As a hay producedr and seller I disagree. I grow and sell both round and small square bales. While the cost for the same amount of hay is higher for users with square bales their are lots to consider. #1 In general square bales are going to be MUCH higher quality than rounds. For instance, My best hay a always strive to put into square bales unless their are time constants. My poorer quality fields get put into rounds. In genera; most rounds are produced and sold to cattle farmers due to the high value handled and consumed and for storage reasons. For smaller farmers square bales will always be the best value. Their is a huge differance between value and price! Hay is no different than dog food. Cheaper IS NOT better. Higher quality hay maintains you animals and can add weight WITHOUT supplemental feed. Poorer quality ie round bales simply cannot do that. Since square bales are stored inside from the start to feeding time their is visually no waste. Round bales you will typically loss 50% of your hay which is lessor quality to begin with. Hay farmer also simply cannot make enough money doing just round bales. Most round bales are sold by farmers that are just selling their excess hay above the needs for their own cattle and will sell their lower quality hay and keep the best for their own use. Most square bale producers are only in the hay business and focus on producing a high quality product.
I would agree in some cases but I don't have the knowledge you do. I will say that I get my hay from a long term hay farmer that produces excellent quality and his product is talked highly by the large cattle farmers around here. It works well but I know it won't everywhere. Thanks for the feedback and I hope you have a great holiday season.
"Somebody not qualified to run..." 😆 🤣 😂 All humor aside, great video. I've been playing but not been successful. Think i killed a chainsaw cutting round bales to load my regular feeder. I'm looking forward to less time, less space, happier critters who never run out of hay, and MORE MONEY for the important things.
Thanks for the feedback. Ill go into this second winter of trying this. I kept my cover from last year and hope the cost for the hay has not gone up too high with all we have going on with fuel and fertilizer.
It is not attached to the ground. I have never had one blow over in the wind and we have had winds up to 20 mph this winter. Ive not heard of that being an issue. I think the plastic top would blow off before that much force would blow it over.
So if round bale can feed for a month aren't you concerned about soil compaction and mud build up around that one ring location? Seems like buying by the bale but stripping off enough for a week and feeding in a movable crib with hog panel would be better. Edit: on second though....why are you even feeding hay? Can't you sow cereal rye or oats or rye grass for winter feeding? You get benefit of a slow growing (slowly) cover plus zero hay purchase. Seems like too many folks down South hay feed when really not necessary. Check out Jim Gerrish book " kick the hay habit"
Thank for the feedback Will. I don't worry about the compaction because its never been an issue. The hay isn't the weight of a tractor and the hay actually keeps moist. I understand what you are saying with the rye grass and I agree. Some things to consider as nothing is always the same in farming - 1. what was the weather when you planted your rye - did you have a dry winter and it didn't all come up? 2. Is your area cool enough for fescue or do you have to have a summer crop like bahia to make it through the summer? 3. Did you local seed supplier have enough seed to supply the area during rye planting times? 4. Do you utilize the hay for carbon additions to the pastures as you feed? Just a few things to consider when talking about rye grass. I have a major timber company that owns a lot of land around my farm. Planting rye grass is a great idea but the deer alone that bed down in that timber graze fresh sweet rye grass to the ground in my area. So I would basically have a massive deer plot. Thank you for your suggestions and feedback
Couldn't you plant oats or rye grass? Or a cover crop like Failing radishes? The goats would eat the tops, and you could either eat the roots for family dinner or leave them to rot to fertilize the soil.
Yes you can and I actually do in some pastures. I have found that planting brassicas ( I plant daikon radish and purple top turnips) can be too much fiber if you feed it too long. I also allow limited time in my silvo pasture as the sheep love acorns, but you have to limit the time because it can cause bloat. I am planting a mix of crimson clover, hairy vetch, kentucky 31 fescue, and Wrens abruzzi rye this year in a few pastures. I will not be planting the fescue and rye together as the rye will grow faster and stunt the growth of the long term fescue. Video to come in the upcoming weeks. I hope this helps
Exactly, and if you can gather enough signs you can use for many projects. I also use them on my chicken tractors as shade on top and bottom. Weight is cut down greatly when doing this. Thanks for the comments
We have a already sold the lambs from this year and have a waiting list for our ones to be born in the spring. If you are interested, just shoot me an email and I will put you on our list. thank you.
Not good. I don't get the larger rolls for the simple reason they would be in the field too long and also the weight. The larger rolls are around 70 dollars.
save the most money by rotational grazing and having enough forage on ground... it is a waste of $ planning to feed out hay & grain for livestock, if you can't do that....then you have too many animals per acre.
Well, as long as humans want to eat food, we’re going to have to figure out how to deal with too much livestock density. You know what they say about land: “they’re not making any more of it.”
This is a very good idea and easy to apply to a farm. Outstanding job by our farmers to the north.
Many thanks Michael.
Square bales are going for between Cdn$12 and $15 now. Outragous!
Yes, and the cost will continue to go up. On average, it is much cheaper to bale round bales than square.
Thanks for the idea, just got a small tractor which will help move the bsles.
Yes, it will make it much easier. thanks for commenting.
you notice the sheep are only eating the square bale
Yes. That bale was freshly cut and was alfalfa.
