Round Bale feeders

Havenowt

Hi All

We have moved away from pit silage this year to round bales. They are a little awkward to feed with, but we have less waste.

Thinking of getting a round bale feeder for the tractor or fit on loader.

Are any of ye using round bale feeder that unwind the bale?

What make are you using?

pro/con's?

price?

Thanks

ruwithme

I was interested to read this given the thread title op,you probably haven't gotten any replies as I reckon a few on here would be " absolutely disgusted "at the suggestion of a round bale feeder in the month of November .(imagine the gutters ,if ya had a few heavies round that)

Sorry I can't help on the unwinder as I don't have one, but I'd suggest changing the thread title to bale unwinder or something close to it.

Bass Reeves

What do you need to the unwinder for. I feed bales. Mostly I just place full bales at barrier. If I need to split a bale I put the spiked in around half way and lift bale with a little shake or two it will split in half and you can carry the half a short distance..

If you had a pit you must have a tine or shear grab. Either will split bales and and feed them.

StevenToast

No need for an unwinder....

I use a pitchfork to break up the bale...horse it into them.

divillybit

https://www.donedeal.ie/feedingequipment-for-sale/hustler-sl360x-bale-unraveler/29714545

Bale unrollers are a great machine. Bought a 2nd hand one a few years ago, wouldn't be without it. 3 locals have bought unrollers after seeing how we've gotten on with ours. Feed about 400 bales a year with it. Have a hustler, but they are all very similar mechanically. Id buy a used one like in the link above if you were looking seriously at getting one as they are pricey from new. There's very little to go wrong with them and hold their value well.

There's very little waste silage as the cattle get new silage every 24 - 36 hours. Theres very little graping to be done now.

divillybit

As @funkey_monkey mentioned above, an unroller is heavy enough when loaded and would be hard on a front loader so it's best to use the 3 point linkage unless you have a tele handler. They are quite wide but you get used to it. They are a great job in sheds where you can't reverse up perpendicular to the barrier, a bale splitter is best for those types of sheds but for a 3 Bay back to back slatted shed like what we have its the best feeding option for us anyway.

A front loader is very handy for putting the bale onto the unroller as you can lift the bale higher than using the spikes on the 3 point linkage. This is important as when taking off the mesh off the bale you have to be fairly quick cos if a lump of silage falls from the bale and brings the mesh with it then the mesh gets caught In the spikes on the conveyor.

A hydraulic top link is a must also, it helps keep the unroller level or slightly tilted.

Havenowt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118208151#Comment_118208151

I'm away all day and the old lad is near 75 and isn't as fond of the grape as he used too. With a un-winder he would be able to tip away on hes own.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118208695#Comment_118208695

Big advantage of the bale shear is not having to get in and out multiple times if you are feeding a lot of bales outdoors and it is pissing rain. They are very heavy though so you need a decent loader

The unwinder thing looks neat though. Never had one here so couldn't comment on their practicality as regards time.

Havenowt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118208122#Comment_118208122

I'm not around and old lad is nearly 75, so the less forking the better. It will be a good investment as it will enable him to tip away.

Havenowt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118209124#Comment_118209124

Tractor 4wd 95hp JD6220.. so would use on rear of tractor. He wouldn't be going through to many bales a day. It would be just to take the labour out of it.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118215632#Comment_118215632

I am nearly 60 myself and seldom have to fork in silage I just put complete bales in front of pens, cattle get fed no more than three days silage and usually only two days at the time. as bales are not broken up they hold well. I just push in bales as need.

I can split a bale in two with the bake spike as well. Total Net cost of my feeding implement is 250 euro. It's a cheap two spike bale lifter.

You just have to forget about being fussy.

I can understand maybe if it's a narrow central passage bit if it a shed with access just feed complete bales the cattle will do the rest.

And I have no waste

Jb1989

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118216831#Comment_118216831

And show him YouTube clips of all the different machines so he can see in reality.

Havenowt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118216831#Comment_118216831

Slatted shed is about 30yrs old 3 bay either side. Passage-way wouldn't be very wide, so would be driving parallel to feed area

We have loader and shear grab, but you still end up grapping as you cant have a bale in the middle of the pen either side or there be hardly any room to walk around with bags of nuts morn/eve.

