What to do with old hay?

[DanLeaAnn]

Thought I would reach out to the Bowhunter braintrust. I have a bunch of old round bales that's been sitting in the grass and weeds pretty much just rotting. Only thing I know to do with them is burn them but I didn't want to have to deal with that and figured y'all could enlighten me.

so, what should I do with 20ish 3-5 year old round bales beside let them continue to decompose?

[White Falcon]

Stack them and make a blind.

[Low Fence]

This year.... sell them for $80 a piece like everyone else will.

... or burn them if you just want them gone

[Muskles]

Throw them in a wash, or find someone who needs them to fill one.

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[COACH_EM_UP]

Feed em. Cows will still eat it. At least they will eat the middle of them. How did you let 20 round bales sit for 3 years without feeding them?

[shooter2007]

You could probably sale them

[Worksalot]

If any of it is still good it can be ran through a bale processor and ground up and mixed with syrup and water to make more palatable for cattle.

Can also be ground up for erosion control purposes and as a mulch to add organic material on hard to grow areas where grass seeding is intended. This is particularly useful where heavy clay has been moved during a dirt work project.

[Ætheling]

Good luck burning a rotten round bale. You could build a backstop wall for a personal gun range.


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[Razrbk89]

All I’d do is put it out in places that are washing in your fields. Sounds like a pain to me.

There’s always a balancing act on how much to cut. Better safe than sorry, of course, but isn’t worth hauling it up here most years.

[DanLeaAnn]

Feed em. Cows will still eat it. At least they will eat the middle of them. How did you let 20 round bales sit for 3 years without feeding them?

I just grow hay for the exemption, at one point my tractor was out and had no way of loading it up on a trailer to sell so they just sat. It's also Bahia so not high quality stuff. . .

I had heard about putting them in washouts but thankfully I have a severe shortage of them around here.

[DanLeaAnn]

Good luck burning a rotten round bale. You could build a backstop wall for a personal gun range.


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the neighbor had about eight that I burned for him last year, took all afternoon working the fire so they'd burn but they did eventually go but don't want to have to deal with that again if I can get rid of them some other way.

[Rick]

put them on craigslist for free, someone might need them for some of the ideas mentioned

[MASTERS]

cut the strings and unroll them by pushing with the tractor. easier to burn

[Team Porkchop]

People around the Victoria Area are hurting for hay right now. Put them on Craigslist for pick up only. If they are as bad as you say than sell them for cheap.

[Etxnoodler]

If it’s gonna be hot and dry like I’ve heard it might be this summer spread them out in the pasture they came from. The organic matter will help hold moisture. Burning them will just waste it. Craigslist for cheap will prolly get rid of them easiest though.