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Hay so bad it's good question? Feeding hay with a skidsteer. nwmomike
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Jim
Posted 1/5/2019 21:54 (#7223389)
Subject: Hay so bad it's good question? Feeding hay with a skidsteer. nwmomike


Driftless SW Wisconsin

I've been putting out hay for each of two cow groups. Generally I put two bales out every other day or more, one good quality, shedded bale and one not-so-good quality, outdoor-stored, slightly wet when baled (not wrapped), outdoor stored bale. Both large 5x6 bales.  Then waiting until the cows and calves have finished most of both bales before putting out more.

Late this afternoon around sunset, I put out a nice shedded bale in a round ring and this group of 26 head immediately rushed over to it and started chowing down.

Then I carried down the outdoor, not so good bale. The others in this row have had a bit of white mold on the outer flakes which I try to open up with the loader spear.  This particular bale from the middle of the row didn't have much mold but had a strong tobacco-like smell.  Seems the middle of the bale was wet enough that it carmelized.

I was really surprised to see most of the group that was eating the nearby fresh shedded bale suddenly left that bale and crowded around the tobacco smell bale like it was candy!  

The way the cows left the good green shedded bale and rushed over to this carmelized one made me think this outdoor stored 1st crop hay was so bad it's good!?

Are these bales that have a strong tobacco-like smell dangerous to their health in any way?

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On another note, putting out the first bale I was reminded of nwmomike's comment in a thread below about feeding with a skid steer while working alone.

As I carried this 1600-1700 lb large, dense, shedded bale down the sloping drive to the pasture gate with the bale held up high by my JCB 300T I was thinking this is really the key situation for a skid steer feeding large bales. How do I carry a large bale so I can see forward coming up to a gate, get out of the skid steer (or track loader), open the gate, get back in the skid steer to move forward through the gate, get out of the skid steer to close the gate, get back in the skid steer to proceed to where the bale needs to go.

Having a large enough skid steer to be able to carry a heavy bale safely up high enough to see under it while approaching the gate on a downhill slope is a given for both front and side door machines.

However after doing this sequence a few times on my previous front entry skid steer, the SAFE way to do it is to set the bale down, back the spears out of the bale, open the front cab door (if a cab machine), climb out, open the gate, climb back in the machine, close the cab door, drive forward picking up the bale drive forward through the gate and repeat the whole process to be able to get out and close the gate... ad infinitum!

And as many of us know and I have done, a couple times going through this sequence and the temptation with a front entrance skid steer (without a cab door) is to just hold the bale up high and climb out underneath the heavy suspended bale open the gate, climb back in underneath the bale, again ad infinitum, but less work than setting the bale down and backing out. Climbing in and out UNDERNEATH a heavy suspended bale is NOT a safe way to do anything, especially the required multiple times per bale through the gate.

This type situation feeding large bales through a gate with a skid steer is probably not the designed use for a front entrance skid steer or track loader.  In this particular situation a side door completely changes the operation.  Here's a picture I took as I got out of the side door to open the gate, thinking how much safer this is with the side door than crawling into a front entrance machine UNDER a suspended large bale. Also how much more efficient and practical than repeatedly setting the bale down, backing out etc.

I'm reminded how skidsteers were really designed around bucket work, not feeding large heavy bales like this through gates.  Also how the side door changes the operation and makes it safer and more practical. Here's a picture of carrying the big bale while I get out to open the gate. My phone camera's wide angle setting distorts things a bit but the pic shows the general idea. The side door may not be as important in bucket or other type of hay operations but when feeding bales going through gates the side door is a major improvement.



Edited by Jim 1/5/2019 21:59
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