The unwinder would leave center passage free and minimal pushing in of silage.

divillybit

@funky_monkey makes some really good points in his post there. We have a 3 bay shed like yours with pens either side of the feed passage. The bale unroller we have was got specifically for this kind of shed configuration but now its used to feed silage even in another shed where the bale splitter would be a better option.

There is alot of looking around as the bale is being let out of the unroller. As you're quite near the feed barrier you gotta watch the cattle. But if the tractor is put in low low gear you can creep along and occasionally glance forward but mainly be looking back. One full rotation of the unroller with a new bale will let off alot of silage compared to if you have half a bale on it so you're usually increasing the speed of the unroller as the bale gets smaller to ensure the volume of silage at the barrier is the same. There is a bit into using it but you get used to it quickly and it's enjoyable. The cattle get used to it too. The spikes on the conveyor are quite sharp so it could cut an animals nose but I've never had an animal get a bad cut. It's nice to be able to walk up the feed passageway afterwards with two neat rows of silage left in by the barriers and not have to be climbing over silage left in the middle of the passageway if you are carrying a bag of meal. You can then pay more attention to inspecting the stock and drinkers etc. that's been my experience with it anyway

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118215673#Comment_118215673

My advice is go and buy it straight away. The cost is not going to put you out of business and as you say will make life easier for your father.

trg

Would the tanco bale shear be more versatile? Would be still useful if you switched from bales to pit and no getting out of the tractor at all + facing forwards not turning around

hopeso

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118217147#Comment_118217147

To me, this sounds like your passage might be too narrow to work an unroller comfortably?

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118222954#Comment_118222954

Often the solution to a narrow passage is to consider taking out a side wall. If you are lucky enough to have a side wall either North or North East take it out and put a feed passages outside and barriers on it if possible. You can bolt on an overhang in time to keep silage from getting wet.

divillybit

https://www.donedeal.ie/feedingequipment-for-sale/nugent-bale-unroller/26926606

https://www.donedeal.ie/feedingequipment-for-sale/bale-unroller/29785394

https://www.donedeal.ie/feedingequipment-for-sale/hustler-360-slx/29708964

https://www.donedeal.ie/otherfarmmachinery-for-sale/bridgeway-rotospike/29636365

Id look at used unrollers before buying new, great savings to be made. The Hustler in the link above seems to be keenly priced but it's in Sterling. It would be my choice. I'd imagine it'll sell very quickly.

The Nugent one in the 1st link is there at the dealer in Athlone a while it looks but looks very clean. I've tried ringing these guys before about a trailer and they never answer so if you're in the Midlands it'd be worth the spin to check it out in person.

The Record in the 3rd link is interesting as it feeds out at a higher level but needs a 2nd machine to load it and only feeds out to one side. I thought it was worth adding as the video shows it working but I don't think they are a runner in this case.

Lastly the Bridgeway spike unroller would be the cheapest option but realistically are only good for unrolling a bale into a diet feeder.

Havenowt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118224604#Comment_118224604

Nugent in Athlone @ €4900 has high bars for saggy bale there but not fitted.

Hustler in North £3500 (€4200 ish) plus getting it costs. looks a cleaner one.

divillybit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118225455#Comment_118225455

I think that's good value for the Hustler, even allowing for maybe 300 or 400 euro to get it brought to you by someone.

Like what @funky_monkey said, the Huster is the newer version and can be driven from either end and has the automatic latch mechanism rather than using a rope to release it from the spike unit.

Being able to swap sides is very useful if you get a bale that doesn't want to unroll correctly. You do get unclipped bale which can refuse to unroll as you are trying to feed it out in the same direction the bale was made if that makes any sense. Eventually it will feed out but I've found it happens with dry unchopped bales especially

divillybit

That's a good video to show the unroller working in a narrow passage way. That operator has a good system going. The tractor would be under pressure with a wet bale on the loader but it works well. His bales look fairly well chopped which helps alot.

Our passage ways wouldn't be as narrow as that. Being able to work the unroller from both ends is a good job.

@Havenowt let us know what you decide on.

Jb1989

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118225908#Comment_118225908

Never really seen it going till that video.

Youd want to be nimble at the reverseing in a passage way of that size or an animals head could be hit, and good at aiming the spikes into machine after dropping the bale off.

Does spread out the silage great alright, just a bulky item for safety reasons.

