Hmm, I would have said you were unwinding it in the wrong direction, but it worked out fine. You certainly can't argue with the results. Good for you! Good 'ol American ingenuity!
Thanks! Not perfect, but it definitely works and got me through the winter hay feeding. My hope is that by next winter, I am going to learn how to weld and build something a little better but still cheaper than the $2,000 commercial bale unrollers!
I’m not sure if you’re used to using square bales but I see you have round bales that are designed to be rolled out, “no hydraulics required” you can stick a junkyard axle rod through the middle and I roll it with some rope it’s that easy. If you have an electric cable winch you can get fancy for next to no money with a junkyard trailer and make yourself a toilet paper roll looking set up on that.
agreed. Rolling hay out is so much better. Instead of an junkyard axle, I used a steel tamping rod, bust same end result. Rolling out hay for next to nothing! thanks for checking out my video and taking to time to leave a comment.
When I worked with horses we contracted a tree service and told them they could come dump their wood chips on the property which they promptly started doing We put a lot of chips around the water trough as well as the bale rings. We switched from bale rings to inverted tractor tires and switched to square or small bales and would dump and cut strings spread the hay into the tires. The tires kept the hay in the tire and also kept the wind from blowing hay all over. We didn’t have a tractor but we micromanaged all over the place. Just google tree services and tell them they can come and dump It also provides traction so your cows don’t slip and fall and get busted up. Tree services have to pay at the landfill to dump. You’d be adding organic matter to your land and saving them money
Thanks for the comment! Sounds like a great hook-up you have with the wood chips. I sooo wish we had that option here. I have previously contacted all of the tree-trimmers, and they simply won't give away that gold! They actually sell it here. The going rate right now is $300 for a dump truck load
Fair play, this is a great idea. Great to avoid having to buy another implement. I’d only feed about 10 bales outside per year. In Ireland we house cattle from late November as ground becomes too wet.
One reason I don’t like the round bales. Square bales you can get it exactly where you want/need it, and in the quantity you want. But your idea works for you.
Not sure how I would do square bales spread out on pasture. Do you spread your square bales out on the pasture? Also, I have used 35 round bales so far this winter and have 3 more weeks or so before the grass is tall enough to quit feeding hay. So probably 42 or so total round bales will be used this winter. What would that be, about 840 or so square bales? I am not sure my old back could sling that many squares bales. I just don't see how I can successfully do regenerative farming and pasture management with square bales. If you have any tips or tricks on this, I would love to know them! Thanks for checking out my video and commenting!
push it in the hole your spear makes then if needed finish with the flat on the spear frame no need to hammer or anything then a 2 inch nylon tow strap no need for the spreader post keep up the good work
By “spreader post”, do you mean no need for attaching the nylon tow strap to an old fence post but just attach the nylon strap directly to your trailer hitch? Thanks for the clarification.
Dad built two 2’ rods with a spike on the end to go in the bale and the ends with a metal looped with chains on the end and bolted the pickup truck frame it’s been well for years.
Sounds like a good setup. Would love to see a pic of it if you have one. If I can ever take the time to learn how to weld, I have a few ideas on how can cheaply improve how I’m doing it m
I suspect it will. But my strategy with unrolling the hay is not really to reduce waste but to improve soil quality on my farm, thus leading to better and more forage and as a result more cattle units per acre that my land can support. For every bale I unroll, I figure about 1/4 of it is going back to the land and not feeding the herd. And they are helping to earn their keep by trampling it a bit back into the soil. Thanks for taking the time to check out my video and leave a comment. it is greatly appreciated!
@@WattsWayFarm I unroll hay too and have for probably 10+ years. I unroll to cows but use bale feeders for feeder calves and heifers. I see unrolling as spreading manure out and any they waste is good for the soil too but try to keep waste at a minimum. If my soil needs nutrients I use chicken litter. Hay is expensive.
if hay stands up when you run your hand against the end of bale that the oppisite way it as baled if you unroll it that way it will come off slower and thinner and youll cover 3 times as much ground and not have to spread hardly anything except for the bottom
So basically unroll it opposite of way it was rolled? That is actually a really good idea, as I am seeing it exactly as you say in that it comes off really thick. Hay feeding season is just about over for us, but I am going to try this. Thanks for sharing!
@@WattsWayFarm no problem at least wiith your diy project if you start unrolling it the wrong way you just have to flip your post to the other side of bale and hook back up hope this helps
Nice job man. About 15 years ago I come out with an idea like this but it had a tires underneath it and I was going to get it patent but I never did and now another person created his own in patented
My concern was i didnt have enough cows to eat the whole roll. But you could roll just the amount you wanted and put the remainder in the barn or under a tarp.
