[magicteetango]

So my skid loader is down... and I want to put rounds out (I am throwing squares but I sleep better if they have 24/7 access to RBs... especially in the snow). They are way too far (and down hill from my field) to roll. I have a Polaris, a pick up, and a tractor. Any alternative ideas to move them? I see people with them in their trucks all the time but no idea how they get them in it without a front loader.

[quarterhorse4me]

If you have a polaris, why can't you roll one on a tarp and jury rig a rope so you can pull one. We use the tractor with a round bale attachment to get them in our truck.

[windlake]

I just put out a new round bale with my JD 445. I lower the bucket to just above the bottom of the bale,put tractor in a more speed gear and push the whole rig to where I want it. Today's bale went from hay barn(I use the little bucket on JD to flip it) 'bottom' pushed it over the driveway and through the barn to the back field. The snow storm today kept the bottom pretty clean. I cut the strings and made sure all pieces were out....instant snow storm buffet. I have used the JD to roll it but it takes too long to use the push&roll. Good luck.

[alabama]

Can you get a rear spear for your 3 pt. hitch on the tractor? I don't know if your local feed store/garden supply place would have one but maybe Tractor Supply? I use my spear about once a week to put out hay and then turn around and flip the bale up on a pallet with the bucket. It's pretty handy.

[tangledweb]

Do you have a trailer? A couple of people, or a tractor could roll one in.

I've dragged them with a truck and chain before, but only on a flat farm.

[Derby Lyn Farms]

Can you borrow a rear spear for the tractor? That is what we have, they can't bee to expensive, not much to them. I have also pushed them with the tractor bucket.

[cowgirljenn]

We don't have a tractor. Or hay buggy. So we've become the King and Queen of Redneck Round Bale Movin' 101.

We have: (you are welcome to laugh - how many PhDs does it take to use a round bale has been said more than once at our house):
1. Wrapped some extra/left over woven wire around the bale, used tie downs to keep it tight, and towed it with our truck. (especially useful with the round bales we got that were baled with twine/rope that kept breaking)
2. Pushed the round bale with the truck.
3. Pushed the round bale by hand.
4. Wrapped tie downs around the round bale and towed it.
5. Rolled/pushed with truck the round bale onto a cattle panel that we had fastened to the trailer hitch on the truck. We used that like a sled to pull it.

Any of these methods work. Sometimes your neighbors may shake their heads at you.

[Chestnut Run]

We don't have a tractor. Or hay buggy. So we've become the King and Queen of Redneck Round Bale Movin' 101.

We have: (you are welcome to laugh - how many PhDs does it take to use a round bale has been said more than once at our house):
1. Wrapped some extra/left over woven wire around the bale, used tie downs to keep it tight, and towed it with our truck. (especially useful with the round bales we got that were baled with twine/rope that kept breaking)
2. Pushed the round bale with the truck.
3. Pushed the round bale by hand.
4. Wrapped tie downs around the round bale and towed it.
5. Rolled/pushed with truck the round bale onto a cattle panel that we had fastened to the trailer hitch on the truck. We used that like a sled to pull it.

Any of these methods work. Sometimes your neighbors may shake their heads at you.

You are not the only one! We have used all five of your redneck methods!

Sheila

[magicteetango]

We don't have a tractor. Or hay buggy. So we've become the King and Queen of Redneck Round Bale Movin' 101.

We have: (you are welcome to laugh - how many PhDs does it take to use a round bale has been said more than once at our house):
1. Wrapped some extra/left over woven wire around the bale, used tie downs to keep it tight, and towed it with our truck. (especially useful with the round bales we got that were baled with twine/rope that kept breaking)
2. Pushed the round bale with the truck.
3. Pushed the round bale by hand.
4. Wrapped tie downs around the round bale and towed it.
5. Rolled/pushed with truck the round bale onto a cattle panel that we had fastened to the trailer hitch on the truck. We used that like a sled to pull it.

Any of these methods work. Sometimes your neighbors may shake their heads at you.

Exactly the level of red neck I was looking for. I have none of the accruements mentioned in the other posts lol, I never even thought because we didn't need them. Skid loader should be fixed soon so I am hesitant to purchase anything new. I will report back if I can get hubby on board with these, I already paid for those rounds... I am buying small squares! It is killing me!

