# This should end the net wrap removal argument



## stack em up

But I doubt it....

http://m.farmandranchguide.com/news/livestock/bale-wrap-should-not-be-a-part-of-your-cattle/article_02790ae8-9d04-11e4-808a-37df40c8c851.html?mobile_touch=true


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## carcajou

I always remove the net wrap, just figured everyone else did too.


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## swmnhay

I always take it off also.I don't want it in the cattle or the manure spreader or wrapped around bearings.

It amazes me the people that don't take it off.

My vet told me he has never had a issue with netwrap if the netwrap was ground.He told me it passes threw fine.

Leave it on the bale and feed it is a different story.You could have 40-60' of net on a bale and as stupid as a cow is they would sit there and chew away until they had it all.

I know a guy lost 2 calves a few yrs back from a wad of net,he still doesn't take it of the bales.


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## mlappin

Take all mine off as well, gets recycled as "heat" in the winter, use it to start brush fires in the summer.


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## JMT

Take all mine off (net and twine, sisal and plastic). Have seen sisal get wrapped around a cows foot so tight that it started to cut.

I worry about the small tails/"hairs" of net wrap that stick to a bale when the wrap is froze on a little. Could that small amount cause a problem?


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## Vol

I would even be leary of grinding it....I would not want it crapped out on my ground.

Regards, Mike


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## Tim/South

I always remove the net wrap. It is easy here where it seldom freezes and no snow.

At first I would cut the net. Then I leaned to grab the tag end and pull it off. Takes less than a minute from the time I leave the tractor seat until back on.

I wonder how a cow eating a roll with the net left on can keep an ear tag?


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## IH 1586

I don't understand why people would leave it on. There are so many potential negative effects and no positive ones that I can see.

On a different note. I purchased a grapple just to make feeding heifers easier in the pasture. I would take the strings off bale then grapple bale. You don't lose loose hay with a grapple. Then take bale to pasture and drop bale in feeder. No more closing the gate behind you because you are in and out so quick and no fighting the heifers trying to get the strings off. The grapple also let me stack bales high as I could grab 2 at one time and stack 4 high on end in barn.


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## Grateful11

Our Vet, probably the largest large animal practice around here, told us he did an autopsy on a cow at the owners request and it had netwrap in it's gut and that's what killed it. He tells his clients, no netwrap and no poly twine should be eaten. They have 5 vets in this practice, all do large and small animals.


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## IHCman

Any bales that we feed in bale feeders absolutely gets the net taken off. But the hay that goes through the tub grinder and the bale processor doesn't. Do see some fine strands of net in the ground hay if you look real hard but I've always felt they were small enough a cow would pass em. Bale processor does throw out some small pieces of net every once in a while. That doesn't bother me for the cows so much but hate seeing baby calves chewing those pieces of net when we're calving. We have been thinking about baling some hay with twine again just for feeding during calving as the processor doesn't throw out as much twine as net wrap. Have lost at least one baby calf due to net wrap plugging him up as we cut him open and that's what we found.

We do harrow the pastures we feed on mainly to spread the manure out but also to pick up any twine or net wrap that's out there. Doesn't get the real small pieces but its amazing how much a harrow picks up.

The speaker in that article is my sister so we've had many discussions on this subject. lol


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## IHCman

I've always wondered why the netwrap companys couldn't mix a little horse radish juice or hot sauce in their net wrap to make cattle spit it out when they decide to chew on it. haha Probably find some cattle that will still like it spicy.


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## 8350HiTech

IHCman said:


> I've always wondered why the netwrap companys couldn't mix a little horse radish juice or hot sauce in their net wrap to make cattle spit it out when they decide to chew on it. haha Probably find some cattle that will still like it spicy.


Wouldn't just not feeding it be easier?


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## somedevildawg

8350HiTech said:


> Wouldn't just not feeding it be easier?


I see your point, but probably "no"


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## IHCman

8350, yes not feeding it is the best choice but its not always practical to remove it. No one that I know of here removes it before grinding in a tub grinder or through a bale processer. Frozen net or twine can sometimes be virtually impossible to remove 100% off of a bale. Its why many of us here bought bale processors as probably 99% of the net or twine stays in the processer.

sorry quote button still not working for me


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## rjmoses

I try to treat my livestock as I would treat myself. I wouldn't eat the plastic, paper or any other wrapping that's on food that I buy because I don't think it would do my system any good (besides tasting bad).

So why would I think it would be OK for my animals to eat it?