Bale splitter and a silage pusher for front loader would be safer for elderly and tight sheds in my opinion.

Bass Reeves

A couple of point to feed any bale you have to get up and down off the tractor twice to take off plastic and netting.

You will need a big tractor with good hydraulics to operate it with a front loader. It would be awkward to operate on the rear of a tractor trying to look where you are going and watching silage at the rear. Another issue with a rear operated is the hydraulic sensitivity on the leavers will not be near as good as on a joystick.

With the be dispenser on your weight is well out from loader. I expect it the equivalent if having two bales on a front loader. I am not sure how maneuverable a tractor would be with a machine like that on it. Visibility around you might not be great either.

I seriously consider a shed adjustment before I consider a piece if kit like that. There is a lot of moving parts therefore there will be maintenance issues longterm. You will be putting a large amount of strain and stress on you tractor and loader. You will need dry bales, if they are wet heavy bales even a big 110+ HP tractor might struggle

divillybit

Just with regards to maintenance of bale unrollers, there's just 4 bearings that need a very occasional shot of grease. That's it.

divillybit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118224604#Comment_118224604

@Havenowt , did you buy that Hustler? I see its sold already

Havenowt

A few updates so it may help other people in future.

The Shed passageway is 12ft wide,

Bale unroller is approx 6.5ft so it should work.

Old lad isn't fussed about getting one, plus he has a practically new shear grab in the shed he would want to sell first.

We using a shear grab that he was got from retiring uncle.

I'm in the middle of house build so not going to be dropping €4k+ on one just yet.

Thanks for all the help and advice, I will up date the post when we get the bale unroller.

Havenowt

8 foot, you wouldn't want to be shook after a hard night.

divillybit

In a 12 foot passageway you might have 2.5 foot of space either side of the tractor. Thats not much, and there's lots of blind spots so you'd want to be stopping and feeding both sides of the passageway, then moving forward to the next span and feeding both sides so you get both sides of the passageway fed in one pass of the tractor through the shed. Otherwise you'd just be driving over the silage if you were to feed one side of the passageway in one go and then feed the other side of the passageway in one go.... So I think if you were using a bale unroller in a 12 foot passageway the main thing would be that your bales are very very well chopped to ensure you can feed both sides.

I've seen unchopped bales on our unroller being hard to feed out as I was rotating the bale in the same direction that it was made in the baler e.g. if the bale was being rotated anticlockwise as it was being made, and trying to feed it out turning it anticlockwise on the unroller. These would have been dry silage bales. You nearly be looking at what way the mesh comes off the bale to give an idea of how the bale was made to then know what is the best way to face the tractor so it will feed out.

wetter chopped silage usually feeds out fine. It's just the dry unchopped stuff that can be bother sometimes.

Sorry for the overly long post

twin_beacon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118208151#Comment_118208151

My dad, with 2 hip replacements would disagree.

We bought a bridgeway bale unwinder around 5 years ago, wouldn't be without. It was around €6.5k if I remember correctly. Some people will complain about the price, but its attached to tractor for 6 months of the year. They are not complicated machines, just keep them greased and oil on the chain and they will last a very long time.

I would not suggest putting it on the loader of a JD 6220, as the unwinders themselves are very heavy, you would be better off on the 3 point linkage. You must have 2 double acting spool valves, one for the machine, and one for the hydraulic top link thats is also required.

They take a little time to get used to them, but once you get into the swing of it, there is no looking back. Cattle get fresh silage every day. Our big issue was with cattle caving, we had to move them in and out of bays, so we couldn't leave bales in front of the feeders at times during the year, so we had lots of forking of silage.

divillybit

Adrian from the IfarmWefarm YouTube channel had a new Huster on demo and as he said himself, if he had it for longer he would be a better judge of how to use it more effectively but the bale splitter system works well for him and he's got a big pit of silage so the Huster isn't really needed. 4 year warranty on new ones. We're all bales here so an unroller does suit our set up.

https://youtu.be/cEo9A7jru3k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118257975#Comment_118257975

Considering one of these machines.

How do you manage to remove the net and wrap and do you need the hydraulic top link?

SuperTortoise

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119913275#Comment_119913275

I'm sure there's better ways of doing it but the procedure i use is,

strip plastic, back prongs into bale , leave bale over the unwinder but don't drop it, unroll the net, leave bale down into unwinder, feed.

