Why Every Hobby Farmer Should Invest in a Bale Processor

Whether they are called hobby farms, homesteads, lifestyle blocks, or gentlemen’s farms, small-scale farming/ranching operations demand a tremendous amount of work, especially when the owner is juggling another full-time job. When it comes to purchasing farm equipment, the same question arises: what is nice to have versus what is necessary?

Investing in a Hustler bale unroller, despite the initial cost, is a smart choice for small-scale operations for several compelling reasons:

Enhanced Efficiency

Hustler bale unroller/processors are known for their exceptional efficiency. They help distribute feed in a way that minimizes waste, up to 40%, ensuring that your animals get the most nutrition from each bale.

Time and Labor Savings

These machines significantly reduce the time and effort required for feeding. Hobby farmers often have limited labor resources, and a Hustler bale unroller/processor can help streamline the feeding process, freeing up time for other farm tasks.

Reduced Feed Costs

By minimizing waste and ensuring that your animals consume more of the hay, you’ll save on feed costs in the long term. This cost-saving aspect can help offset the initial investment.

Improved Animal Health

Properly distributed and accessible feed contributes to healthier livestock. This can lead to reduced veterinary expenses and better overall animal well-being.

Versatility

Hustler bale processors can handle various types of forage and hay, providing flexibility in your feeding routine. Hustler bale processors are available in both mounted and trailed/pull-type versions, and you can also choose to use your mounted model at the rear on a 3-point linkage or the front of a tractor, skid-steer or compact loader! 

Land and Pasture Health

These machines help to spread manure and urine, which can have positive effects on your pasture’s health and long-term productivity. To find out more, and if improving your pasture production is something that your are particularly interested in, you should read this article. 

Long-Term Savings

While the upfront cost might seem significant, the long-term savings in terms of feed efficiency, labor, and reduced waste make the investment worthwhile. Hustler equipment is built to last, ensuring that your investment pays off for years to come.

Support for Future Growth

If you plan to expand your hobby farm or increase your livestock numbers, having efficient feeding equipment like a Hustler bale unroller/processor in place will support this growth without the need for a major overhaul.

Exceptional Build Quality

Hustler is renowned for its robust and durable machinery. This means you’re not just investing in a piece of equipment, but in a reliable, long-lasting solution for your farm, backed-up by a standard 5-year warranty!

Now, let’s do some math, shall we? 

Let’s calculate the daily hay consumption for a small 35-head cow-calf herd:

1. Each animal, weighing on average 1,200 pounds (545 kg), will consume about 2.6% of its body weight in dry matter, which is approximately 31.2 pounds (14 kg) of dry matter per animal per day.

2. Considering an average of 20% hay wastage, you need to factor this in. So, 31.2 pounds / 0.80 = 39 pounds of as-fed dry matter per cow per day.

3. Now, to find the daily hay consumption for the entire herd of 35 cows: 39 pounds/animal x 35 animals = 1,365 pounds of as-fed dry matter per day for the entire herd.

4. If you have a 1,200-pound 5’x6′ round bale of hay, and you assume it contains about 88% dry matter, the dry matter content would be approximately 1,056 pounds. The herd is fed over the winter period, which lasts approximately 5 months, so 1,365 pounds/day x 5 months x 30 days/month = 204,750 pounds.

5. To find the number of bales needed, you can divide the total dry matter needed by the dry matter content of a bale: 204,750 pounds / 1,056 pounds/bale = approximately 194 bales. So, you would need approximately 194 bales of hay to feed your herd of 35 cows over the five-month period, considering the given consumption rates and hay wastage.

6. If we consider a decent quality mixed hay bale costs on average USD $100, including local transport = $19,400 per feeding season in hay.

Now, imagine Hustler bale unroller can reduce your hay wastage to virtually nothing? If we consider just a 1-2% waste using a Hustler feeding out machine, you can save 35 bales of hay per season, which is approximately USD $3,500 in savings per season!

The Hustler Unrolla LX105 for instance, which costs approximately USD $11,500 to purchase, can pay for itself in just 3 feeding seasons! And with the universal Hustler no BS 5-year warranty, you can be certain your investment is safe, holding its value. If you decide to trade or swap out your equipment every 5 years, you’re guaranteed not to lose any money and even better – be paid to feed your cattle!

In summary, Hustler bale unrollers or bale processors offer hobby farmers a cost-effective way to improve their farm’s efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance animal health. Over time, the savings and the support for future growth make them a valuable addition to any small-scale operation!

What our customers are saying?

Watch a selection of happy smale-scale operation owners around the world who decided to invest in a Hustler – and haven’t looked back!

“It’s very easy to use, it’s simplistic and it’s very very well built” — David Karsin, Canada Read More…	“I hated feeding Hay before we got the Hustler bale feeder” — Scott Simmons, Canada Read More…	“The cost of a bale price dropped 30% by just the method we’re feeding out” — Ian Hutchinson, New Zealand Read More…	“Hustler is a lifestyle and stress reliever for me” — Dan Hedgespeth ,United States Read More…

Think ahead of the herd with Hustler, contact us today for a quote or to book an on-farm demo!

You may also like to take a look at some of these great resources: 

• The Art of Sustainable Hay Feeding in a Tough Economy
• Benefits of feeding long-stem hay, especially when weaning calves
• Does it really make sense to ground-feed onto mud?
• How to deal with hay shortage in drought conditions
• Improve your pasture for free with your bale feeding routine

Here at Hustler, farming sustainably is at the heart of everything we do.

Our belief in sustainable farming practices underpins our range of world-leading livestock feeding solutions. If you are looking for farming equipment near you or buying livestock feeding equipment, contact our friendly team today!