Feeding Stock Efficiently When Out-Wintering:

December 8, 2025

Simple Ways to Save Time, Reduce Waste and Make Winter Feeding Easier

When you’re out-wintering cattle, the daily feeding job can make or break the whole winter. Short days, pressure on time, mud building up in the same spots and cattle following you every step – it’s a big part of the routine.

With weather swinging from frozen mornings to wet afternoons that turn fields into a mud bath, every farm is looking for ways to keep feeding as efficient as possible.

This winter, many farmers are asking the same questions:
How do we cut feeding time? How do we keep waste down? And how do we stop cattle trampling half the bale into the ground?

Here are some simple, practical ways farms are improving their winter feeding and how bale unrollers, round bale feeders and silage feeders like the Blaney Forager X10 and Bale Feeder X6 help make the job faster, cleaner and easier.

Why Out-Winter Feeding Is Harder Than It Looks

1. The same feeding spot becomes a mud pit

Out-wintering cattle often means using the same feeding area repeatedly. By December, that patch can be soft, messy and slow to get through especially with cattle crowding ahead of you.

2. Ring feeders create huge waste

Farmers tell us the same thing every year: Put a bale in a ring feeder and you’ll often see around 40% of it wasted (60% actually eaten). Most of that waste comes from cattle trampling and standing on the bale which is exactly what many farms are trying to reduce by switching to a Blaney Bale Feeder (also known as Bale Unroller, Bale Unwinder or Round Bale Feeder).

3. Time pressure is the biggest issue

Farmers aren’t short of work they’re short of hours. Feeding shouldn’t take the whole morning when there are plenty of other jobs waiting.

4. Bale quality varies more each year

Silage making hasn’t been straightforward for many. Wet bales, tight bales, misshapen bales you name it, you’ll get it.

5. Labour is tight everywhere

Most farms don’t have spare hands. Winter feeding needs to be safe, quick and manageable on your own.

What Farmers Are Doing Differently This Winter

1. Feeding from the tractor seat

This is one of the biggest game-changers in any out-wintering system.

On harsh mornings – freezing wind, cattle crowding, sleet hitting sideways – being able to feed without getting out of the seat makes the job faster and safer.

Both the Forager X10 and Bale Feeder X6 let farmers:

• avoid standing among hungry cattle
• keep clear of slippery ground
• finish feeding quicker
• work safely alone

2. Keeping feed lines narrow and clean

Instead of dumping a bale in one spot or using a ring feeder that creates crowding and trampling, many farms are switching to a controlled line of silage.

A narrow, clean line means:

• cattle spread out naturally
• far less trampling
• more of the bale actually gets eaten
• less ground damage in the same area

This is one of the simplest and most effective improvements farms see when moving to a Bale Unroller, Bale Unwinder or Silage Feeder like the X10 or X6.

3. Unrolling bales evenly to cut waste

Waste in winter isn’t just annoying it’s expensive.

Using a feeder that gives an even, steady feed-out helps:

• avoid big lumps
• keep cattle calmer
• reduce competition
• minimise trampling
• ensure more of the bale ends up eaten, not in the mud

And because you choose where the feed line goes, you can move around the field instead of damaging the same patch every day.

4. Being prepared before you reach the field

With a bale unroller you can take the plastic and net off before reaching the field. It keeps the flow steady, avoids cattle pushing into you, and speeds feeding up on rough days.

The Forager X10 and Bale Feeder X6 both make it easy to load and go once you’re out there.

How the Forager X10 Helps Out-Wintering Farms

Farmers tell us the same thing every week: The Blaney Forager X10 handles any bale – frozen, tight, wet or awkward.

Real improvements farmers notice:

• Feeding time drops from hours to minutes
• Safer feeding from the tractor seat
• Cleaner feed lines with less waste
• One person can do the job easily
• Less ground damage
• Less stress when weather turns rough

If you’re out-wintering cattle on rough ground or feeding across multiple paddocks, the X10 makes the whole job more manageable.

Where the Bale Feeder X6 Fits In

Not every farm needs the full X10 specification. Some want something simple, tough and cost-effective – a Blaney Bale Feeder that improves daily feeding without the larger investment.

The Bale Feeder X6 is ideal for:

• feeding cattle out-wintering on pasture
• farms moving away from ring feeders
• anyone wanting cleaner, narrower feed lines
• reducing feeding time each day
• improving efficiency on a tighter budget

It’s a strong upgrade for farms wanting a better winter routine at a more accessible price point.

What This All Means for Farmers This Winter

Winter feeding takes a huge chunk of the day, and most farms don’t have time to spare.

If a piece of kit can:

• cut feeding time
• reduce waste
• save labour
• improve safety
• handle difficult bales
• protect ground conditions

…then it pays for itself quickly.

“How much is your time worth?”

Out-wintering works best when feeding is quick, controlled and simple and the right bale feeder makes that happen.

Winter feeding will always be a daily job, but it doesn’t have to be the hardest one. With the right approach and the right equipment, farms can save time, reduce waste and avoid the common pitfalls of out-wintering.

The Forager X10 Bale Unroller and Blaney Bale Feeder X6 are designed to make feeding easier, faster and safer leaving farmers more time for the rest of the winter tasks that never stop.

If you’d like advice on which bale feeder suits your setup, the Blaney team are here to help.