I know how much I need to feed (the cattle) per day and I can feed that amount without having to worry about whether it’s getting wasted.”Īccording to Seleg, the ability to control cut length has made his cows less choosy come feeding time. We can finally feed in the bunk, which eliminated a lot of our problems.

“With the (BPX9010) bale processor, we eliminated huge amounts of hay waste,” said Seleg. As a first-time owner of a bale processor, he said it has made an immediate impact on his ranch. With the ability to accurately place feed in a bunk or windrow and control material cut length, the Vermeer BPX9010 bale processor gives Seleg more options, control and feed efficiency. There is no silver bullet in these times, though Seleg has found one solution to help reduce waste and improve feed efficiency: using a bale processor to feed his herd. That’s a tough pill to swallow in the best of times, let alone in a drought. Between big, sweeping winds blowing hay around and the cattle stomping on it, Seleg observed a lot of waste taking place. For years, the Montana rancher used bale feeders or rolled out bales with a pickup to feed his cattle. Some of his cows were getting by with less, and others were wasting the difference.”įor Andrew Seleg, the key to successfully managing hay when in a drought is minimizing hay waste. “I had one guy who thought he was feeding 1,100 pounds, only to find out it was closer to 700 pounds or 800 pounds. “Not all bales are the same, especially when you’re buying hay, so it can be eye-opening how much variability there is in bale weights,” Prewett said. Prewett added that some ranchers don’t know exactly how much hay they are really feeding (or wasting) until they begin using a bale processor with a scale kit. And that’s a big savings in a year like this.” And if you add a scale kit, you can feed a group of cows and cut back even more - almost half of the hay you were rolling out. “Compared to rolling out hay with a pickup, using a Vermeer BPX9010 bale processor can help you cut back by a third, depending on your hay quality. “For starters, bale processors in general are pretty economical compared to some farm equipment, and they can really help stretch the use of your hay,” said Prewett. Some in the area started feeding as early as August due to the lack of grass. 'Bale processors in general are pretty economical compared to some farm equipment, and they can really help stretch the use of your hay.'Īccording to Mark Prewett, a Vermeer territory manager in this region of the country, it’s years like this when ranchers can really take advantage of owning a Vermeer bale processor. Some in the Big Sky state have reported hay crops being down as much as 85% this year, and the going rate of hay can hit upwards of $300 per ton.

The drought has especially impacted ranchers in Montana, where low rainfall and high temperatures in 2021 took a heavy toll on hay crops and grazing pastures. Tough decisions must be made, like paying a premium to purchase hay from out of state, leasing additional pasture, sending cattle to feedlots or reducing herd size. This forces ranchers to pivot on their approach to feeding cattle, which becomes increasingly challenging when hay is in short supply. January 2022 BPX9010 bale processors give Montana ranchers more feed options in drought.įor ranchers, the word “drought” is synonymous with headaches. When in drought, trust the bale processor

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