What’s the best way to move hay rounds on your farm? Several pieces of specialty equipment can do the job. And you’ll definitely need at least one.

Why Farmers Prefer Hay Rounds

If you prefer your hay round instead of small and square, you’re not alone. When measured in pounds, hay rounds tend to be cheaper than an equivalent number of small squares. Round bales are also easier to produce than small squares and they’re more moisture resistant, so there’s less concern about a round bale getting a bit of rain in the field than a small square.

But, these benefits come with a downside familiar to any farmer who feeds hay: round bales are heavy. Very heavy. A small square bale weighing 40-50 pounds can be carried by a single person. But hay rounds, depending on a variety of factors, can tip the scales at over 1,000 pounds.

Fortunately, there are implements designed specifically for moving round hay bales that can be attached to a skid steer and/or tractor to make the job safe and easy. Here are four ways to move hay rounds:

#1 Bale Spear

Provided you have a tractor with enough strength to lift round hay bales, a bale spear is a straightforward solution.

While exact designs can vary, a bale spear attaches to the front-end loader or three-point hitch and features three or so prongs that pierce the flat side of the round bale and allow the tractor to lift it. The tractor can then drive the round bale wherever it needs to go, whether it’s from field to barn, from barn to livestock pasture, from field to transport trailer, etc.

#2 Bale Unroller

A bale unroller is a machine designed primarily for unrolling round bales for feeding. Many mount on the three-point hitch of your tractor. A spike is inserted into each flat side of the round bale, and by lowering the bale so it contacts the ground, friction causes the bale to rotate and unroll.

Of course, you can also lift the bale so it doesn’t contact the ground, and then you can drive the bay wherever it needs to be unrolled. Thus, a bale unroller is an effective way of transporting round bales.

#3 Bale Squeeze

As an alternative to a bale spear, you can also use a different front-end loader device—like a bale squeeze—to move hay rounds. A bale squeeze uses hydraulic arms to squeeze bales from the sides, tightly enough so they can be picked up.

#4 Bale Grapple

A bale grapple is similar to a bale squeeze but typically features a bucket with a large hydraulic claw on top. The claw opens wide enough so the bucket can slide underneath the round bale while the claw bites down from the top, providing a firm grip.

Safety First When Moving Hay Rounds!

Regardless of which method you choose for moving round hay bales, appropriate safety measures should be followed.

For example, you’ll need to properly counterbalance the bales you lift to maintain the stability and traction of your skid steer or tractor; a ballast box or liquid ballast box can do the trick if you’re lifting bales with a front-end loader. While it can be tempting to lift bales high with the front-end loader to improve driving visibility, it’s better to keep them low, which lowers your tractor’s center of gravity and reduces the risk of tipping over. Along the same lines, you should be careful negotiating uneven or sloping ground when transporting round bales.

As long as you take appropriate precautions, any of the four implements described above will allow you to easily move hay rounds your farm.

This article about how to move hay rounds on a farm was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.