Moving large bales of haylage in muddy field

[winchester]

Last year through the winter the farmer used to deliver us large round bales of hay each Saturday on the back of a flat bed lorry. Due to the hay shortage and price increase we thought we would go down the large bales of haylage and ring feeder route to try and save wastage.

Honest it is saving us alot but i am having trouble moving the haylage.

We had it delivered in to one corner of the field and electric fenced round the area so the horses couldn’t get to it – every 10 days we (3 of us) would role a bale out take the netting off and put the ring feeder round it.

Its getting harder and harder to roll the bales as the winter gets harder/mud gets thicker.

How does everyone else move there large bales in the field? Do you all use tractors? Any tractor recommendations? Anyone come up with a gadget to help roll it or flip it upright? Bet a quad Bike would not be strong enough

Any ideas???

 

[skye_and_i]

if you already have a quad you could try this http://www.proppa.com/trailer-round-bale-lbt100-11092-p.asp

 

[JCWHITE]

Only idea we use is to keep a strip of plastic to form a carpet to roll over, good luck!
We dont have tractor etc , I believe one would poach the ground more,
JC

 

[davisn]

This probably won't be of any help, but this is how we do it.

We have a digger & have welded a spike onto an old bucket. We use this for moving the bale from the yard to the stable doorway. OH has made a metal frame on wheels & we lower the bale onto this so that I can then move it around in the stables on my own. It also keeps it up off the floor.

We use a rear loader spike on our tractor (old vintage MF 65 we picked up cheap at the auctions) to move them into the field.

It doesn't poach the ground because we have put hard standing tracks to the fields we feed large bales in, otherwise it would create a bit of a mess when the ground is wet (which is most of the time as we live in Wales & have very peaty ground).

 

[Dolcé]

We have to hand roll ours (well, OH does, on his own recently whilst I've been ill) from the yard about 400 yards into 2 separate fields. YO has a tractor and will drop it in if we ask him but the tractor cant get through the mud so can only drop at fence lines and we want the bales in totally different areas to that. We manage ok but it is a pain and we have moved some horses to a much closer paddock to make it easier. The haylage is sooo heavy compared to hay, which I can move on my own.

 

[miss_bird]

we roll ours and there is only myself and my mum and she is 67yrs old, but prob many years of doing it and having to roll at least one a day help you get used to doing it

 

[winchester]

Thank you for all your lovely & helpful replies!

At the moment me and my other half rock it until we can slide a round wooden post underneath it and then use that to slide another underneath it until we can get it on its side. (Was told by the farmer to store them upright otherwise you end up with a flat side and then is impossible to roll).

Then we roll about 20 foot down the field to an appropriate area and then have to use the wooden posts in front to stop it sliding more in the mud and then sticking the other wooden pole underneath it to help us lifting it upright again to get the ring feeder round it.

It is honestly saving us lots but very hard work! Usually split the plastic open so we can get our fingers in the netting but wondered if there were any other contraptions about to help move it!