "spend all that money to roll hay up, and the cows still can't figure out how to unroll it without messing half of it up". Best way I've ever found to reduce waste to almost zero.
 
TennesseeTuxedo":2y3nnt09 said:
joeu235":2y3nnt09 said:
My first thought about the DewEze is "That's pretty cool"
My second thought is "Looks like more stuff to break down'

I kept wondering why they were putting hay out on green pastures. Winter feeding at our place looks nothing like that. Where's the knee deep mud?
Me too. I would like to see a real world demonstration. 16 inches of snow, net wrap frozen to it. I do like the idea though.....seems a bit pricey, but I do like the idea.
 
JMJ Farms":1stqqx9v said:
bball":1stqqx9v said:
joeu235":1stqqx9v said:
My first thought about the DewEze is "That's pretty cool"
My second thought is "Looks like more stuff to break down'

My thought was " spend all that time and money rolling hay up, now I have to spend money to unroll it. Least the cows can do is 'unroll' their own supper"

My first thought was "spend all that money to roll hay up, and the cows still can't figure out how to unroll it without messing half of it up". Best way I've ever found to reduce waste to almost zero.

My cows unroll it one mouthful at a time...out of a hay feeder. Different strokes for different folks. I would be apprehensive to try it in -5 temps and a 25mph wind blowing across the snow. Feel like I'd be providing feed for the deer and neighbors cattle when the wind comes in over the plains. Looks like it works real well for what it does though.
 
I like the concept to, and if it just saved 10%, in due time it would pay for itself. Problem with it for me, about Wednesday, when this 12 inches of snow melts, you want be able to drive across the pasture to use it. I'd say if I was further south, or further north it'd be fine.
 
Bigfoot":3i1bb3a6 said:
I like the concept to, and if it just saved 10%, in due time it would pay for itself. Problem with it for me, about Wednesday, when this 12 inches of snow melts, you want be able to drive across the pasture to use it. I'd say if I was further south, or further north it'd be fine.


Bigfoot, I still keep a bunch of old rings around as a backup because like you say anything can happen. It does have moving parts and it can break. Once in a while it gets cold enough to freeze my tractor tires and I have to feed in rings. And I feed in rings on Christmas Eve, before stormy weather, etc. but 95% of the time all goes well.

PS One might think I was a salesman for hay slicers :lol2: I'm not. However, I just know how much it saves me and want to help others.
 
If a man feeds 400 rolls a year, a 10% savings is 40 rolls. 40 x $45= $1800. Over 5 years, that's $9000. $9,000 buys a lot hay gadgets.
 
Bigfoot":2nyjj2wc said:
If a man feeds 400 rolls a year, a 10% savings is 40 rolls. 40 x $45= $1800. Over 5 years, that's $9000. $9,000 buys a lot hay gadgets.

I will update you when I quit feeding hay Bigfoot but it looks like it's gonna save me about 25-30%.
 
JMJ Farms":31d2vv1q said:
Bigfoot":31d2vv1q said:
If a man feeds 400 rolls a year, a 10% savings is 40 rolls. 40 x $45= $1800. Over 5 years, that's $9000. $9,000 buys a lot hay gadgets.

I will update you when I quit feeding hay Bigfoot but it looks like it's gonna save me about 25-30%.

Wow! That is substantial JMJ. 25-30% savings compared to feeding out of hay feeders?
 
bball":2hz2004a said:
JMJ Farms":2hz2004a said:
Bigfoot":2hz2004a said:
If a man feeds 400 rolls a year, a 10% savings is 40 rolls. 40 x $45= $1800. Over 5 years, that's $9000. $9,000 buys a lot hay gadgets.

I will update you when I quit feeding hay Bigfoot but it looks like it's gonna save me about 25-30%.

Wow! That is substantial JMJ. 25-30% savings compared to feeding out of hay feeders?

I'm pretty sure that's gonna be right. Last year I fed 300 rolls. I counted last week and I had 170 left. So I think I'm gonna wind up with about 80 left. I wont know for sure because I don't know when I will stop. But usually by the first of April I've got decent grass. And some years I start feeding earlier or later. But it's definitely gonna save me 15-20% at a minimum. And another plus is that the cows are in better shape because they don't have to fight to eat. More rings to reduce competition=more waste.
 
And to add one more thing. It's not the unroller that is so "efficient". It's the concept of only feeding them what they "need" and will eat in a short period of time. This can be achieved numerous different ways. (Electric fence, rolling out with a tractor tire, limiting time they are allowed to get to the rings, etc).
 
JMJ Farms":sjz9ft6e said:
And to add one more thing. It's not the unroller that is so "efficient". It's the concept of only feeding them what they "need" and will eat in a short period of time. This can be achieved numerous different ways. (Electric fence, rolling out with a tractor tire, limiting time they are allowed to get to the rings, etc).

:nod: :nod: :nod: In my situation, I would much rather simply unroll what the cows will eat in a short period of time instead of dealing with the trouble and expense of electric fence, bale rings, etc.

I often would roll out 2 days worth of hay out of sight either in the same pasture or in an adjacent pasture. Then the cows would go looking for the next day's meal on their own :idea:
 
I'm always interested in trimming costs. So how do you go about unrolling hay if you didn't have a slicer. Just take the wrap off, cut a line across the bale w/ an axe and push it with tractor? And feed daily? This time of year my cattle are usually standing I front of hay rings most if the time..or on their way up to the barn for water.
 
M-5":1mi67jhx said:
I cut the strings with it on my prong and see which way it is rolled and the set it down and put the tire on it and unroll it. It does work best if the cows are not around .

https://youtu.be/znm5rJplAbw
here is how I do it.

If you roll out more than they will eat you can bet they will sleep in it and shyt in it.

That's pretty slick. I have watched that video 6 times atleast trying to figure out what you have set up on the FEL w/ that small wheel. Do you have a pic of it? Something you engineered or purchased? I like it and love the idea of cutting feed costs.
Most guys up here feed out of rings (small timers like myself) while the big boys have mixing tubs/trucks and mix hay with all sorts of other alternate feed sources available. Hadn't seen a slicer until this thread and am very curious about your set up. Thanks to you all.
 
I walked out and took a pic . for reference the prong is pointed down a stuck in the dirt. The axle is welded to a piece of galvanized pipe and I welded a ear on it to bolted it to frame. I used the pipe so it would be smooth surface.
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M-5":1lrkgo12 said:
I cut the strings with it on my prong and see which way it is rolled and the set it down and put the tire on it and unroll it. It does work best if the cows are not around .

https://youtu.be/znm5rJplAbw
here is how I do it.

If you roll out more than they will eat you can bet they will sleep in it and shyt in it.
That's a really good idea. So does the spear act somewhat as a guide while the bale turns? Would something like that work without a front end loader?
Sometimes I need to nudge a bale over a hill, something like that would do it.
 

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