Would a shear grab split a bale?

farawaygrass · 18-02-2015 11:00PM #1

Just wondering would an ordinary silage grab that is used for the pit, with teeth not tines, split a round bale?
Not interested in the whole plastic grab bit, plus I think it would be easier to go with half a bale in the ordinary one if you wanted to put it out.

Reggie. · 18-02-2015 11:15PM

Watch this

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GsFTAHzipPk

Count Mondego · 18-02-2015 11:34PM

Wouldn't chance it long term, I'd say you'd wreak it. I notice with the shear grab on the silage pit, it struggles with less packed silage but cuts easily through the very packed lower blocks.

Had really dry silage a few years ago that was too dry to pack well. Broke the world of tines on it. Had to tear it off in rough chunks.

Miname · 18-02-2015 11:37PM

Tried it on a bale of hay last week. Main issue is the head wasn't big enough to go around the bale and only half chewed it.

Farmer Pudsey · 18-02-2015 11:47PM

What is the fascination with breaking up bales. Now I can understand if bale will be with cattle longer than three days but in general i just put bale in front of pen take plastic off and push in bale next day. No hardship no hassle.

Can never understand the need to be splitting up bales to feed along front of pen. Lad called recently while I was feeding he was amazed how efficent the 2WD tractor was with spike behind to feed. He said it was way faster than him feeding with a 4WD tractor and as he put it a lot cheaper to run for the winter as well.

Mad4simmental · 19-02-2015 12:02AM

Same job here, 784 and spike flys around the yard and puts out bales in minnets. Giving out bales in work with a loader and braking up bales to spread out & it takes forever to do the same work. Unessessery hardship!!

jimmy G M · 19-02-2015 12:06AM

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

What is the fascination with breaking up bales. Now I can understand if bale will be with cattle longer than three days but in general i just put bale in front of pen take plastic off and push in bale next day. No hardship no hassle.

So you just leave out one bale per pen? On it's side? Would cattle not be puckin each another to get in to feed?

farawaygrass · 19-02-2015 12:10AM

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

What is the fascination with breaking up bales. Now I can understand if bale will be with cattle longer than three days but in general i just put bale in front of pen take plastic off and push in bale next day. No hardship no hassle.

Can never understand the need to be splitting up bales to feed along front of pen. Lad called recently while I was feeding he was amazed how efficent the 2WD tractor was with spike behind to feed. He said it was way faster than him feeding with a 4WD tractor and as he put it a lot cheaper to run for the winter as well.

For two reasons here, so it'll be used quicker and keep fresher, and we don't feed meal on top of silage, and so we can fork it out of the way. But would be handy to be able move around half a bale, especially round this time of year

Mad4simmental · 19-02-2015 12:16AM

jimmy G M wrote: »

So you just leave out one bale per pen? On it's side? Would cattle not be puckin each another to get in to feed?

I put out one bale per pen. Standing upright so it's easy to fork out.

Farmer Pudsey · 19-02-2015 12:16AM

jimmy G M wrote: »

So you just leave out one bale per pen? On it's side? Would cattle not be puckin each another to get in to feed?

No not when they get used to it and have adequate feed. If they are really hungry will spend 2-3 minutes piking a bit off bale along front of pen. If one bale not enough will place 3 bales between two pens. In general stores can access about half the bale from within the pen. Place bale on flat with end facing pen. Idealy like to see bales finished in two days but I have smaller pens and haylage bale will last nearly 3 days.

Very little fluting around no breaking bales etc. One isse that may arise is it is often easier to tip over 2nd half of bale as cattle often tip it out away from them. Tip these in at start of feeding and give a push in at end of feeding and they can access most of it.

visatorro · 19-02-2015 12:34AM

iv no problem leaving three bales /15ft bays. do them for a week.
shear grab is designed for silage face, not splitting bales so you'll never be fully happy with results imv op

Farmer Pudsey · 19-02-2015 12:40AM

visatorro wrote: »

iv no problem leaving three bales /15ft bays. do them for a week.
shear grab is designed for silage face, not splitting bales so you'll never be fully happy with results imv op

Not a fan of putting out linger than 2-3 days silages as intake drops and any poor quality silage will be rejected and this can lead to waste.

Zr105 · 19-02-2015 01:02AM

It'll do it, but unless there soft bales it's hard to get the tines into the side of the bale because there's so many of them. The bale shears have less tines on the bottom to make it easier

TopCon · 19-02-2015 01:07AM

This is something that's being getting at me recently. Currently I feed 1 bale per two pens for stores per day. Basically I break the bale into four with 2 quarters pushed neatly in front of each pen.

For some strange reason I'm a bit OCD with it. Using front end loader with grab (tines). I then even pack it all into feeding barriers to ensure cattle can reach almost all silage...

