# OK, What Do YOU Do With All That Baling Twine?



## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

So far I have mended fences, tied a gate shut, and used the twine as a quick-to-hand goat lead. However, even with just 2 goats, the twine is piling up. I feel - I dunno -guilty? throwing it away, so I save it on a hook. Now the hook is full. 

So what do YOU do with baling twine?


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

We use it everywhere. I usually have a few rolls hanging where ever I might need. I have thrown it away before, but don't really like to. Perhaps you can pawn it off on someone who only feeds round bales!


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I just keep it an use it for what ever I need to. With 4 goats and three hay ties a bale is certainly piles up. I mostly use it to tie tarps down or as you said fix fencing. It also works good as a scrubber if balled up to clean water buckets of algae.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I think i have used more hay rope, and other types of rope than nails LOL I tie EVERYTHING. Mostly because we haven't settled on how we want our barn to 'really' be so I don't want a lot of permanent stuff that I have to take down. I like being able to move things around to fit a 'situation.' 
So...temporary gate on the buck pen is pallets tied with hay rope LOL I have a chain and a clasp on it to lock it though..
Feed trophs are held in place with hay rope....occassionally I have to move them. Hay feeders in the sleeping area are pallets TIED, and I have scrap wood on the sides to keep them from climbing in or hay falling out. Hey...it works and never had a problem with it either LOL


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Oops... I misread the title...lol I'm so used to all the square bales out here having wire I forgot about the string bales. lol we use the wire for everything, but if we can't use it we throw it away.

When I lived in AZ we were feeding about 40 horses the squares of alfalfa (3 string). I think we fed about 10 bales per day... we had a large trash barrel full of twine, we would use it when we needed it but for the most part it just stayed in the barrel. When it got too full we would throw some of it away.


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

We use it for gates and many other things.
I usually have uses for it in the summer time. Right now I have a metal spool that was for 1/4 miles of electric fence wire.
I am using that spool to wind up all the twine tying each one together as I go. I always open the bales where the knots are and cut them right out.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I end up burning alot of what I accumulate...I'm actually thinking of weaving it somehow to make some sort of basket.


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## apachedowns (Mar 14, 2010)

we have a large farm here and do about 50-100 tomato plants each season so we use it to tie the tomato plants to wood posts as they grow...comes in very handy :wink:


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

liz said:


> I end up burning alot of what I accumulate...I'm actually thinking of weaving it somehow to make some sort of basket.


Wow you have to share if you do this! I'd love to see how it turns out!

Did I mention I keep running out, today I was stealing some from the bales and the roll of hay LOL


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## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

tie hay nets... and catch goats lol.... tie up bundles of kindling when I go out to collect it...
M.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Liz would love to see a basket when you make it!!
PTGoats they use wire to bale? I have only ever seen the twine. Gosh some wire could be handy. I have a big stockpile of the twine.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

A string for this ....a string for that...LOL... :greengrin: 
My Husband gets so discouraged with me.... cause I use strings for everything..... :laugh: But... I look at him and  :laugh: 

They do come in handy.... I do put them in a feed bag and sometimes... if I get to many..... they go in the dumpster..... Maybe.. I ought to start burning them as well...hmm.... :chin:


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Our hay is in rectangular bales with 2 pieces of tightly wrapped twine each. I love the idea of storing it on a spool and I DO tie anything that's loose with it.

Maybe we should all try to make something crafty with it and then play show and tell! If we could get an easy pattern for baling twine baskets, our 4-H kids could make them and sell them!


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2012)

If I am not mistaken, there is a company in that glorious state of California that would be glad to recycle it for you, don't know the particulars but am sure I saw it on AG Day or in Farm Show Magazine. And that's not the only one around. The only thing I use twine for is hog tying a goat. I know this much I used 120,000 feet of it baling 250 big rounds.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I just toss it or burn it. It does kinda feel like a waste though. I've seen it braided before. You could probably make a lead rope or something out of it once braided.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Kylee...I have braided it and used it as a leash...I even attached a swivel snap. It's strong enough but when it gets wet it does deteriorate pretty quickly.

And...If I do get around to using it to make a basket I will be sure to post about. I was also thinking of a way to use a large crochet hook with it, don't know how something like that would turn out though.


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## Goat Song (May 4, 2011)

Sideplaner said:


> The only thing I use twine for is hog tying a goat.


 :ROFL: I remember using baling twine during my "nanny slamming" days! We cowgirls would all share the same rope! :wink: The baling twine always seemed to work better than the real rope we were supposed to use. LOL.

I let my twine build up until there's too much, and then I start throwing away all the extra. But these are some pretty good ideas on here! :thumb: Next time I have a rainy day, maybe I'll park myself outside and get crafty with my overflowing stash of twine.


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## jaycee (Aug 3, 2011)

freedomstarfarm said:


> Liz would love to see a basket when you make it!!
> PTGoats they use wire to bale? I have only ever seen the twine. Gosh some wire could be handy. I have a big stockpile of the twine.


