In this respect, it is interesting to invest in equipment capable of handling and feeding out both shapes. Trailed and Mounted Chainless bale feeder. There are hay producers who continue to produce small square bales. Most of them do this primarily for the convenience of customers that buy their hay. If someone has a horse and needs hay, small square bales are a more acceptable size for use. But did you know that you can easily re-bale your large round bales into small square bales?
Find out more here. If I have a dollar and you have a dollar and we trade, we both still have 1 dollar. If I have an idea and you have an idea and we trade, we now both have 2 ideas. No matter how much experience you Read More. The assessment of cattle's body condition score BCS gives a visual estimate of their body fat reserves during various production phases.
When regularly used, this information can be used to In a previous article about lab testing the quality of your hay, we briefly mentioned that the storage conditions are essential to preserving its quality. Round balers account for the majority of the market, LeCroy says. Most models can be pulled by tractors with less than HP, making them a good choice for most family farms. With roughly acres of hay ground, he says the baler was a cost-effective choice to get the job done efficiently.
Blalock also feeds round bales to his cattle in Texas, but this past year, the family also added a Massey Ferguson RBV silage baler to their operation. With two sets of hydraulically operated knife banks containing a total of 17 knives, Blalock is able to cut his Jiggs Bermudagrass into 2.
However, for their rabbits, Blalock puts up small square bales — roughly 2, of them in The smaller package allows workers to put a bale in a cart and feed the rabbits flakes of hay. Small square bales are ideal for horse operations where feeding is metered by flakes of hay, LeCroy says. If so, dry hay is an option. But when you cut that bale open and introduce oxygen, it needs to be consumed right away.
Anything left after 24 hours is going to be waste. Dry hay offers a much larger feeding window. LeCroy says that for cattle operations, the tipping point for moving from dry hay to baleage is around 30 animals. Square bales must be protected from the elements.
Large round bales can often be transported and stored by one person using a tractor. Another important factor is the number and type of animals being fed. Large farms with hundreds of animals require huge amounts of hay. For these farms, large bales make the most sense, because they provide the most hay at the least cost. Large bales also allow the hay to begin to ferment naturally, which can prolong its use by preventing rot and mold.
For smaller farms with just a few animals, small square or rectangular bales may make the most sense. Smaller bales are easier to store. A smaller farm simply might not have enough space to store large round bales.
Smaller bales, while more expensive to produce or buy, result in less waste than larger bales. So when you see different types of bales of hay in fields, remember that many factors have played a role in determining the type and size of bales to produce.
Some farmers make their decisions based upon their own animals they need to feed, while others may make their choices based upon the clients they serve. We hope you enjoyed today's Wonder of the Day. Find a friend or family member to help you check out the following activities:. Thanks for your comment, Patty! It sounds like you know a lot about hay. We appreciate you sharing that info with us! We are undergoing some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature.
Thanks for your patience. Drag a word to its definition. You have answered 0 of 3 questions correctly and your score is:. Want to add a little wonder to your website? Help spread the wonder of families learning together. We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply.
Follow Twitter Instagram Facebook. Why do bales of hay come in different shapes? How long have round bales of hay been around?
What type of hay bale is best for feeding small groups of animals? Wonder What's Next? Try It Out Hay! Find a friend or family member to help you check out the following activities: What types of bales of hay do the farmers in your area use? Find out! Ask an adult friend or family member to take you on a drive in the country.
Keep an eye out for farms with hay in the fields. What types of bales do you see?
0コメント