Exact same problem we have. I think rolling out the whole thing in a strip and then just rotating the cows over it over a course of several days works pretty good for us. Thanks for the comment!
Thanks, I think it works pretty good! I have actually already made another one with a few "improvements". But still same basic concept and still under $50. That is an awesome sledge right! :) I now keep a small one hanging from the hitch on my rear hay spear so that doesn't happen again..
Best $2,000 investment I ever made was buying a ATV bale unroller. Your method worked but the atv unroller you spoke of is a lot more efficient and time saving but keep whopping on that spud bar.
I hear ya. But I don’t have an ATV yet either. 😪. And for $2,000 I could buy another cow / calf pair to grow my herd. I am sure in a few years I will be ready for the better unroller investment, I think about it every time I am swinging my mini-sledge pounding that bar in. I’m trying to convince myself that it’s good exercise for me in the mean time! 🤪
@@WattsWayFarm Have been doing this for years without the post and works great. We cut the chisel end to a narrower chisel so it goes through easier and cap it with pvc to protect the cattle as we unroll through the heard. Thanks for posting the video I never thought of sharing it like this. One other note it doesn't work well with peanut hay but for everything else it spreads the bale out nicely and it lets you use something light to pull when the ground is wet so less ruts. $2000 is better spent somewhere else.
My herd is all registered Irish Dexter's. I selected this heritage breed for their superior meat quality and smaller frame size. They top out in the 700 pound range. Better meat and easier price point when buying a whole or a half. Thanks for checking out my video!
That is a great DIY hay spreader! Question for you.... what do you think about spreading the hay out even more with a rake after it’s unrolled? Like if you had passed over it with a little Tedder? Wondering your thoughts on that. Great stuff!
This is a great idea. Have you made any modifications your unroller since you first came out with it? Also, when you have to make a turn, do you have any issue? Dave
Really the only mod I have made to this a stronger rope. And have to make sure the spreader board isn’t repo far from the bale or else it will run over itself. No big issue when turning so long as don’t go too sharp. And can’t really unroll down hill as the bale will catch up with you!
Works great!!! Good job!!! Works just like the ones for $2K. What cross of cattle are those red ones? They look like a good fit for grass fed operation.
My entire herd are Irish Dexter cattle. Perfect for a grass fed operation. Pretty much what they were bred for. They are smaller than a commercial breed but produce a superior quality gourmet beef!
I am totally going to do this. Like you i would rather buy another cow or 2 instead of a bale unroller, a little bit of work saving a few bucks is my kinda way of doing things.
I have tried the gravity approach. It works in a pinch. Just doesn't put the hay where I want it. I am trying to roll the hay out in the areas where I need better grass and forage to grow.
Hmm, I would have said you were unwinding it in the wrong direction, but it worked out fine. You certainly can't argue with the results. Good for you! Good 'ol American ingenuity!
Thanks! Not perfect, but it definitely works and got me through the winter hay feeding. My hope is that by next winter, I am going to learn how to weld and build something a little better but still cheaper than the $2,000 commercial bale unrollers!
I’m not sure if you’re used to using square bales but I see you have round bales that are designed to be rolled out, “no hydraulics required” you can stick a junkyard axle rod through the middle and I roll it with some rope it’s that easy.
If you have an electric cable winch you can get fancy for next to no money with a junkyard trailer and make yourself a toilet paper roll looking set up on that.
agreed. Rolling hay out is so much better. Instead of an junkyard axle, I used a steel tamping rod, bust same end result. Rolling out hay for next to nothing! thanks for checking out my video and taking to time to leave a comment.
When I worked with horses we contracted a tree service and told them they could come dump their wood chips on the property which they promptly started doing
We put a lot of chips around the water trough as well as the bale rings.
We switched from bale rings to inverted tractor tires and switched to square or small bales and would dump and cut strings spread the hay into the tires.
The tires kept the hay in the tire and also kept the wind from blowing hay all over.
We didn’t have a tractor but we micromanaged all over the place.
Just google tree services and tell them they can come and dump
It also provides traction so your cows don’t slip and fall and get busted up.
Tree services have to pay at the landfill to dump. You’d be adding organic matter to your land and saving them money
Thanks for the comment! Sounds like a great hook-up you have with the wood chips. I sooo wish we had that option here. I have previously contacted all of the tree-trimmers, and they simply won't give away that gold! They actually sell it here. The going rate right now is $300 for a dump truck load
Hardwood chips with high acid content will retard your grass regrowth for 2-3 years?????!
