Round Bales vs. Square Bales?

[aggieterpkatie]

I'm currently feeding round bales and while it's more labor intensive for me than square bales, it's also SOO much cheaper. I get a good deal on hay since I buy from a farm where I used to work, so a 1200lb round bale is only $40. Since we dont' have a tractor, we have to use a system where we tie a strap around the bale, and slide it off the trailer (using another vehicle to anchor it, or a tree if possible). We set it on pallets, cover it w/ a tarp, and then fork the hay off it to feed. I would love to be able to just put it out in the pasture and wrap it w/ cattle panels, but right now we just don't have a good place to do that. Plus, a 1200 lb round bale will last me 2 months, and by that time it would mold if left out in the rain. The last one I fed ended up having about 1/8th or so of waste, since it got wet and molded. Still, if you take into account how cheap round bales are compared to square bales, it makes it worth while.

Hi Aggie,

How many animals are you feeding off this 1200# bale?

I'm feeding 3 sheep and 2 goats. Soon there will be 2 lambs added, but they won't eat much hay for a while.

 

[Cornish Heritage]

We feed a grass/alfalfa mix hay to our pigs when there is no grass. Once the grass is out they get weaned off the hay. We have found that if we leave the ties on it there is WAY less mess. We do removes the strings once it is eaten down but by leaving the strings on at first they do not spread it everywhere.

When we raised goats at one time we did feed the round bales but found that they would eat it from the bottom & twice we lost a goat to the bale falling on top of it! SO if we were to do that again we would have to secure it much better.

Liz

 

[Rvrfshr]

Thanks B, This gives me ideas on how to accomplish using the round bales.

Cutting the labor out of feeding the hay appeals to me, but I enjoy my time amongst my flock so I would probably have to inspect it a couple of times a day. :/

We're now at a size flock where we have choices for which animals to keep for breeders and which to sell or put in the freezer.

Building my shed to store and feed from.

Thanks for the idea!

 

[Rvrfshr]

I know people who rig their round bales like this for their sheep and it works okay. I did something similar for my square bales...just placed a cattle panel on the front of the stack in the barn and kept it tight with bungee cords...the sheep fed themselves, there was very little waste and I didn't lift a bale all season. I was immensely pleased with the experiment and would use it again.

Here's a pic:

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/82_sheep_shelter_puppies_sheep_017.jpg


And a pic of it being used:

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/82_sheep_shelter_puppies_sheep_046.jpg

Hi Bee,

Am just finishing an 8x10 hay shed fashioned on the photo's that you posted. Have faced this structure in a manner that will allow access from two diffferent pens, am using t-posts to move the cattle panels as the hay is eaten. Picked up a dandy tool that is designed specifically for removing the posts from the ground.

Thank you again for sharing this information.