As a hay producedr and seller I disagree. I grow and sell both round and small square bales. While the cost for the same amount of hay is higher for users with square bales their are lots to consider. #1 In general square bales are going to be MUCH higher quality than rounds. For instance, My best hay a always strive to put into square bales unless their are time constants. My poorer quality fields get put into rounds. In genera; most rounds are produced and sold to cattle farmers due to the high value handled and consumed and for storage reasons. For smaller farmers square bales will always be the best value. Their is a huge differance between value and price! Hay is no different than dog food. Cheaper IS NOT better. Higher quality hay maintains you animals and can add weight WITHOUT supplemental feed. Poorer quality ie round bales simply cannot do that. Since square bales are stored inside from the start to feeding time their is visually no waste. Round bales you will typically loss 50% of your hay which is lessor quality to begin with. Hay farmer also simply cannot make enough money doing just round bales. Most round bales are sold by farmers that are just selling their excess hay above the needs for their own cattle and will sell their lower quality hay and keep the best for their own use. Most square bale producers are only in the hay business and focus on producing a high quality product.
I would agree in some cases but I don't have the knowledge you do. I will say that I get my hay from a long term hay farmer that produces excellent quality and his product is talked highly by the large cattle farmers around here. It works well but I know it won't everywhere. Thanks for the feedback and I hope you have a great holiday season.
"Somebody not qualified to run..."
😆 🤣 😂
All humor aside, great video. I've been playing but not been successful.
Think i killed a chainsaw cutting round bales to load my regular feeder.
I'm looking forward to less time, less space, happier critters who never run out of hay, and MORE MONEY for the important things.
Thanks for the feedback. Ill go into this second winter of trying this. I kept my cover from last year and hope the cost for the hay has not gone up too high with all we have going on with fuel and fertilizer.
the twine gets in the seals and creates a lean burn situation.
Great job bro
Many thanks.!!
How do you have it attached to the ground? Or is the lightweight sign enough to not tip it over in the wind?
It is not attached to the ground. I have never had one blow over in the wind and we have had winds up to 20 mph this winter. Ive not heard of that being an issue. I think the plastic top would blow off before that much force would blow it over.
So if round bale can feed for a month aren't you concerned about soil compaction and mud build up around that one ring location?
Seems like buying by the bale but stripping off enough for a week and feeding in a movable crib with hog panel would be better.
Edit: on second though....why are you even feeding hay? Can't you sow cereal rye or oats or rye grass for winter feeding? You get benefit of a slow growing (slowly) cover plus zero hay purchase.
Seems like too many folks down South hay feed when really not necessary.
Check out Jim Gerrish book " kick the hay habit"
Thank for the feedback Will. I don't worry about the compaction because its never been an issue. The hay isn't the weight of a tractor and the hay actually keeps moist. I understand what you are saying with the rye grass and I agree. Some things to consider as nothing is always the same in farming - 1. what was the weather when you planted your rye - did you have a dry winter and it didn't all come up? 2. Is your area cool enough for fescue or do you have to have a summer crop like bahia to make it through the summer? 3. Did you local seed supplier have enough seed to supply the area during rye planting times? 4. Do you utilize the hay for carbon additions to the pastures as you feed? Just a few things to consider when talking about rye grass. I have a major timber company that owns a lot of land around my farm. Planting rye grass is a great idea but the deer alone that bed down in that timber graze fresh sweet rye grass to the ground in my area. So I would basically have a massive deer plot.
Thank you for your suggestions and feedback
Couldn't you plant oats or rye grass? Or a cover crop like Failing radishes? The goats would eat the tops, and you could either eat the roots for family dinner or leave them to rot to fertilize the soil.
Yes you can and I actually do in some pastures. I have found that planting brassicas ( I plant daikon radish and purple top turnips) can be too much fiber if you feed it too long. I also allow limited time in my silvo pasture as the sheep love acorns, but you have to limit the time because it can cause bloat. I am planting a mix of crimson clover, hairy vetch, kentucky 31 fescue, and Wrens abruzzi rye this year in a few pastures. I will not be planting the fescue and rye together as the rye will grow faster and stunt the growth of the long term fescue. Video to come in the upcoming weeks. I hope this helps
Sorry, I wrote Daikon radishes! My Kindle changed Daikon to "failing". 😆
I like the political sign for a roof - some useless thief gives you something useful.... and not a dangerous projectile in the wind.
Exactly, and if you can gather enough signs you can use for many projects. I also use them on my chicken tractors as shade on top and bottom. Weight is cut down greatly when doing this. Thanks for the comments
Will it be good if we feed them with only hay or they need green grass also????
Most everyone only feeds hay in the winter. My question would be is if you have green grass then why would you be worried about feeding them hay?
Can I feed my lamb only with dry hay.... Plz reply🙏🙏
Yes indeed. You can ask many do all winter.
I doubt that $35 round bale is the same quality hay as the $5 smalls. It doesn’t look like very nice hay.
It is quality hay. thanks for sharing.
Hello!
Do You Have sheep for sale?
We have a already sold the lambs from this year and have a waiting list for our ones to be born in the spring. If you are interested, just shoot me an email and I will put you on our list. thank you.
I wish hay was 35 per round bale. We pay 110 every 3.5 weeks.
Not good. I don't get the larger rolls for the simple reason they would be in the field too long and also the weight. The larger rolls are around 70 dollars.
save the most money by rotational grazing and having enough forage on ground... it is a waste of $ planning to feed out hay & grain for livestock, if you can't do that....then you have too many animals per acre.
Thank you for your feedback.
This is for winter
Well, as long as humans want to eat food, we’re going to have to figure out how to deal with too much livestock density. You know what they say about land: “they’re not making any more of it.”