Ralph


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## shamrock kid

I can see not taking it off if it's frozen on but I think if you can get it off why not? I don't like the looks of it laying out there in the pasture . An old rancher here told me "if it don't help grow grass you don't need it in your pasture".


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## snowball

swmnhay said:


> I always take it off also.I don't want it in the cattle or the manure spreader or wrapped around bearings.
> 
> It amazes me the people that don't take it off.
> 
> My vet told me he has never had a issue with netwrap if the netwrap was ground.He told me it passes threw fine.
> 
> Leave it on the bale and feed it is a different story.You could have 40-60' of net on a bale and as stupid as a cow is they would sit there and chew away until they had it all.
> 
> I know a guy lost 2 calves a few yrs back from a wad of net,he still doesn't take it of the bales.  X2 My though exactly.. i also know some dumb people that have lost cattle from either not removing it or to lazy to put it out of reach of the cattle. net wrap and plastic twine are a bearing company's best friends


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## JD3430

I have a HORSE customer who leaves net wrap on the bales in the feeder! 
She bitches about issues with my hay, but leaves my net wrap on the bales in the feeder! 
I went down to the 3 RB feeders in her pasture and three of my bales were being eaten at the same time by about 10 horses. I saw frayed, chewed net wrap on each bale.


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## Tx Jim

I always remove net before feeding. Another thing that can kill cattle is ingested plastic shopping sacks. I wish plastic shopping sacks were outlawed!!!!


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## carcajou

JD3430 said:


> I have a HORSE customer who leaves net wrap on the bales in the feeder!
> She bitches about issues with my hay, but leaves my net wrap on the bales in the feeder!
> I went down to the 3 RB feeders in her pasture and three of my bales were being eaten at the same time by about 10 horses. I saw frayed, chewed net wrap on each bale.


Jd Have you considered moving? Sounds like hay buyers are asses down your way.


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## JD3430

carcajou said:


> Jd Have you considered moving? Sounds like hay buyers are asses down your way.


Who, the horse people or the liberals? Lol

No I love it here, but I am doing away mostly with horse people as customers. Loving the cattle people. I show up at a ranch, unload and get paid. Just delivered 8&1/2 ton to a guy up north of me. Bought 8 ton from me earlier and loved the hay. 
I won't kid anyone- horse quality hay for these insane horse owners is tough to make and they're as cheap as a old skin flint. 
Much easier/less stress making "cattle hay" and of course mushroom hay. The extra few bucks to make horse hay ain't worth it. 
Hats off to the guys that do it.


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## swmnhay

Tx Jim said:


> I always remove net before feeding. Another thing that can kill cattle is ingested plastic shopping sacks. I wish plastic shopping sacks were outlawed!!!!


Guy I know had a burn pit that had disposable diapers in it that didn't burn up.Lost a few calves when they ate them.

Another guy wanted me to buy some hay from him that came off a development site next to Walmart .I happened to drive by and the field was covered in bags.I passed on the hay,lol.


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## Grateful11

Was watching Dr. Pohl last night and he had a call on a farm that had just started with beef cattle, you could tell it was a shutdown dairy. He was feeding wrapped hay bales and what looked like netwrapped bales right on the lot. We just shook our heads. The Doc was there to do pregnancy tests.


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## slowzuki

And boys do they travel.



Tx Jim said:


> I always remove net before feeding. Another thing that can kill cattle is ingested plastic shopping sacks. I wish plastic shopping sacks were outlawed!!!!


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## Colby

Some people should be banned from owning cattle.. If you can't take twine or net off, you are one of them. I understand if it's frozen on there, you got to do what you got to do but go back and pick the net wrap up. Geez


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## vhaby

To save time when placing round bales into hay rings, I purchased a Sheffield folding box cutter knife with an easily replaceable blade and a pocket clip on one side. Whereas, I used to grab the end of the net wrap and unwind it from around the bale and then roll it into a tight ball to put into the tractor, now I place the round bale into the hay ring a few inches off the ground, cut the net wrap across the bale, lift all layers of the net wrap over the top of the bale and pull the remainder from under the bale on the opposite side.

Instead of rolling the net wrap into a tight ball and putting it into the tractor, I hang a plastic feed sack on the side of the tractor and simply stuff the wrap into the sack. This is much faster than unwinding the net wrap from around the bale.

New blades for the knife now come in packs of 50 for about $5 (Stanley). I'm still on the first side of the first blade after cutting the net wrap on about 18 bales. Found the Sheffield knife and Stanley blades at WM. Knife was about $10.


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