When giving out a bale of silage.....

whelan2

do you put the forks under the bale or in the middle. Find it alot handier to get plastic off if you put the forks in the middle.... so what way do you pick up your silage bales?

Deepsouthwest

whelan2 wrote: »

do you put the forks under the bale or in the middle. Find it alot handier to get plastic off if you put the forks in the middle.... so what way do you pick up your silage bales?

Cut the face of all the bales I intend to feed before I start, then drive in my forks in middle, or slightly above middle, take to feeding passage, I cut underneath plastic and netting in one go, then bottom half of bale falls to the ground first, then back up and put top half nxt to it up again feeding barrier. Then nxt bale. I'd say this thread could run a while!

_Brian

Due to our narrow feed passage we prong the bale in the side rather than on a flat face. That way we can get the bales in with the flat face towards the barrier.
Split plastic round and fold it back onto loader. Cut net and do same. Drop bale on floor and plastic/net comes away with loader.

Kovu

Same as _Brian, prongs into the side because they're stacked on the flat edge.
Run around bottom of the bale with a knife and then up one side into centre of the flat top.

Reggie.

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Cut the face of all the bales I intend to feed before I start, then drive in my forks in middle, or slightly above middle, take to feeding passage, I cut underneath plastic and netting in one go, then bottom half of bale falls to the ground first, then back up and put top half nxt to it up again feeding barrier. Then nxt bale. I'd say this thread could run a while!

Same as that only I get the bale a foot from the bottom otherwise a lump of silage can fall on the net while unwrapping and ya have to dig it out

Bass Reeves

Like DSW cut face off any bales I intend to use. I use a 2wd tractor to feed. The 2WD is manevrable, a miser on diesel, one door is missing so easy to get in and out odd and is not as high as 4WD to get in and out of.

Place bale in front of barrier. IMO it is immaterial wether bales are facing barrier sideways or endways. Push bales in on following day. Bales on central passage can be pushed on in front of other pen if you need to feed a pen where there is a partly eaten bale in the way. My central passage is accessible from either end.

Bales facing barrier can be toppled over with a pike when over half eaten, however it is harder to get plastic and netting off these bales if spiked from side especially if bale is chopped. This is why my preference is to spike fron end of bale.

Deepsouthwest

Reggie. wrote: »

Same as that only I get the bale a foot from the bottom otherwise a lump of silage can fall on the net while unwrapping and ya have to dig it out

That's why I cut plastic and netting all in one clean cut underneath, lift it all the top then together.

blue5000

Thank God I've only 6 left, used them up first before pit silage.
They are stacked on the flat ends, using a bale lifter on 3 pt linkage as they are too heavy for the loader:o
1 ram the lifter under the bale
2 tip the bale over on it's side
3 get down off the tractor cut a circle off the flat end
4 back up on tractor drive to barrier
5 slide bale half off, tip up on it's flat end
6 get off tractor (again) take off plastic and net
7 repeat 1-6 again

Am I doing something wrong??

RightTurnClyde

Here I Lift off all bales off stack a bring them near shed and leave them near each other with flat side down.
Off tractor, cut and peel down plastic to ground level, leave on netting on all bales
Back up on tractor and pick up bales with straight forks pointing down against round side of bake and top curved forks stuck in flat top of bale.
Drop in all bales near to barriers but not against them
Park the tractor and remove netting of all bales.
So only off the tractor once during feeding.

Dawggone

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Here I Lift off all bales off stack a bring them near shed and leave them near each other with flat side down.
Off tractor, cut and peel down plastic to ground level, leave on netting on all bales
Back up on tractor and pick up bales with straight forks pointing down against round side of bake and top curved forks stuck in flat top of bale.
Drop in all bales near to barriers but not against them
Park the tractor and remove netting of all bales.
So only off the tractor once during feeding.

Same system here Clyde. I feckin hate bales....

