what do you do with the trampled hay

[stockbub]

I feed about 400 bales of hay. Needless to say,, there is a lot of hay spread over the ground. About 8 inches. When I scraped the ground, I have quite a pile of hay manure and urine. You can't just spread it. What do you do with this hay?

 

[Bez__]

I feed about 400 bales of hay. Needless to say,, there is a lot of hay spread over the ground. About 8 inches. When I scraped the ground, I have quite a pile of hay manure and urine. You can't just spread it. What do you do with this hay?

Here is what we do: Stack it somewhere and let it compost - spread it next year

Bez

 

[1982vett]

When I feed.....I don't feed in the same spot every time.

 

[stockbub]

How long is that? Does it dry all through? Every time I turn it over it is wet still.

 

[Bez__]

How long is that? Does it dry all through? Every time I turn it over it is wet still.

The best manure to spread is wet manure - it heats and breaks down.

Stack it ten or more feet deep and leave it be. It will be down to about 4 feet deep in a short time.

Remember - wet is needed for break down - dry means it stays as is.

Bez

 

[Bez__]

When I feed.....I don't feed in the same spot every time.

Not to be a smart as(s) but feeding 400 bales continually over new areas would cover acres.

How many do you feed out in a year?

Bez__

 

[Alan]

Just what I do with the hay I use for bedding for sick or treated animals. I don't bed healthy cattle in hay. I put it in the manure pile (horse manure) let it set for a year and then spread it on the pastures. I have two piles, a current and an aged pile. After a year it's all composted very well.

 

[pricefarm]

If you leave it till next year by spring it will rot and there want be much hay left it will be more like rich dirt then u can spread it easier with a manure spreader

 

[skyhightree1]

I feed in the same spot and I push it all up in a pile and burn it.

 

[highgrit]

I pick it up with my grapple and put it in the wash outs.

 

[boondocks]

If you leave it till next year by spring it will rot and there want be much hay left it will be more like rich dirt then u can spread it easier with a manure spreader

Do you need to turn it? Or just pile it up and let it sit?

 

[greybeard]

Some I pile and just let it sit. It'll compost down all on it's own. I use that compost for my wife's flower beds.
Some, I pick up and spread out in my garden about 8-10" and plow it under to compost in the soil.
Some, I move to an area that I know is low in potassium, and spread it out and let it dry, then burn it and disc the ash in.
The rest, I just leave sitting--the Bahia will grow right thru it when the weather starts to warm.

I've tried to use it as filler in low places. It just gets wet, stays wet and sours and smells like a big ol hog pen. The mud under it never dried out even in August. Never again.

 

[dun]

I just put it in my old top beater manure spreader and spread it in one of the pastures. It's spread thin enough that unless you are looking for it you don;t really notice it's there.

 

[tntblaster11]

I feed up to 1000 bales a year, and have very little hay left on the ground. I do not feed in the same place every day, but do eventually come back to a spot I've laid hay out. Maybe you are feeding too much? I do not have to go out and scrape up hay/manure at all off our pastures.

I feed on the ground, and at times use a hay ring or bunk wagon...

 

[pricefarm]

If you leave it till next year by spring it will rot and there want be much hay left it will be more like rich dirt then u can spread it easier with a manure spreader

Do you need to turn it? Or just pile it up and let it sit?

Not usually just unless I pass by with the tractor I might stir it up a bit.

 

[Rafter S]

I feed round bales, and I usually don't put two in the same place. Whatever they don't eat I just leave and the grass will usually grow up through it (except KR bluestem, feeding hay kills it dead). Occasionally if I have a place that's starting to wash out I'll feed several rolls there to help stop the erosion.

Or if I have place where I've burned brush I'll feed several bales there to get some organic matter back in the spot. Then if I have time I'll get some Bermuda cuttings in there. They'll grow and spread very well since the old hay holds moisture.

 

[dun]

The reason we see hay outside of the feeder rings is because they don;t make them big enough to feed 5x5 bales. There is only about 8 inches between the outside of the new bale and the inside of the hay ring.

 

[shaz]

Could you switch to unrolling hay and avoid the problem altogther?

 

[1982vett]

When I feed.....I don't feed in the same spot every time.

Not to be a smart as(s) but feeding 400 bales continually over new areas would cover acres.

How many do you feed out in a year?

Bez__

No problem Bez......it was an open question with no parameters.....

Since the January of 2012 I may have fed 50 - 60 rolls. January - December 2011 I fed over 250 tons. Unrolled it in the Summer and when the ground wasn't muddy. New strip every day. In the winter when it was wet for a few days I fed in hayrings on areas that the churning and addition of organic matter would be advantageous. Moved them every time. It was pretty normal before 2012 to feed ~150 tons. Pretty much fed only in hay rings back then.

We have encountered muddy, slushy conditions....even after some very long dry Spring, Summers and falls.....sometimes Winter got really wet and nasty even if only for 6 weeks. One has to adapt their methods to the surrounding environment. Since I no longer try to monetize every square inch of available space (currently at about 60% of average capacity) I am able to grow (even in dryer and less favorable conditions) enough winter pasture that feeding hay is optional. And yes....in 2011 I probably crossed about 40 acres or more.

We ended last year about 8 inches behind on rainfall....had to feed hay for 3 weeks in September. Fall rains going into Winter produced an abundance of grass. Even being short 75% of average rainfall since January hasn't been to much of a hurdle. 60% of capacity is evening that out, but without some average or above average rainfall coming in the near future, unrolling hay will soon be in my future. These cool season grasses aren't going to like the 85-90 degree days with the sun beating down on them and the warm season grasses won't stand a chance of keeping up.

 

[dun]

Could you switch to unrolling hay and avoid the problem altogther?

Then I woudl have to feed everyday instead of once every couple of days. Also if we get the winter muck it would rut up the pastures.