Manure Spreader Works Great For Spreading Straw

Manure Spreader Works Great For Spreading Straw CROPS Straw 20-6-34 A manure spreader works as well as a commercial bale processor for spreading bed-ding, according to Neil McMillan who started using his New Holland 791 manure spreader for bedding cattle about five years ago. I've tried the idea with various kinds of round bales, including hay bales, and it works fine on all of them. Most of my bales are 5 by 6-ft., made with a Deere 535 baler," says the Pickardville, Alberta, farmer. "I place the bale in the middle of the spreader and cut the strings. Then I push the bale fork into the side of the bale about 10 in. from the top and lift up with the fork so it tears and sort of separates at the top. Part of the bale falls to the front and part to the back. Then I hook onto the spreader with the tractor and start spreading. It doesn't damage the beaters and I haven't had any trouble yet." McMillan says he used to simply cut the strings and start spreading without tearing the bale with the fork. However, it would overbalance and the whole bale would go over the beaters and fall out the back of the spreader. He uses the system primarily to spread straw in front of his cattle shed. McMillan uses the system to more easily spread broken bales, which are otherwise awkward to handle. The beaters work well to catch and wrap strings that have been missed, he notes. The system saves him time, energy and money and required no modification to his spreader, he says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Neil McMillan, R.R. 2, Pickardville, Alberta, Canada TOG 1WO (ph 403 349-2405).

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