A good bale is a sold bale!

kevthegaff

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Here I Lift off all bales off stack a bring them near shed and leave them near each other with flat side down.
Off tractor, cut and peel down plastic to ground level, leave on netting on all bales
Back up on tractor and pick up bales with straight forks pointing down against round side of bake and top curved forks stuck in flat top of bale.
Drop in all bales near to barriers but not against them
Park the tractor and remove netting of all bales.
So only off the tractor once during feeding.

Exactly here too, agree about bales, balls of yokes. Brought back 2 loads this morning, lad sold them cheep. I was 3 hrs pricking loading unloading

caseman

Use shear grab here to split them, most of the time i can take plastic and net of without getting out of tractor

RightTurnClyde

Dawggone wrote: »

Same system here Clyde. I feckin hate bales....

A good bale is a sold bale!

I'm the same , hate the fcukers. I just make enough for the windup and winddown of winter. Any excess grass if possible gets turfed into the pits.
Up to 8 years ago I couldn't get anyone with silage wagons around so I was all bales. Was mowing and moving up to 2k bales on my own every summer. Got the t-shirt, waste of time, langers of yokes.

Bass Reeves

blue5000 wrote: »

Thank God I've only 6 left, used them up first before pit silage.
They are stacked on the flat ends, using a bale lifter on 3 pt linkage as they are too heavy for the loader:o
1 ram the lifter under the bale
2 tip the bale over on it's side
3 get down off the tractor cut a circle off the flat end
4 back up on tractor drive to barrier
5 slide bale half off, tip up on it's flat end
6 get off tractor (again) take off plastic and net
7 repeat 1-6 again

Am I doing something wrong??

Stack them on the flat two high rather than on end. Make sure you can access round end of bale. Cut around circular end of bales required. Reverse in and lift bottom bale (If top bales falls down you can still pull it out and tip it with rear handler so that you can spike it from end). This allow you take off plastic and net at the feed barrier. You only get up and down off tractor once for each bale. If you cannot cut plastic on enough bale you can cut another lot between bales while off the tractor. I can feed 70 ish bullocks in twenty minutes at most it take as long to feed ration. If the young lad is around whoever is on the tractor will noty have to leave same.

If you have low DM bales ( wet bale that will fall apart). Slit bottom of bale and remove netting and plastic in one whip now and again you will get caught but not that often. For feeding round bales it is hard to beat a 2WD tractor with spike at rear.

Dawggone

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

I'm the same , hate the fcukers. I just make enough for the windup and winddown of winter. Any excess grass if possible gets turfed into the pits.
Up to 8 years ago I couldn't get anyone with silage wagons around so I was all bales. Was mowing and moving up to 2k bales on my own every summer. Got the t-shirt, waste of time, langers of yokes.

+1. Exactly.

Only use them on the high protein forages that would rot in the pit.
What have you against precision chop?

Parishlad

Lift bale with front loader forks. Drive to barrier. Hop off and cut plastic from end of bale. Back up on tractor and drop bale on its end near barrier. When taking out the forks I also pick the rest of the plastic off the bale. Hop down again and unwind the netting from the bale. Pick up plastic, roll it up and drop it in a box I made out of pallets. Netting goes in a bin and is disposed off in due course!:pac:

All bales here so I know no better!

Reggie.

Most farmers around here are moving from pit to bales the last few years

CloughCasey1

Ara ye are all doing it wrong... ;-)...

We have old mchale shear grab mast modified to work the spike.

1 Back into bale
2 Drive to barrier and reverse in within 2' of barrier
3 Slide up bale along mast so it's at least two foot off ground
4 Hop down from tractor
5 Cut plastic at widest part of bale on the three sides facing away from tractor
6 Cut two vertical lines on face of bale at barrier
7 Peel back all plastic to mast and shove between bale and mast
8 Cut off netting
9 Hop on tractor and slide down bale to bottom of mast reverse a foot and drop lift
10 Pull out hop down and slide plastic off the prongs of spike and into skip bag

Job done!

Bass Reeves

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

Ara ye are all doing it wrong... ;-)...

We have old mchale shear grab mast modified to work the spike.