Fair play, this is a great idea. Great to avoid having to buy another implement. I’d only feed about 10 bales outside per year. In Ireland we house cattle from late November as ground becomes too wet.
One reason I don’t like the round bales. Square bales you can get it exactly where you want/need it, and in the quantity you want. But your idea works for you.
Not sure how I would do square bales spread out on pasture. Do you spread your square bales out on the pasture? Also, I have used 35 round bales so far this winter and have 3 more weeks or so before the grass is tall enough to quit feeding hay. So probably 42 or so total round bales will be used this winter. What would that be, about 840 or so square bales? I am not sure my old back could sling that many squares bales. I just don't see how I can successfully do regenerative farming and pasture management with square bales. If you have any tips or tricks on this, I would love to know them! Thanks for checking out my video and commenting!
push it in the hole your spear makes then if needed finish with the flat on the spear frame no need to hammer or anything then a 2 inch nylon tow strap no need for the spreader post keep up the good work
Very good advice. I will most definitely try. Thanks for sharing!
By “spreader post”, do you mean no need for attaching the nylon tow strap to an old fence post but just attach the nylon strap directly to your trailer hitch? Thanks for the clarification.
I believe that is what he means. I have not yet tried this though.
That’s pretty slick friend!
New follower here. I agree on the cold weather. I like your unroller. Nice job.
Awesome! Thank you!
My kinda guy! Got the full size steel silhouette target. And child seat in the back seat.
Dad built two 2’ rods with a spike on the end to go in the bale and the ends with a metal looped with chains on the end and bolted the pickup truck frame it’s been well for years.
Sounds like a good setup. Would love to see a pic of it if you have one. If I can ever take the time to learn how to weld, I have a few ideas on how can cheaply improve how I’m doing it m
34 degrees hell that's a heat wave in the winter up here in new york 😂😅
Ha! I am sure I would agree. It’s get hot down here in Alabama, but we definitely don’t get New York cold for sure.
@@WattsWayFarm where i live in New York was in the news in December for our 4 ft of snow we got in one night 😂😅
Very good video, agree with you on hay unrolling hay,
Great idea! If you use the post as a ram by hitting it on the end, you'll find yourself less tired then using it as a hammer. 😉
Century makes a bar kit to go on your bale feeder that will cut down on the waste a lot. It will pay for it self pretty fast.
I suspect it will. But my strategy with unrolling the hay is not really to reduce waste but to improve soil quality on my farm, thus leading to better and more forage and as a result more cattle units per acre that my land can support. For every bale I unroll, I figure about 1/4 of it is going back to the land and not feeding the herd. And they are helping to earn their keep by trampling it a bit back into the soil. Thanks for taking the time to check out my video and leave a comment. it is greatly appreciated!
@@WattsWayFarm I unroll hay too and have for probably 10+ years. I unroll to cows but use bale feeders for feeder calves and heifers. I see unrolling as spreading manure out and any they waste is good for the soil too but try to keep waste at a minimum. If my soil needs nutrients I use chicken litter. Hay is expensive.
How about an update video on your Bale Unroller 2.0? Thanks for the video. Considering doing the whole DIY thang!
That is a great idea. Unfortunately, hay feeding season is over for us for this year. But I will keep this in mind for next winter! thanks!
That's great. Might have to give it a try! Thanks!
Glad you like it. Let me know how it works for you.
Huh that’s pretty handy!! I may do the same thing
Been doin the same thin with 2 horses wwith a pole an axle and two wheels
That’s a great idea.
if hay stands up when you run your hand against the end of bale that the oppisite way it as baled if you unroll it that way it will come off slower and thinner and youll cover 3 times as much ground and not have to spread hardly anything except for the bottom
So basically unroll it opposite of way it was rolled? That is actually a really good idea, as I am seeing it exactly as you say in that it comes off really thick. Hay feeding season is just about over for us, but I am going to try this. Thanks for sharing!
@@WattsWayFarm no problem at least wiith your diy project if you start unrolling it the wrong way you just have to flip your post to the other side of bale and hook back up hope this helps
Yep, Greg Judy unwraps his 'backwards'. This is a great tip. I will try it with my truck until I find the perfect Jubilee.
Old wheel axles with the flanges left on would work.
That’s a great idea! Not sure where one would go to get these old axles, but if you had access to one, I suspect would work good.
Could you try a scaffold pole that fits over the bale handler spike, that way you coud use the tractor to dive the pole through the bale
That’s a great idea!
Just use the front hay spike and flick the bale. That’s way easier than what you have going on
Find the end of the net wrap. Then you can see which direction to unroll.