Usually farmers use a wire baler if they have a bad mouse problem. Often its used for straw because the mice get in it so bad and chew off the strings.


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

I found a good hay net plan and I am going to make one now.
Here is the link-
https://www.google.com/search?aq=f&sour ... 33&bih=751

I am using the first one.


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## jaycee (Aug 3, 2011)

I'd be a little scared of that Jesse... isn't that the type of hay net that alot of people have had issues with goats getting tangled up in and hanging themselves?


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

idk...

It is supposed to be up high I believe. The diamonds are so that they can't get their head in.
What I have seen is in order for them to get at it they have to put their hooves up on a board.
It is put 4-6 ft high so that they can barely reach it. If it is dangerous I wouldn't want to use it though.
I have a friend that makes it out of rope (clothes line type rope) and put it on the cattle panels with no problems.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

Almost everyone bales with wire out here. Most of the balers you see are older John Deere square balers that only tie with wire. The only string you get is on the round bales. I have heard of some people who get twine tied bales, but it's not too common. Definately comes in handy to have all that extra wire laying around.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

jesse-goats said:


> I found a good hay net plan and I am going to make one now.
> Here is the link-
> https://www.google.com/search?aq=f&sour ... 33&bih=751
> 
> I am using the first one.


Be very, very careful with it!!! Goats can easily get into trouble with one and break limbs or hang.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

liz said:


> It's strong enough but when it gets wet it does deteriorate pretty quickly.


You must have the natural baling twine. Around here its all plastic so it does not rot.


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## .:Linz:. (Aug 25, 2011)

Besides using it to tie things in the barn, I use it (we get the natural stuff on our bales) in place of jute twine in craft projects. Also, I love wrapping gifts with brown paper, tying some twine around it, and tucking in a flower, leaf, or some other pretty natural element. I bet it would be cool to crochet with it, too. Our current load of hay is tied with the orangie-sh twine, so something crocheted from that might be rather pretty.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

I was just wondering about macrame. Our twine looks to be made of natural fibers like jute - not plasticky like the twine in the link mentioned above.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Yep... mines the natural twine and it's usually brownish tan but I do get the odd bale done with a green color.


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## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

I use twine for tying panels to posts, leashes/leads, halters, hay nets, holding stuff onto my truck.. (no joke), sled rope extensions, I keep some in the toolbox of my truck just in case...


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## Goober (Aug 21, 2009)

Mostly throw it away, we have the plastic kind, doesn't really stay tied very well unless you put some work into it. Have used it to make a couple bucking straps for my english saddles.


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

We save it in a nail in the barn and when we get alot we burn it in the burn barrel then let it add up again. I use it to tie gets up and other stuff around the farm.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I have done all listed above, the leash with the snap is the best.... My brother had actualy made a bull whip from them, not prettie, but it snaps, and i have used them as a core in the middle of my braided leather rains ..............Naruralgoats, you have made a hay net? And they dont eat the rope part? If not Ill be trying that one


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

^^ I did just today.
It seems to work so far and I didn't see them going for the rope...they are just eating the hay.
It holds about 2 flakes of hay. It is easy to do once you get the patterns down (to tie it so there is a diamond shape) but it is time consuming. It took me a little over an hour to make it.


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

We have gotten every kind of twine here. lol Back when we had horses we had wire bales and I would hate them, but now I could SO use them and none to be had. Right now we have several kinds of twine. A lot of the kind that breaks down, some blue and some orange. I like the orange best. I've used it for everything.. lets see.... Fix fences, tie doors, leads, tie buckets up, tie hay feeders up, hold stuff up on the truck rack... oh and hold my rear bumper on the truck. LOL Oh and I sometimes use it to hold the cameras up. 

I have so much hay twine that most of it gets thrown out and only a small amount really gets used. I use to save it up, but I got tired of all the piles of it. I usually burn it along with the feed bags.

As to the hay nets you NEED to be so very very very careful!!!!! I would never make one and use it for my goats. I didn't even use the hay nets for horses because I've seen so many horses get stuck in them. They can just rip the net though. Goats cannot break the net and usually end up hanging themselves.


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## winky (Jun 19, 2011)

Here's an idea for those who already know hot to crochet

http://www.alpacabytes.com/2010/02/09/h ... twine-rug/


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Thanks jesse goats! Im so gonna try it.....I just know we had a calf die that ate a hay string once, but Ill also keep an eye on it. And I can crochet too, and we go trew out side mats like crazy....I like this topic!


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Oh how I miss baling wire. We used it all around the farm in the 80's. We could fix fences and gates and it never got thrown away. The stupid twine just stacks up. I will look to this thread for ideas to keep it from ending up as landfill. And if I come up with anything I will share it. I do macrame and crochet so maybe this thread will get me motivated enough to actually do something!!


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## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

I think you have to be very careful to make the holes small and hang it high so they can't get tangled... They're useful when you are away from home... I'd be careful if you have horned goats.... Also my twine is the brown stuff that eventually unwinds and degrades so I'm not too worried about them eating it.... 
M.


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