1 Back into bale
2 Drive to barrier and reverse in within 2' of barrier
3 Slide up bale along mast so it's at least two foot off ground
4 Hop down from tractor
5 Cut plastic at widest part of bale on the three sides facing away from tractor
6 Cut two vertical lines on face of bale at barrier
7 Peel back all plastic to mast and shove between bale and mast
8 Cut off netting
9 Hop on tractor and slide down bale to bottom of mast reverse a foot and drop lift
10 Pull out hop down and slide plastic off the prongs of spike and into skip bag

Job done!

If you cut plastic on the circular end you spike you are only up and down off the tractor one time for every bales. try it it saves the hips and knees down the line.

whelan2

_Brian wrote: »

Due to our narrow feed passage we prong the bale in the side rather than on a flat face. That way we can get the bales in with the flat face towards the barrier.
Split plastic round and fold it back onto loader. Cut net and do same. Drop bale on floor and plastic/net comes away with loader.

would it not be harder on the tractor driving into it from the side?

frazzledhome

I make sure Newstalk in on loader radio and then set temperature in the cab.

Pick bales from round side take to feed barrier. Cut open with shear grab, spill contents in front of cows. I then drop plastic in its designated area. Repeat process till done.

Feed bales to dry cows every 3rd day.

Bales are Fierce handy altogether

RightTurnClyde

Dawggone wrote: »

+1. Exactly.

Only use them on the high protein forages that would rot in the pit.
What have you against precision chop?

Chop length, Cows never throve, cows too loose, wet damp scuttery cubicles. Too much waste in pit, 80 acres horsed in in 3 or 4 hours isn't being rolled right. PC crowd were setting the agenda, cutting when it suited them, rain or sunshine. Give them 2 weeks notice and the wagon guys are there on the day and will wait if wet. So I can mow and ted for the wagons.
Wagon 75€ vs €110 for PC first cut, €55 for second. I could go on.

RightTurnClyde

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

Ara ye are all doing it wrong... ;-)...

We have old mchale shear grab mast modified to work the spike.

1 Back into bale
2 Drive to barrier and reverse in within 2' of barrier
3 Slide up bale along mast so it's at least two foot off ground
4 Hop down from tractor
5 Cut plastic at widest part of bale on the three sides facing away from tractor
6 Cut two vertical lines on face of bale at barrier
7 Peel back all plastic to mast and shove between bale and mast
8 Cut off netting
9 Hop on tractor and slide down bale to bottom of mast reverse a foot and drop lift
10 Pull out hop down and slide plastic off the prongs of spike and into skip bag

Job done!

I see 3 hops there per bale. Creek

coolshannagh28

Bales stacked on flat ,lift with spike drive to feed passage dismount and cut bottom out below spike about a foot up and whip off plastic and wrap ,same with all bales then take plastic and wrap off the remainder when all bales dropped and dispose of.

Dawggone

frazzledhome wrote: »

I make sure Newstalk in on loader radio and then set temperature in the cab.

Pick bales from round side take to feed barrier. Cut open with shear grab, spill contents in front of cows. I then drop plastic in its designated area. Repeat process till done.

Feed bales to dry cows every 3rd day.

Bales are Fierce handy altogether

Lol!
Didn't one of the 'low cost' Stasi on here condemn that machine of yours to hell!

Dawggone

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Chop length, Cows never throve, cows too loose, wet damp scuttery cubicles. Too much waste in pit, 80 acres horsed in in 3 or 4 hours isn't being rolled right. PC crowd were setting the agenda, cutting when it suited them, rain or sunshine. Give them 2 weeks notice and the wagon guys are there on the day and will wait if wet. So I can mow and ted for the wagons.
Wagon 75€ vs €110 for PC first cut, €55 for second. I could go on.

No arguing that.

Reggie.

frazzledhome wrote: »

I make sure Newstalk in on loader radio and then set temperature in the cab.

Pick bales from round side take to feed barrier. Cut open with shear grab, spill contents in front of cows. I then drop plastic in its designated area. Repeat process till done.

