transporting round hay bales without tractor

Hi,

I am currently at a friends farm, and he has a problem: he does not have a tractor, and lets a neighbour press his hay bales. Some (from last year) were covered by a tarp in a field, rotted a bit, and he needs to move them to use as mulch.

Does anyone have an idea how to move them? It would be sligntly uphill, for a few hundred meters.

I was thinking sticking a metallic pole through the center and pull them with a pulley system, but he is quite broke and rope is expensive...

this is what I am talking about
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baler#Round_baler

Thanks
Hans

If you are just going to be using them as mulch, is there are reason you could not break them into smaller bits and move them one wheelbarrow/garden cart up the hill at a time?

You could also ask the neighbor if he would be willing to move the hey to the area that needs to be mulched. Most rural people are willing to lend a hand (as long as a returning helping hand is offered/provided).

might see if anyone in the area has a hydra bed that can help:





could you pay the same neighbor to move?
how are round bales generally moved in the area?

Do you have any animals around? Horses, oxen, cattle?

Any cars, trucks or motorcycles?

Thanks for the answers. We are going to wait untill we are more and, and then move it by hand.

But the tool on the pickup looks cool, and not that difficult to build with a pulley. (but you need a pickup).

http://www.durabiltindustries.com/tumblebug.aspx?im=tumblebug.jpg

These are common with the Amish around here. There are also versions that use a spike and a boat winch, but they are slower. They can be used with a decent sized 4 wheeler, too.

I need something, too. I have a tractor and small pickup, but neither are big enough to move a round bale by themselves.

I have rolled them by hand--but it is not easy, especially uphill.

I have also used a rock bar or pipe stuck through the middle and then a loop of rope or chain hooked around a ball hitch on a car.

But that doesn't work to transport a bale that is rotted. Great for spreading the mulch, though!

I buy old hay from a guy. He uses his tractor and puts them in the back of my pick-up.