Round Bale or Square Bale?

[Bird_Lover_17]

Hello people who have animals that eat hay!
So, I know technically this should be on Backyard Herds (BYH) , but I do know that there are people here that also have goats/horses/cows/etc.
This is your typical round bale (the GIANT ones) and the tiny square bales. So, cast your votes and feel free to comment!

 

[Bird_Lover_17]

I forgot to add this in: I prefer square bales since:
1) I have dwarf goats
2) They are easier for me to cary
3) Easier for me to store
4) I don't need to deal with the hay needle attachment on the tractor *ugh*

 

[kdt_ntexas]

Square for me ... easier to handle

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

We use some small squares and some round bales for our dairy cows and heifers.

 

[Fillymj]

Small for inside barn horses

large rounds for outside horses. Use forklift.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Square. Most round bales around here are dusty and nasty. Lots of waste on the outside too. We have used them in a pinch in the past. Wrapped round bales are probably worth the extra price tag, but we haven't tried them.

Here we make our own hay in small square bales.

 

[Compost King]

I choose round because the last bale of Hay I bought was round but it wasn't very large, about 4 feet high and 4 feet wide. I usually just buy from closest person advertising on Craigslist and I use it to feed rabbits so one bale goes a long way. Could be spring before I need a new one. Sometimes when I am out of straw I line coops with the hay.

 

[Peaches Lee]

Squares are much easier to manage. You can travel with them, and they are multi-species friendly. It's hard to find good quality round bales around here. Most farmers leave them outside. Horses absolutely love them though. If you can find nice clean, dry ones, the horses love to lay in them, scratch and rub on them. But then you run into waste because they drag half of the hay out on the ground and soil it.

 

[21hens-incharge]

A risk with round bales is that the horses can smell the tasty bits deep inside. Burying their heads in there to go for that they can inhale a lot of particles leading to heaves.

When we had cattle I used square bales. Much easier to handle.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Like others, square for the ease of handling. I can't imagine using round bales without the heavy equipment making it possible. And without a large cattle herd, I can't imagine needing large round bales. You don't want it to get wet before the animals have a chance to eat it. It will mold.
When I was young, we baled our own hay and I operated the mower, rake and square baler.
Back then, I never saw a round bale. I think it is a relatively new invention.