Unrolling hay

[kentuckyguy]

I'm throwing around the idea of unrolling hay this winter but I can't wrap my head around how it's a more efficient.

I'm looking at doing it to spread nutrients out on my pasture and prevent the dreaded 2 acres of knee deep mud.

Will I go through more hay if I unroll? I only run about 14-18 cows and I have 5x5 hay rolls. In this situation would it be better to unroll half a roll at a time?

I plan to build a hay unrolled similar to the one Greg Judy sells. I'd like to be able to pull it with my ATV or UTV to prevent ground damage from the tractor.

 

[kenny thomas]

You will use less hay. Feed them what they will clean up if it's a half roll.

 

[bird dog]

Yes , unroll only what they will clean up in an hour or so. If you have time, unrolling some in the morning and then in the late afternoon would be best. I unroll all my rolls with a tractor no matter the condition. When its muddy, try to find the least muddy which is higher ground or thick grass or what I do is unroll on top of the field terraces. If your hay is good and your cows are hungry, your waste will be less. If they are not real hungry or you unroll to much, they will waste more. Same with crappy hay. They will tromp it into the ground looking for something good.

Its a trial and error thing and you have to adjust to unroll more in cold weather or late in the year when the calves are bigger and the grass is non-existent. Also when its muddy. the calves will have a somewhat warm and dry place to bed down instead of around a ring where they get stepped on.

 

[kentuckyguy]

Seems like you would have some hungry cows if you only unrolled enough for a couple hours

 

[kenny thomas]

Seems like you would have some hungry cows if you only unrolled enough for a couple hours

Not sure if you remember the old days when we only fed square bales. They pretty well cleaned up the hay in a couple hours. We never had a big mess and very little hay waste. The cows came through the winter looking good.

 

[kenny thomas]

Try this. Take an average weight of your cows and figure 3% of their weight for hay if your not supplimenting with anything else. Multiply by the number of cows. That will give you an approximate lb of hay needed per day.
Now weigh one of your rolls. If it weighs 1200# divide the amount needed into that. If it shows you need 1/2 or 2/3 of a roll your gonna be close to matching their needs.

 

[Bigfoot]

I lose track of time, but I "think" I've been unrolling 2 1/2 years. Started to save hay. You could have never verbally convinced me that it:conserves hay, spreads nutrients, and especially makes less of mess in the mud. I started out of necessity. I keep on because it works. Trick is feed just what they clean up. Move to another spot next time. Where I unrolled last year, is the best grass on this place. I'd put out 400 pounds and see what happens.

 

[Stocker Steve]

How does unrolling reduce waste? Seems like it would be more without anything to keep cows off it?

 

[Banjo]

Cows don't have to be eating 24/7......Also, their metabolism slows down in the winter, just like ours does when we don't eat all we want or skip meals.

 

[Stocker Steve]

So saving hay due to limit feeding each day?

 

[kenny thomas]

So saving hay due to limit feeding each day?

Yes it's limit feeding but feeding what they need. And feeding every day.

 

[chaded]

I started unrolling last year and I will continue to going forward. I would unroll half a bale each day and they held good condition through the winter. The first day or so they wasted a bunch and looked at me like I was crazy and when was I going to throw them a couple whole bales. It didn't take long for them to realize that was what they were getting and they would clean it up.

I didn't seem to have anymore waste then a hay ring, where they would just grab hay and drop it on the ground and leave some in the ring. The main thing for me is that they are spreading their own manure, seeding my pastures, helping build the soil, and staying out of chest high mud.

Quality of hay matters as well. There was more 'waste' with first cutting hay than the better quality second cutting I fed. In fact, where I unrolled the second cutting you could barely tell where any hay was they cleaned it up so well.

The one thing that is kinda annoying is unrolling just half a bale. Sometimes it is difficult to know where to cut it off. Some days too much is rolled out and some days not quite enough. You get the hang of it though but it would be nice to just roll out an entire bale and be done with it. I might try to experiment a little with doing that this year.

 

[kenny thomas]

It's intensive but if you want to really save hay try this. Use poli-wire to strip graze. Unroll what you want for a day or even 2 days. Place the step in posts in the unrolled hay and install the poli-wire. They will eat but not walk in it mess in it or lay down in it. But baby calves can still use it as a place to lay if you leave the wire high enough.

 

[1982vett]

Don't throw the hay rings away just yet....I unroll unless it's raining. If it's raining I'll unroll a little then put the rest in a hay ring which gets moved every time. Rarely does the core unroll easily so it also gets put in a hay ring.

 

[JMJ Farms]

I started unrolling in 2015. Can be a little more labor intensive but for the reasons mentioned above I don't think I'll ever go back to hay rings full time. About the only time I feed in rings now is Christmas Eve. I put out several rolls so I don't have to feed on Christmas Day.

 

[bird dog]

The one thing I think is best when unrolling is every cow and calf get their share. No bullying or shoving calves aside. Everybody eats together peacefully. It fun to watch the week old calves stand next to mama and and learn to eat hay.

 

[Stocker Steve]

A lot of cost in driving around in a FWA, or a flatbed, every day.

Not sure what an 8N costs to operate. Are you pulling 2 wheel bale unroller with it?

 

[kenny thomas]

A lot of cost in driving around in a FWA, or a flatbed, every day.

Not sure what an 8N costs to operate. Are you pulling 2 wheel bale unroller with it?

For me it's the same cost if I haul out one a day or 5 for a few days. It's the same number trips from the barn to the field over a weeks time. Slightly more cost to unroll it I guess but that is .much less than the cost of hay rings

 

[chaded]

I wonder if we should be factoring in the value of spreading fertility across the pastures and improving soil as well in that cost. I would think it also costs to pile manure and then spread it later? Bale grazing is another option but I did not like my results as well as I do with unrolling.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I think I might give it a try but if so I believe I'll split the cattle into groups of 20-25 in different pastures. It might be tough to roll it out quickly enough for 100 head in one spot.