Time for hay bales for the cows

Today I put out the first large hay bale for the cattle this season.  The hayfield is eaten down pretty well.  No sense over doing the eating of the hayfield.

Because my new bale spear is three long spears, and not one long and two short spears like the old bale spear, it can be difficult to use the spear to lift up the metal hay feeder as the two lower spears want to go into the ground.  With the ground still not frozen I was able to lift the one feeder in the north pasture where the hay bale would go.   So I went and lifted the other feeder in the middle pasture and moved it to position for the next hay bale.  So that is done.

The feeder I put the bale into is the feeder that some legs caught on frozen manure this past Spring when pushing the feeder with my tractor.  The feeder then became a little oval and not round.  Today after I lifted the feeder on its side, the feeder was sitting in a manner where I could use the bottom of the bale spear's attachment and the tractor's arms to push down on the feeder.  I think the feeder is now more round and not oval.   The feeder I fixed is the one in the background with the hay bale in it.

The cows saw what I was doing and came and stood by the gate to watch me work.

Once the hay was put out, I opened the gate and the cows took off to the hay.

12 cows can eat at the feeder at the same time.  I have 15 cows.  So I put out a few piles of hay from the bale nearby so all can eat in the beginning.   The rest of the time the cows rotate when they eat and all don't eat at the same time.