Feeding 3 bales per day it amounts to a lot of time for what is a part time operation. A lot of effort into each bale between breaking it up and pushing it all in.
Really noticing the labour this year, not to mention diesel consumption on the tractor. Obviously must be excessive wear n tear. Especially the clutch although it has shuttle so it's easy move forward reverse.

I suppose the only pro probably that silage is fresh. Obviously If I'm going away for a weekend etc I do it different.

Damn I think I'm being rather silly.

Farmer Pudsey · 19-02-2015 01:10AM

TopCon wrote: »

This is something that's being getting at me recently. Currently I feed 1 bale per two pens for stores per day. Basically I break the bale into four with 2 quarters pushed neatly in front of each pen.

For some strange reason I'm a bit OCD with it. Using front end loader with grab (tines). I then even pack it all into feeding barriers to ensure cattle can reach almost all silage...

Feeding 3 bales per day it amounts to a lot of time for what is a part time operation. A lot of effort into each bale between breaking it up and pushing it all in.
Really noticing the labour this year, not to mention diesel consumption on the tractor. Obviously must be excessive wear n tear. Especially the clutch although it has shuttle so it's easy move forward reverse.

I suppose the only pro probably that silage is fresh. Obviously If I'm going away for a weekend etc I do it different.

Damn I think I'm being rather silly.

Shove either one bale in front or three between two pens until you are sure they have enough and get used to system

TopCon · 19-02-2015 01:14AM

I think your right. It's ridiculous the amount of time I'm spending feeding three feckin bales on a daily basis.

visatorro · 19-02-2015 01:19AM

Farmer Pudsey wrote:

Not a fan of putting out linger than 2-3 days silages as intake drops and any poor quality silage will be rejected and this can lead to waste.

silage has to be good quality alright. feeding here on Saturday and will do until Thursday. few bales to keep them going, then load them up again on the Saturday

Milked out · 19-02-2015 01:36AM

visatorro wrote: »

silage has to be good quality alright. feeding here on Saturday and will do until Thursday. few bales to keep them going, then load them up again on the Saturday

Must be great to have decent space at barrier, shed here so packed have to fill everyday some parts twice a day, m narrow passage here means if using bales have to split em just to get past em also slats at barrier are over a shallow tank which feeds large tank thru two channels so silage pulled in can be a pain if blocking the channels. Normally fed thru diet feeder here from pit
Would one of those bale splitters suit the op? I think one of the lads mention a multipurpose grab type machine from oce maybe but would need a loader to manage the weight I think

foxy farmer · 19-02-2015 02:03AM

Sticks head above parapet.

Try a hay knife!

Ducks back down and waits to be bombarded.

farawaygrass · 19-02-2015 08:47AM

[quote=" I think one of the lads mention a multipurpose grab type machine from oce maybe but would need a loader to manage the weight I think[/quote]

I suppose that would be the job alright. I'm the same as you with very narrow feed passages, the way I do it now is keep the silage more to one side, the cow side, and fork it over to the weanlings. I shake it up a bit with loader first so it's not hard atall, but if I want to feed a few out in field, to be able grab a third or half a bale to bring it out without silage dropping all over the yard would be better.

White Clover · 19-02-2015 10:36AM

foxy farmer wrote: »

Sticks head above parapet.

Try a hay knife!

Ducks back down and waits to be bombarded.

Might be ok to surface again foxy !
8 hrs a d no attack !!

Reggie. · 19-02-2015 01:18PM

White Clover wrote: »

Might be ok to surface again foxy !
8 hrs a d no attack !!

That's the best time for a sniper to take ya out. The second time you put the head up

grazeaway · 19-02-2015 10:03PM

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

What is the fascination with breaking up bales. Now I can understand if bale will be with cattle longer than three days but in general i just put bale in front of pen take plastic off and push in bale next day. No hardship no hassle.

Can never understand the need to be splitting up bales to feed along front of pen. Lad called recently while I was feeding he was amazed how efficent the 2WD tractor was with spike behind to feed. He said it was way faster than him feeding with a 4WD tractor and as he put it a lot cheaper to run for the winter as well.

Not every feed passage is open enough to be able push in a bale. Spread 1 bale out across 2 pens so need to either shake if or use grab to unwind it.

welton john · 19-02-2015 10:44PM

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

What is the fascination with breaking up bales. Now I can understand if bale will be with cattle longer than three days but in general i just put bale in front of pen take plastic off and push in bale next day. No hardship no hassle.

Can never understand the need to be splitting up bales to feed along front of pen. Lad called recently while I was feeding he was amazed how efficent the 2WD tractor was with spike behind to feed. He said it was way faster than him feeding with a 4WD tractor and as he put it a lot cheaper to run for the winter as well.

Your system is a grand way to feed drys but couldnt see it working with the likes of incalf cows where you might want to restrict silage and ensure an even amount to prevent fighting

Would a shear grab split a bale?

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