What a great idea. I have never considered that. Thanks for sharing. I will be trying that tomorrow!
Nice job man. About 15 years ago I come out with an idea like this but it had a tires underneath it and I was going to get it patent but I never did and now another person created his own in patented
My concern was i didnt have enough cows to eat the whole roll. But you could roll just the amount you wanted and put the remainder in the barn or under a tarp.
Exact same problem we have. I think rolling out the whole thing in a strip and then just rotating the cows over it over a course of several days works pretty good for us. Thanks for the comment!
Looks like it works to me. Cheap way to do it. You can always build on the idea. Do you by chance have a patent on that sledge.
Thanks, I think it works pretty good! I have actually already made another one with a few "improvements". But still same basic concept and still under $50. That is an awesome sledge right! :) I now keep a small one hanging from the hitch on my rear hay spear so that doesn't happen again..
greg judy one now is 3300 seems steep,but this reminded me of Red Green
Best $2,000 investment I ever made was buying a ATV bale unroller.
Your method worked but the atv unroller you spoke of is a lot more efficient and time saving but keep whopping on that spud bar.
I hear ya. But I don’t have an ATV yet either. 😪. And for $2,000 I could buy another cow / calf pair to grow my herd. I am sure in a few years I will be ready for the better unroller investment, I think about it every time I am swinging my mini-sledge pounding that bar in. I’m trying to convince myself that it’s good exercise for me in the mean time! 🤪
@@WattsWayFarm Have been doing this for years without the post and works great. We cut the chisel end to a narrower chisel so it goes through easier and cap it with pvc to protect the cattle as we unroll through the heard. Thanks for posting the video I never thought of sharing it like this. One other note it doesn't work well with peanut hay but for everything else it spreads the bale out nicely and it lets you use something light to pull when the ground is wet so less ruts. $2000 is better spent somewhere else.
@@duke1467 Thanks for the comment. That is a great idea about the PVC cap! I think I will incorporate that into next year's iteration.
Cut bar in half and go in both ends
That’s a really good idea!
Genius DIY. Look forward to more videos. What breed of cows?
My herd is all registered Irish Dexter's. I selected this heritage breed for their superior meat quality and smaller frame size. They top out in the 700 pound range. Better meat and easier price point when buying a whole or a half. Thanks for checking out my video!
That is a great DIY hay spreader! Question for you.... what do you think about spreading the hay out even more with a rake after it’s unrolled? Like if you had passed over it with a little Tedder? Wondering your thoughts on that. Great stuff!
Ya. I think that would be better. But I am too lazy I guess. 🤪. I tried it once.
Seed to help with weeds in that stop
these bales are full of seeds!
This is a great idea. Have you made any modifications your unroller since you first came out with it? Also, when you have to make a turn, do you have any issue? Dave
Really the only mod I have made to this a stronger rope. And have to make sure the spreader board isn’t repo far from the bale or else it will run over itself. No big issue when turning so long as don’t go too sharp. And can’t really unroll down hill as the bale will catch up with you!
Works great!!! Good job!!! Works just like the ones for $2K.
What cross of cattle are those red ones? They look like a good fit for grass fed operation.
My entire herd are Irish Dexter cattle. Perfect for a grass fed operation. Pretty much what they were bred for. They are smaller than a commercial breed but produce a superior quality gourmet beef!
@@WattsWayFarm Excellent choice. I've been thinking of Highland Dexter cross. Best of luck to you!!
Use the front end loader to push the bar through the hay. Otherwise it works!
Yup. I started doing this after hammering a few bales in by hand...
I am totally going to do this. Like you i would rather buy another cow or 2 instead of a bale unroller, a little bit of work saving a few bucks is my kinda way of doing things.
Thanks for the comment. We think exactly alike. I learned that so long as I don't try to unroll going downhill, that this thing works beautifully.
Use cow power and gravity.....one can never waste hay....
I have tried the gravity approach. It works in a pinch. Just doesn't put the hay where I want it. I am trying to roll the hay out in the areas where I need better grass and forage to grow.
How much land do you have
We have right at 80 acres. But it’s about half pasture and half woods.
Roughly 12:34 is the click bait.
This was one of the first videos I ever shot. I probably did talk a bit too long before getting to the DIY part. Sorry about that!!
Roll it down the hill. Freeand less worh
Something is really wrong here !!!!!! Sharp points sticking directly out the back of the tractor........never allow this to happen ! Its deadly !
Can you explain ? I don't know what is dangerous but want to learn
This video is too long for the content?.
Perhaps.
@@WattsWayFarmit wasn’t, I enjoyed it!