Thinking like an Egyptian: Moving round bales without a tractor
Many years ago, while moving very large logs without heavy equipment, a thoughtful friend stated: "We need to think like ancient Egyptians", referring, of course, to the seemingly impossible task of moving huge blocks to build the pyramids. We had a good laugh at the time but the sentiment that there must be a simple and smart way to get the job done, without large equipment, has stayed with me ever since.
These days, I'm moving less firewood and a lot more hay. While it's simple enough to move small square bales, it's become increasingly clear to me that it's more economical to buy in round bales. But you need to move them around. Without a tractor, I needed to figure out a way to manage round bales efficiently. I tried peeling off hay as needed but that proved to be wasteful, time-consuming and inefficient. Then it occurred to me that I should turn the bale into a wheel.
To do so I shove a 1.5" diameter steel drill-rod, through the centre of the bale to create an axle. Chains or cables are wrapped around each end of the rod and lead to my ATV. With this setup I can pull (in summer) or winch (in winter) the 800lb. round bales where I want them. Once the bale is tucked into the upturned hay feeder, it's possible to then rearrange the chains over the side and the bale and feeder together are lowered to the ground.
I've been feeding round bales this way since the fall and it has simplified chores as a round bale lasts a couple weeks on my small farm.
In winter, with considerably less traction, I chain the tow hitch of the ATV to a fence post in order to winch the bale and not lose ground to sliding. I very much doubt the ancient Egyptians moved hay around like this but finding a simple solution to a heavy problem can make work more efficient and save a pile of money too.
Dave Challen, Boreal Birch Syrup, Thunder Bay, ON