[Daydream Believer]

We usually use our compact JD with a loader to move RB's but it broke down badly (blown up radiator) in Sept and I did not have the funds on hand to fix it. We built a sledge with some 4x6's that worked quite well pulled with our Gator or an older tractor that lacks hydraulics that we also own. You could get it out to where you needed it and then I'd use a pry bar and some 4x4 shims to get it off the skid and in the right position. It was a lot of work but at least it was doable.

I just got my JD back running right before Christmas..I think that was the best present I got! It also has gotten very wet and soft and I think our skid would have torn up the ground badly so I'm glad we are past that!

[quarterhorse4me]

We don't have a tractor. Or hay buggy. So we've become the King and Queen of Redneck Round Bale Movin' 101.

We have: (you are welcome to laugh - how many PhDs does it take to use a round bale has been said more than once at our house):
1. Wrapped some extra/left over woven wire around the bale, used tie downs to keep it tight, and towed it with our truck. (especially useful with the round bales we got that were baled with twine/rope that kept breaking)
2. Pushed the round bale with the truck.
3. Pushed the round bale by hand.
4. Wrapped tie downs around the round bale and towed it.
5. Rolled/pushed with truck the round bale onto a cattle panel that we had fastened to the trailer hitch on the truck. We used that like a sled to pull it.

Any of these methods work. Sometimes your neighbors may shake their heads at you.

You rock cowgirljenn. That is my kind of redneck!

[Robin@DHH]

Another juryrig version is to go to a junkyard and buy a hood of a largish car or truck. Also buy a logging chain or two if you don't have one (but on a farm you really should have at least a couple as they are frequently needed for something). Turn the hood upside down and use as a stone boat. Use chain around round bale to pull it onto the "stone boat" and then hitch to the front (curved end) of the "stone boat" and pull bale to where you want it. Roll off by pushing by hand or use chain and tow vehicle again to unload. Store vehicle hood/"stone boat" for next need.

[DesignerLabel]

I've also used all the redneck methods listed, and here's one more. Take a piece of pipe 6 or 7 feet long. Take a sledge hammer or the flat side of an axe, and pound that pipe through the middle of the round bale. Leave a piece of pipe sticking out of each side of the bale. Tie a long rope to each end of pipe, loop the rope over the hitch on your truck, and roll that bale like a giant wheel to wherever you want to put it.

[cowgirljenn]

You are not the only one! We have used all five of your redneck methods!

Sheila

Oh good......I was worried that I was alone!

[OTTBcooper]

I've also used all the redneck methods listed, and here's one more. Take a piece of pipe 6 or 7 feet long. Take a sledge hammer or the flat side of an axe, and pound that pipe through the middle of the round bale. Leave a piece of pipe sticking out of each side of the bale. Tie a long rope to each end of pipe, loop the rope over the hitch on your truck, and roll that bale like a giant wheel to wherever you want to put it.

Ohhhh this is a good one!

[My Two Cents]

Depends how big your tractor is. If it's big enough to be stable I'd wrap log chains around it. Reminder: Be careful around working around big round bales. Over the years we have had a couple neighbors killed when they rolled and pinned them.

[Equibrit]

Round bale spear on the tractor; http://tractors-equipment.com/images/Bale-spike.gif

[billiebob]

Here's another redneck option for pickup trucks:

Get a couple of sturdy wooden beams. Park truck downhill from round bale. Use beams as ramp to get round bale into bed of truck. Swear, and swear a lot pushing it in. Drive to desired round bale location. Push bale out of truck, praying that it doesn't roll too fast or too far. Voila! Hay is out.

This is how I put out every round bale on the farm, which always makes the farrier laugh when he sees me doing it.

[kcs01]

We are Without tractor and for the past two years have been dragging them on a palette behind the truck or the rtv. This year we are improving the design and adding an old pair of skis to make it slide a little easier. Works great almost don't want to improve the design.

[katyb]

We have used straps to attach the bale to the loader of our tractor (which is big enough to handle the weight).