Straw bale moved

June is getting closer and soon it will be time to let the cattle out on the grass.  I have a large bale of straw.  Over Winter I moved the bale outside of the hay shed and into the NE pasture.  And since it is such a large straw bale, and is more straw that I need, every time I put out hay into the wooden feeders for the cattle so I can transition to putting out another large hay bale, I also add a wheelbarrow of straw as extra feed.  I found the cattle like to eat a little bit of straw at times to eat something different.

So time to move the straw bale somewhere safe.  How about into the barn as the straw bale is now smaller (thinner)? 

Since the straw bale is not the same as it was when it was made, moving it can be tricky now.  The twine holding it together is now only partially holding it together.  To protect the bale from the rain and wind I had placed a tarp over the bale.  To move the bale now I wrapped the tarp around the bale, and using the extra amount of twine further wrapped the tarp and bale.  I should have taken a photo of this wrapping, but I was busy and forgot.

Using the bale spear on the tractor I lifted the bale.  The bale rotated slightly, but it mostly held together.  I lost a very small section of straw, but I called it a sucess.  I was able to successfully carry the bale to the barn.  Because the remaining bale is still large in diameter it took a little effort to get it through the large barn door as the bale was as wide and tall as the opening.  But I made it inside.

Now to unload the bale from the tractor.  That didn't go as well.  Since the bale had initially rotated, to get the bale off the tractor I had to remove the twine and tarp from around the bale.   Else the tarp and twine would be under part of the bale.  When I removed the twine and tarp the bale fell apart.  At least I was inside the barn.

I had to shovel and pitchfork the straw to move parts of it in order to get all the twine and tarp outside the barn.  It was some effort.   Since the straw is not packed tight in a bale, the straw covers a larger part of the barn that I imagined it would.  At least the straw is inside now and out of the rain and wind.  I'll have more cleaning to do tomorrow.   When Donna comes over to make some small hay bales for me this Summer, I may have her make some small straw bales out of this straw.