You could work our bridgeway without a hydraulic top link but honestly they can be got for 150 ish euro and they are as handy as a small pot, the only time my hydraulic top link comes off the tractor is maybe once a year when i use the powerbox.

older by the day

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118225908#Comment_118225908

Jayus that looks much work than throwing in a bale with a spike let them ate it, and spike another bale and push in what's left with that. When did farming gets so complicated

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119917993#Comment_119917993

Sounds like a good approach for relatively dry bales.

For wet bales I see some take the plastic off then put in on the unwinder and cut the net off the top the feed out and grab the half net from the fed out row.

I don’t like firing out a rake of full bales and then rooting at them with the loader. I think it’s time consuming and can add to waste.

grange mac

For wetter bales I use front loader in my trusty 995 which had barely enough hp to lift them 6 inches off ground. Then I do be shouting cattle to get back from the barrier as do be clean mad for fresh bales every few days.. Must have smart cattle as they do take notice of my constant shouting during feeding time 😂😂😂

twin_beacon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119913275#Comment_119913275

the way SuperTortoise described it is exactly how we do it. You will need the hydraulic top link alright.

divillybit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119918078#Comment_119918078

I know a few fellas locally that have bought bale unroller, and they all say they are a great job. But each to their own, if pushing in a bale with the spike works for you there's nothing wrong with that.

The bale unroller has been a good buy for our farm and there's great satisfaction seeing the round bale turned into the neat row of fresh silage laid out in front of the cattle with little or no graping to be done

SuperTortoise

The more bales you are feeding the easier it is to justify the price, we were feeding 300+ by hand, we used to stack 3 or 4 bales in the passage on their ends and grape it into them!

We tried backing the bales into the barrier but cows would pull in a heap of silage and you still had to grape in half the bale.

A splitter is'nt an option for us, you need to be able to back in perpendicular to the barrier to see the advantages of using a splitter.

Just out of interest did anyone price them lately? Have my one about 4 years, think i payed 4700 for it if memory serves.

KingPanko

I have a keenan diet feeder and it is terrible at bales and as far as I know there is no diet feeders much good at bales. Is there any easy way to feed bales into troughs like in the picture below? (Picture for an example from google, it is not my farm). Would any of the bale unwinders do it or any other ideas other than knock down the walls?

SuperTortoise

Bale unwinder would do that i'd say.

minerleague

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121504244#Comment_121504244

Mchale combination straw blower/silage feeder would work, expensive though

Cavanjack

Are you mixing meal with the silage and if not why bother with the feeder?

The fact you’ve a feeder you must have big enough scale so would you not be better with a pit?

divillybit

https://www.donedeal.ie/otherfarmmachinery-for-sale/bale-feeder-x10w-forager-bale-unroller/25075215

This kind of bale unroller would suit your set up nicely, as far as I know blaney agi are the only manufacturer that has a side extension option for a bale unroller.

Have a Hustler bale unroller and i wouldn't be without it

MfMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121504244#Comment_121504244

A bale shredder/ straw blower, with a slide at the side, should be manageable in a set-up like that.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119937509#Comment_119937509

It is still some saving if you can manage away without one. I use a two prong spike and split the bales in two using it. Easy enough do it. Spile at bottom to take off plastic and net and respike 1/2 of the way up to split the bale in two.

I am lucky as I only need feed one side of central passage as the north side if the shed is open that side of shed is fed from there

Passage is 13-14 feet wide so that makes it easier. The spike I use cost 250 euro about 6-7 years ago. It's a spareX one.

Anything with moving parts will require maintenance. However I would not want to be piking bales.

divillybit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121511512#Comment_121511512

That's true, I priced a new one and they are over 8 grand for a hustler but 2nd hand ones would be good value. There's little to no maintenance on them. 4 bearings that need a shot of grease. Your bales must be very very well chopped if they can be managed with a spike. But for our poorly chopped bales the bale unroller works great. It's been a great purchase.

dohc turbo2

Long time ago when the uncle was farming he has a 3pt linkage mast and tine grab, when I took over farm in 2014 it was parked up 10years at that stage I converted it to front loader, I've 2 x3bay sheds and I've bales but in and spread out in no time, only thing I've to do is cut bales and move plastic unless the young lad is around. Don't see myself investing in the modern machine, wouldn't be enough of a gain I feel