Feed bales to dry cows every 3rd day.

Bales are Fierce handy altogether

Newstalk.....thought you had better taste

frazzledhome

Reggie. wrote: »

Newstalk.....thought you had better taste

Pat Kenny King of current affairs

I said

frazzledhome wrote: »

Pat Kenny King of current affairs

Ffs

whelan2

Reggie. wrote: »

Newstalk.....thought you had better taste

newstalk is a hell of alot better than some of the other stations, cant stand nicky byrne and ray darcy

I said

Front loader into end of bale drive up to barrier get out of tractor,cut x on front of bale peel back the plastic unwind the netting.drop the bale reverse out with the plastic still on the bale spike take off the plastic.push bale upto barrier

frazzledhome

Dawggone wrote: »

Lol!
Didn't one of the 'low cost' Stasi on here condemn that machine of yours to hell!

But like an errant child, could strangle them most of the time but God look out for the guy that tries to take them

patsy_mccabe

Feeding in round feeders in the yard here. Two halves of the feeder held together with chains. 2WD tractor with weights on front. Couldn't be more low cost.
Walk into yard. All cows head into cubicle shed when they see me coming, young replacement weanlings head to smaller yard where I feed them meal.
Open gates, get tractor, spike bales into round side. They are stacked on flat side. Drive to round feeder, cut plastic on lower flat side. Drop bale. Remove rest of plastic and unwind netting. Close back in the half of the round feeder. Chains back on.
I only get of the tractor once and I never ever have to fork silage.
Planning on building more sheds next year but can't help thinking it will mean more rather than less work, with a proper feed barrier etc.

Green farmer

Bale spike on back of tractor. Pick up standing bale. Bring to feeding yard or paddock. Drop bale on a pallet to keep it off ground. Cut and remove all plastic other then base. Put ring feeder around it ( for sheep ). Retrieve pallet and plastic a day or who later. Ground under bale kept clean and no cross contamination with muck. Sheep only here, no cattle.

dohc turbo2

seems everyone feeds the bales directly once opened , any worries with the likes of pink eye ? , I was fencing off a lagoon for farmer last year and he was telling me to be careful, I take the plastic and net off the evening before I feed them . Am I been over protective

rushvalley

dohc turbo2 wrote: »

seems everyone feeds the bales directly once opened , any worries with the likes of pink eye ? , I was fencing off a lagoon for farmer last year and he was telling me to be careful, I take the plastic and net off the evening before I feed them . Am I been over protective

Same here....cut the end off the bale day before feeding out, back in with spike, bring to barrier pull off silage like a sock, unwrap netting, drop bale, throw plastic and netting in corner, park tractor.
Only get off tractor once, tractor is a 135, one full tank of diesel does it for most of the winter.... Don't see how I can be more efficient than that 👌ðŸ˜

Timmaay

I usually take the bale off the stack before plastic, spikes in the flat end (most bales stacked on the round here), drive to the feed barrier, jump out, cut top 1/2 of the wrap and fully expose the flat end that will be on the ground, back on the tractor, throw the bale off the loader, but keep the wrap on the spikes, throw it in the heap of wrap, off the tractor to unwrap the netting. Spikes straight down the top of the bale and close the shear grab, and drag it along the feed face scattering it out.

I'm up and down twice, but inside in the feeding passage so stay dry ha, I don't mind the up and down the tractor, young and fit enough still ha, I've gotten the routine well enough refined by now. Oh and always a pair of gloves on the tractor, hate handling fresh silage, smell doesn't come out for days!!

