|
|
Post by Angus in NCMO® on Mar 2, 2012 20:20:31 GMT -5
Does anyone have any experience in re-baling hay from big rounds to small square bales? I've got some pretty darn good hay in the barn and due to the mild winter, I'm gonna have a fairly decent amount left over. Have heard of some prices on small squares that might entice me to try re-baling IF this is something that can be done without making good hay into stems and dust.
I seen an ad in the back of one of the forage magazines for a 'Simpson' machine. Anyone know anything about it or any other similar setup that unrolls the rounds and feeds a square baler?
I have always thought that square hay is the way to sell hay ... just don't have the labor or shed space available to put it up in squares to begin with but might be a decent winter time money-maker if it's possible to maintain the quality and not create a pile of stems and another pile of dust.
Any comments or insight (good or bad) appreciated.
|
|
|
|
Post by wheatfarmer on Mar 2, 2012 21:36:11 GMT -5
I have, and still do on occasion take a round bale and lay it in windrow with the bale processor to rebale as squares. Makes nice hay bales that are very tight and heavy plus the hay is "ready to feed" so to speak. My starter calves seem to clean it up better with less waste rather than giving them square bales right from the field.
I better add, this is grass and oats bales, not alfalfa. Pretty sure it would not be suitable to handle alfalfa in any rebaling manner.
|
|
|
|
Post by Angus in NCMO® on Mar 2, 2012 22:13:20 GMT -5
I agree that alfalfa should be a no-go on rebaling, especially if running the hay through a processor first. I'm only considering this with brome and other mixed grass hays.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave-ECIA on Mar 4, 2012 9:05:40 GMT -5
Why not just unrolled it, then pick it up with the square baler?? I did it with some rye straw once and it worked ok. Flipped it up into a windrow with a side rake.
I rolled them out on a flat dirt field lane.
|
|
|
|
Post by johnwayne360 on Mar 4, 2012 18:39:11 GMT -5
I have a friend who does this for a living basically. Round bales all summer-then in the winter unrolls the bales, puts them on a van trailer and hauls them south to Florida and other places that resell them to mostly horse owners. Im going to go see him this week sometime. If I remember I will ask him about it.
|
|
|
|
Post by bcreech on Mar 4, 2012 19:48:11 GMT -5
local man here does that with his horse hay
he has a hydraulic unroller on his front end loader and does it all in the barn when they weatehr is bad
|
|
|
|
Post by Angus in NCMO® on Mar 4, 2012 20:48:31 GMT -5
Appreciate the responses folks. Still got more questions before I'll consider this worthwhile.
Can this be as simple as unrolling a big bale straight into the pickup of the square baler?
My uneducated theory was that the hay would need to be 'loosened' or 'fluffed' somehow as it is unrolled out of a tight big bale ... and this is where the loss of 'high quality fines' bothered me.
My big bales, that were baled in heavy hay, will have some pretty thick layers unrolling off those bales if I just feed it straight into the square baler and I'm just a little uncertain yet as to whether the baler will be able to maintain a uniform set of small bales.
I have a 276 NH hayliner, and from past experience with it, uniform bale size can be a problem when hay density going in the pickup varies along the windrow. Of course, this baler is 30+ yrs old and is far from a 'cherry'. Would any particular brand or style of baler have an advantage over others in the this application?
|
|
|
|
Post by Angus in NCMO® on Mar 4, 2012 21:00:50 GMT -5
Why not just unrolled it, then pick it up with the square baler?? I did it with some rye straw once and it worked ok. Flipped it up into a windrow with a side rake. I rolled them out on a flat dirt field lane. Dave, I'm too lazy. I don't want to pick up idiot bricks out in the field. winter or summer neither one. ;D I'm thinking a thousand small bales possibly or more, I know it can't be done in one short winter day with other chores and everything, and the hay I'd be doing this with is in a shed already, would like to be able to set-up, and leave it for a few days to bale a couple hundred a day or so. |
|
|
|
Post by wheatfarmer on Mar 4, 2012 21:07:30 GMT -5
What I have baled without using a bale processor, I would have to suggest rolling the bale out on the ground and then square bale it. This allows you to speed up or slow down the tractor based on how thick the hay is as it unrolls. Sending it directly into the square bale feeder may, not definitely, leave you with a slug that is tough to unplug. Done that on a busted round bale more times than I care to share.
|
|
|
|
Post by Angus in NCMO® on Mar 4, 2012 22:22:26 GMT -5
So ... I'd more than likely need several shear bolts (and a sense of humor) if I decided to try and 'unroll' heavy hay directly into the baler.
Unfortunately, I still don't really want to unroll this hay on the ground to re-bale it. This would make it a 'fair weather' operation only, and some winters there's not too many days when the ground is 'nice' for baling ... especially when I can find plenty of 'other stuff' to do when the weather is nice.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave-ECIA on Mar 5, 2012 15:40:05 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave-ECIA on Mar 5, 2012 15:50:39 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Angus in NCMO® on Mar 5, 2012 19:38:42 GMT -5
that looks interesting Dave, although I'd like to find some way of including the fines in the bales ... may not be feasible though.
My opposition to handling the idiot bricks, is out in the field --- those have to be handled at least one extra time. If I could find a suitable set-up I liked ... I'd preferably only be stacking in the barn right out of the baler. And with a stationary set-up, at least those fines not going in the bales would be somewhat salvageable, with a shovel, as they would be in piles under the machines, not scattered out in the field.
I may be asking too much to try and avoid loosing many fines during the process. In my mind, I see an unroller much like the one you linked, elevated a few feet, with a smooth, slightly inclined chute, under it, catching fines and as the unrolled hay passes down the chtue, the fines mix back with the hay as it enters the pickup on the baler.
Should be possible, but I just haven't convinced myself of the true feasibilty 'here' ... or maybe I should say I haven't convinced myself I want that much more exercise. ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave-ECIA on Mar 6, 2012 9:57:03 GMT -5
I see what you are saying about the fines, but you ever look under the baler going through the field??
Your chute idea is a good one. Never thought of that. Like you say, the rest could be picked up with a shovel and laid on top of the ribbon of hay going in the baler. That should help keep it in the bale.
|
|
