# Big Round Bales



## aklabrecque (Aug 14, 2009)

Hi, I am getting two nubian goats in a few weeks, I am now looking at what Hay is out there, I am wondering about If I just buy one big round bale for them would it last the winter?


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## ()relics (Aug 14, 2009)

If it is protected from the weather, sun rain,snow...it will last longer...You will have to keep the animals from jumping/climbing onto it  too...once they start the bale becomes their litter box,bed,playset.....I feed round bales to mine all winter it just takes some management...From my personal experience a bale that is unprotected will last about 2 weeks...so figure out how much hay your animals will eat in that time period and that is how big of a bale you will need every 2 weeks...I feed bales that are about 1200 #...horses access 1 side of the bale  goats the other...2 weeks and it is gone...4 horses 10 goats....give or take...year around they have it available...sometimes the horses are limited in their hay time...
for 2 goats you would probably be better off with small squares as they would end up wasting too much with a larger bale....JMO


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## trestlecreek (Aug 14, 2009)

If you have a barn that you can put the round bale in to protect it from rain/snow; then yes, it probably would last much of a winter.


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## Mini-M Ranch (Aug 14, 2009)

Are you asking if the hay will be good for all winter or are you asking if one round bale will be enough feed for all winter?

I am interested in knowing how long one of the big bales lasts (I know it is different for all goats) in comparison to small bales.  I can't look and do mental estimations of size.  My brain doesn't work that way.


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## Goatfarmer (Aug 15, 2009)

We put a big round bale in the lot with our goats, its lasted a little while, maybe a month or so, they use is as a playset, bathroom, then they eat mostly just the middle of it, my suggestion would be to use square bales if you can, you can portion it out and make it last longer, however I have known people to cut round bales open and use it as they need it. If you do that you could use one of the hay feeders people have made on here out of skids. Good luck!!!


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## jhm47 (Aug 15, 2009)

There are many different sizes of round bales, ranging from 6' X 6' to 4' X 4'.  There are also many types of balers.  Some make "soft core" bales, and others wrap the bales very tightly.  Be sure to find out the weight of the bales, and you will have a much better idea of how much actual hay is in the bale.

Of course, if you just dump the bale into the lot/barn where you will keep the goats, they will waste more than they will eat.  You would be wise to invest in a good hay feeder, and pick the bale apart as needed.  This will save you a lot of $$$ in the long run.

Also, the quality of the hay is very important.  Is is alfalfa?  Is it good, green alfalfa, that was cut and baled before the alfalfa plants began to blossom?  did it have rain on it?  Be sure to ask these questions before committing to purchase.  If it's grass hay, find out if it is roadside hay.  If so, be sure that it doesn't have a lot of foreign matter (cans bottles, pizza wrappers, etc) wrapped up in it.  

No matter what, be sure that it's good quality.  It should be green, it should smell fresh, and there should be no mold in the center.


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## cmjust0 (Aug 17, 2009)

Most roundbales around here are grass hay, and they're almost always stored outside.  Thing is, only the outer 6" or so really get weathered because they're designed to shed water.  The goats will invariably start eating from the middle where the hay's good and fresh and work their way in toward the very center and out toward the edges.

One thing I'd advise is that when they eat completely through the bale, tip it up on end (like a barrel) before it collapses -- especially if you have horned goats!  If a horned goat is shoulder deep in the bale when it collapses, they'll get stuck and could possibly suffocate.


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## lupinfarm (Aug 17, 2009)

A farmer near me produces 3x3s but he doesn't sell much to my dismay.


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## cmjust0 (Aug 17, 2009)

I just noticed where someone's selling 4'x4' grass hay roundbales for $10 in my area..  I'm thinking my little 8N might just be able to handle a 4'x4' bale, so I may have to make a phone call...  

If they're any good, I'd buy quite a few of those.


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## lupinfarm (Aug 17, 2009)

You should also take into consideration large squares. They come anywhere from a 5' bale to an 8' bale. We're looking into getting 5' bales for the horse. They have huge flakes, so you don't have to keep throwing out bales and you get the hay in bulk size that you want. Plus, these you can actually move around a bit easier


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## KareyABohr (Aug 17, 2009)

I keep my big round bales in a shed. You can "roll out" a bit to feed every day. It is a lot cheaper than the small square bales, BUT buyer beware. It isn't cheaper if you get crappy or moldy hay. ALSO it is a LOT LOT more screwing around every day. Unfortunatley my time is worth less than my money, so I unroll.


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## crazygoatlady (Aug 17, 2009)

It depends on where you are and what your winters are like--I like to have more than I think I need--just in case.  Depending on how tight is is baled- very tightly baled big round bale -free fed --  will fed my 8 about 6 weeks.    This year we are wrapping a cattle panel round it, clip it and you have a free feeder make so they can't get into it.   I did this with some hay that was lost in a ditch one year.   A truck lost 3 big round bales when it took a corner and the hay wasn't secured.  I took a cattle panel,made a circle and then scooped the hay into it.   My brothers BIL bales the big round bales, but they are loosely baled, they don't  even last a 3 weeks If  I were you, I would get 2  or 3 bales, but I am over prepared, we were so lucky last year, because I bought enough for 2 years ( 2 years ago) and hay was very hard to get last year.  We covered it and the last bale was still nice and green.  We put the extra bales on a pallet on its side and cover it--I sew and made slipcovers for them out of tarps.


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