Vet, Here's my two cents worth, I usually agree with you on most everything you post on this forum but am going to differ with you on your "Idiot Cubes". I hand feed my 30-35 feeder calves I sell each year and the cows by hand in barn mangers small square bales. This year I put up in the barns (with younger help) over 6000 square bales of hay due to the drought the prior year and wanted the barns filled in case we get another one shortly. I went to the sale barn when my calves were sold this past May and received the highest amount of any being sold that day at that location by 15-20 cents a pound. When the sale was over I asked a couple of the buyers why mine brought the highest price and was told by two buyers it was mostly likely due to their presence in the auction ring. Instead of being frightened, nervous, kicking, running around in the ring, etc. they were very calm and well subdued. I was told it was obvious they were well cared for and had a lot of individual attention by people during their lifetime. That individual attention came from being near them twice a day feeding them those small bales. The calves become very tame and settled by me being in close proximity to them feeding them. My uncle also had calves being sold at the same time which were fed large round bales by tractor every few days with no real human contact and is a very well known and respected farmer in this area but is older then I am being 87 and is no longer able to do the square bale thing. I think that those square bales and the hand feeding of calves on the scale that I am involved in pay many dividends. I can pull in the field with a truck or other vehicle that they have seen me on and call them and you better quickly get back in the truck as they come running as they know something good is most likely going to happen. Since we have a lot of small and hobby farmers on this forum with small cattle herds and trying to maintain their operations on a small scale I feel there are advantages to the "ole fashion way" and being close to the cattle which the small squares force you into. Granted you still have to be quite agile and willing to work to be successful with the small bales but they certainly have their place, Hal. P.S. I agree that the New Holland hay equipment is probably the best (that's what I use along with most everyone in this area) as we have excellent 24/7 dealership support by our local NH dealership during haying season. I have a NH 256 rake, 273 baler (I upgraded to a barely used shed kept NH 311 this year) and a NH 616 disc mower.
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