Easiest way to feed round bales

Dr. Sh1te

Folks, with the winter feeding season soon approaching, I'm wondering how do you feed your silage bales to your cattle?

I want to eliminate as muck forking as is possible, now I don't want to purchase the tanco bale shear, but I was thinking of purchasing a tine grab for the loader like this one

http://www.donedeal.ie/silagegrabs-for-sale/silage-grab-for-sale/5450548

Would one of these be handiest way of feeding silage, take a grab out of the bale and place in front of the cows?

I been using a muck fork before but is no use with chopped bales.

Thanks for any input.

Timmaay

Put longer tines in the muckfork?

MfMan

Dr. Sh1te wrote: »

I been using a muck fork before but is no use with chopped bales.

Thanks for any input.

Get a 3-pronged fork, longer thinner tines suitable for handling bales.

Sharpshooter82

Could you just not take the net off till nearer the feeding area then a muck fork would work. That's all I ever use

just do it

Place the bale 18-24 inches away from the feed barrier and push in every morning. Bale is good for 3 days but starts to go off after that

just do it

just do it wrote: »

Place the bale 18-24 inches away from the feed barrier and push in every morning. Bale is good for 3 days but starts to go off after that

Using this system it is only the third day that you end up using the fork for pushing in loose bits around the edges etc

Sharpshooter82

just do it wrote: »

Place the bale 18-24 inches away from the feed barrier and push in every morning. Bale is good for 3 days but starts to go off after that

Some of my bales last a week in front of the barrier

crackcrack30

Sometimes I do the same as above , layed flat, but only remove half the plastic.......the canopy on the shed keeps it fairly dry..

Figerty

Dr. Sh1te wrote: »

Folks, with the winter feeding season soon approaching, I'm wondering how do you feed your silage bales to your cattle?

I want to eliminate as muck forking as is possible, now I don't want to purchase the tanco bale shear, but I was thinking of purchasing a tine grab for the loader like this one

http://www.donedeal.ie/silagegrabs-for-sale/silage-grab-for-sale/5450548

Would one of these be handiest way of feeding silage, take a grab out of the bale and place in front of the cows?

I been using a muck fork before but is no use with chopped bales.

Thanks for any input.

How many bales are you going be feeding per day? Before you go spending big money is it worth it if you have been doing it with a fork.

I feed one bale for 1.5 to 2 days to 10 cows to the pillar between the bays. Just back it, drop it in fork to the left and right to keep them quiet for until they fill up and then the do the rotation themselves.
They then self regulate the feed it only needs a shove in.

Dampintheattic

Figerty wrote: »

How many bales are you going be feeding per day? Before you go spending big money is it worth it if you have been doing it with a fork.

I feed one bale for 1.5 to 2 days to 10 cows to the pillar between the bays. Just back it, drop it in fork to the left and right to keep them quiet for until they fill up and then the do the rotation themselves.
They then self regulate the feed it only needs a shove in.

Exactly. Most bales are chopped nowadays. If you stand the bale on its end, forking it manually is a piece if cake. Opening minimum number of bales at a time, minimises waste. Keeping it out from the barrier, maximises utilisation. Forking it in, gives you a nice bit of cardiovascular exercise.
Win, win, win! -;)

nashmach

How well chopped is it?

We find here that just turn the bale up on its end, unroll wrap and turn it over about 12 inches from the barrier, take a small bit of the top with the loader.

Next day just give it a quick shove with the transport box, will be ate to the ground pretty soon after that.

Farmer Pudsey

How many cattle are you feeding and what type of cattle.

Dr. Sh1te

Feeding continental sucklers cows and Weanlings using 3 bales per day.

JohnBoy

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