Feed cart for large square bales

For those of you who feed large square bales indoors with a feed cart, could you please describe your cart, and what you do or don’t like about it? We are converting to large squares after feeding exclusively small squares for many, many years, and I need a cart that I can run down a cement floored aisle to feed from. There are no lips, curbs or bumps to go over, and I have nice wide doors to go through from hay storage to the barn. The bales we will be using are 4’ x 2.5’ x 7’ and I don’t mind if I future proof the cart in that it could accommodate a slightly larger bale if the size changes.

I don’t personally feed the large bales (never could work out logistics on how to store at our place), but worked at a barn that did. They had a small, likely homemade, trailer that was pulled by a four wheeler. The person feeding would drive the trailer out of the hay storage barn and through the main barn, then turn around and back into the other barn feed there, then pull it back into the hay barn. It worked well enough but was tight in places, especially when the stall cleaners were also there with their truck/ set up doing the stalls. IMO I don’t see how you could move one of those bales without a motor of some sort.

If you are just pulling off a few flakes at a time (2-3?), I would think a standard Rubbermaid cart would work well enough.

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We fed off large bales but into hay nets. So we had a trash can that we’d drape the net in and then just yank down flakes and fold them into the nets. There was a certain way we could roll up the flakes to fit maximum hay with as little waste as possible. Then we’d throw all the nets into the back of the gator or big Rubbermaid wheelbarrow and run them down the aisle.

I think the wheelbarrow would work if you’re pulling off flakes to feed loose, but it’ll take longer. Depends on how many horses.

We did nets with large blocks as well as round bales. Blocks are SO MUCH EASIER.

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Something like these push carts is what the one barn I know that feeds large square bales uses.

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that is what we do, each horse has three of their own color coded hay nets. so there is the one that is in their stall and two replacements ready to hang

The hay nets are filled in the hay barn which is separated from the horse stall then brought to their stalls, the extras are hung next to their stalls

When I buy and feed large bales the hay stays on the flatbed trailer and I fill hay nets there or fold up flakes and put a serving in the pasture. I sure don’t want to push a 700-800 lb bale. But I am only feeding 3 horses.

We’ll be getting them in by the transport load, so there’s no option to feed from the trailer they’re shipped in. :slight_smile: They’re 800 lb bales, not the huge monster bales, so hopefully there will be some sort of cart that will work for us. Thank you for all the suggestions so far!

4’x7’ is quite large, what are these other “monster bales” you speak of??

Assuming you’re pulling by hand, you could try one of these, will have just a bit of overhang
Vestil ECSPT-3672 36" x 72" Steel Smooth Deck Platform Truck - 2000 lb. Capacity (webstaurantstore.com)

Or this

Hamilton® Platform Truck 42 x 96 Wood Deck - Plastex Wheels 4000 Lb. Cap. (globalindustrial.com)

Vestil PNU-2496 24" x 96" Steel Platform Truck with Pneumatic Tires - 1500 lb. Capacity (webstaurantstore.com)

Or just do a regular flatbed if you’re pulling it behind a tractor.

Carry-On 5ft. x 8ft. Wood Deck Trailer, 2000-Lb. GVWR, 1600-Lb. Load Capacity, 96in.L Deck, 60in.W Deck, Model# 5X8GW2K | Northern Tool

1720 lb. Capacity 48 in. x 96 in. Super Duty Folding Trailer (harborfreight.com)

They’re 2.5 x 4 x 7, so not as big as they could be. I’ve seen some closer to 4 x 4 x 8 that tip the scales well over 1200 lbs :no_mouth:

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You wouldn’t think so but the 3x4x8’s are significantly bigger and harder to manage than the 3x3x8’s. And a whole lot heavier. I was surprised when dealing with them. My tractor can’t pick up either, but even so the 3x4’s are more of a PITA.