We put up our hay in two forms: small square bales and big round bales. The square bales weigh about sixty pounds on average and are used to feed the horses and smaller bunches of cows, where a thirteen hundred pound round bale would be a bit much.
The square bales are tied with twine.
The round bales are wrapped in a nylon mesh.
So I guess you could say our cows get 'tied' food delivered. (Well, I thought it was funny!) The delivery guy doesn't drive a van. His rig looks like this:
Those yellow arms on the back of the tractor open and shut to release and clamp down on the bale. In this picture it's in hauling position, with the arms clamped low on the bale to lift it off the ground. When he gets out to the pasture, he'll set it down and move the arms up so they're clamped right at the center of the bale. Then he cuts the nylon mesh, peels it off, lowers the bale so it's sitting on the ground, and drives off. The bale rolls out just like a great big sleeping bag:
The cows at the buffet line:
The other option is to put the bale in a feeder, where the cattle can reach in and eat but not stomp in and waste the hay:
The view from the delivery guy's seat:
So there you go, a room with a view...all meals included.
