We have a large trailer for moving equipment and a skid steer with a hay spike. I can get 12 on the trailer. The bales I’m getting are 3x4x7. I have gotten the 4x4x8 bales before and I agree they are a tad bit more difficult to move the individual flakes.
I find that they do flake apart, but the ease of flaking depends on the type and cut of hay and how tightly the hay was packed. Alfalfa tends to pack tighter than other types of hay. It seems to come apart easier than a first cut orchard grass.
I find the flakes are pretty consistent in size for each bale. The flakes that are 12-15lbs each are easier to pull off in one piece than the lighter flakes. If I don’t have any grazing and the temperatures are moderate, I count on feeding 2 flakes a day. I use the extended day small hole hay nets. I can fit one flake in there easily and if I work a bit, I can get 1 1/2 flakes in there.
I store my big bales out of the barn and use a big wheel barrow or a cart to move 1-2 weeks worth of hay into the feed room. I pick a day that the weather is the most cooperative. I have a large pallet with a solid top in my feed room. I lay the hay flat and can stack 14 flakes in a corner. This is around 4’6” tall when it’s uncompressed. I tie at least one string on the main bale to keep it from fanning open.
As far as botulism, that can be an issue in any type of hay. The way I’m feeding the big squares is similar to the way one would feed small squares, flakes at a time, as opposed to just putting out a large round bale and allowing them to free feed from it.
According to my hay guy, the moisture in a large square has to be spot on. He said he can round bale slightly damp hay, but as long as he places them in his barn on their sides one on top of the other, they will act as a chimney and the moisture will be drawn out of them. On a side note, he also does balelage/haylage which also has a specific moisture requirement. If I could go through a large bale every few days, I’d consider going that route.