Using more and more bales here also, and can only see that increasing, definitely will not be building any new silage pits here.

keep going

I said wrote: »

Front loader into end of bale drive up to barrier get out of tractor,cut x on front of bale peel back the plastic unwind the netting.drop the bale reverse out with the plastic still on the bale spike take off the plastic.push bale upto barrier

at last some one who does it like me except i drop the bale on the open end and take the plastic off with spike and drop it into box of wrap.i unwind net when i am x ing the next one,hate bales,reckon people have no idea how much time they soak up.farming nowadays is all about minimising the handling of units and converting into handling bunches and the bales go completly against that

ger b

Simple enough when we were feeding 3 ton mini with homemade spike

ger b

Simple enough when we were feeding 3 ton mini with homemade spike

Birdnuts

Apologies if this has been covered already but where do folks stand on leaving plastic on the bale when feeding in ring feeder or the like??. I had an argument with a neighbour the other day over this. He reckons that you simply cut a few holes in the plastic and let the cattle tuck in. He said if you cut the holes at various heights you can given smaller animals a chance to get a fair share. I'm dubious about this. I always take off the entire wrap as I would worry they might injest plastic with obvious consequences. Indeed I was looking in at a field not far from my own place recently and a suckler herd were feeding on a bale that was still 70% or so rapped. I noticed some of the calves chewing large pieces of plastic. That can't be a good system surely??

ger b

Birdnuts wrote: »

Apologies if this has been covered already but where do folks stand on leaving plastic on the bale when feeding in ring feeder or the like??. I had an argument with a neighbour the other day over this. He reckons that you simply cut a few holes in the plastic and let the cattle tuck in. He said if you cut the holes at various heights you can given smaller animals a chance to get a fair share. I'm dubious about this. I always take off the entire wrap as I would worry they might injest plastic with obvious consequences. Indeed I was looking in at a field not far from my own place recently and a suckler herd were feeding on a bale that was still 70% or so rapped. I noticed some of the calves chewing large pieces of plastic. That can't be a good system surely??

Wouldn't be in my mind a good idea calf eats plastic it'll be unable to digest it and stays there leading to poor growth etc I know some might not like to give full bale if low numbers and it goes stale but there would have to be a better way

Kovu

Did it with a couple of bales that were out with dry cows. Left the wrap mostly on the round but cut off the two ends and about half a foot in on each side.
Had no round feeder and as it's chopped they'd have made shoite of it if unwrapped fully. Worked the finest, wouldn't do it with calves around though. The cow have sense enough to eat the silage and leave the plastic

ger b

Depends on the situation of course but does that lead to poor utilisation of the bale and wrapping covered in sh1te

Kovu

ger b wrote: »

Depends on the situation of course but does that lead to poor utilisation of the bale and wrapping covered in sh1te

I worked perfect for us as the cows are being fattened so didn't want much fodder along with the ration. Placed the bale in the driest part of the field (a small hillock) and they got ration at the opposite hedge.
Only problem I thought might happen was that they'd roll the bale down the hill! Thankfully it didn't happen

whelan2

nothing worse than black plastic stuck between slats

farawaygrass

dohc turbo2 wrote: »

seems everyone feeds the bales directly once opened , any worries with the likes of pink eye ? , I was fencing off a lagoon for farmer last year and he was telling me to be careful, I take the plastic and net off the evening before I feed them . Am I been over protective

I had to do that last year too, let out the gas I was told.
A lot of ye seem to be pushing bars into the barriers, if feeding nuts how do ye feed them then?
We have a back to back slatted she's here but passage is very narrow, so I put a bale on the back for stability, then put in what's needed with the front loader. I leave the bar handler on the loader as I find if I open it out it loosens the bale a lot, I break up the bales with the front loader to make it easy for forking again. Feed two bales every day/day and a half

stretch film

Load bales by spiking the edge, leave in passage and turn bale around so round edge faces grab .
Put in whatever number I need keeping them at equal distance apart.
Run a Stanley about 2/3 down along two edges and across the round furthest from the grab cutting plastic and net in one go.
Peel back plastic / net over bale onto grab side
Open tine grab and push into edge of first bale. Lift and creep forward in one movement and roll the bale over leaving the net and plastic snagged on teeth of grab . Bale is ready to throw out . Throw out and move onto next one .
If your lucky you dont have to leave the cab once the cutting is done.
Good system when feeding outside in this weather cos bale is totally intact.
I think cutting a raised chopped bale is too dangerous . ..