Hay cradle

[coachg]

Anyone used a hay cradle to feed round bales instead of a traditional hay ring. My local feed store also sells their own brand of feeders, troughs, hay rings, and hay cradles. I like the idea, just not sure about waste and how hard it would be to move them after each feeding. :cboy:

 

[JSCATTLE]

I have a couple I made out of drill stem . Doesn't really save that much more hay than a regular hay ring . Helps a little when it's wet .. mine works pretty good with cattle panel inside if I shake the hay bales to break them up. . But I can't put out hay every day so they waist some .

 

[jedstivers]

I like them when it's wet. When it's dry I like to unroll.
I don't have any, we built one to try and liked it a lot but it needs some welding.
I'm wanting to build some big enough to put a lot of bales in at once and make it also be part of the fence. That way I load it from the outside. Also want to concrete where they would stand eating from it. Mud here is a huge problem.

 

[lavacarancher]

CB made some of these a few years ago. I liked his design and I plan to make a few myself.

 

[fnfarms1]

I have a 'hay conserver' style in the shop being built now. I wanted to put a cradle on it, but can't decide a good way. Either way if I can figure out how to post pics I will later

 

[coachg]

The ones I was looking at were made to hold either a single bale or 2 bales. I liked the design and the concept but it looked like to me that wet hay would build up around the base and make it difficult to move, especially the larger model. I googled hay cradle and got a you tube video of one made on sleds that might help the moving problem.

 

[bird dog]

I built two out of handrail pipe and turned the bottom runners up to make it skid. It moves very easily with a tractor by pulling it or you can lift it with a FEL. Cradles have good points and bad. I made mine a little to tall but the calves love them because they can get underneath in the droppings. They stay safe and warm and close to mom.
Mine hold two big rolls and I move them after each feeding. Some hay falls through underneath and the calves eat this. I don't think there is much difference in waste but when its real wet, its nice to not have to put rolls down into the mud.

 

[Kingfisher]

I like them when it's wet. When it's dry I like to unroll.
I don't have any, we built one to try and liked it a lot but it needs some welding.
I'm wanting to build some big enough to put a lot of bales in at once and make it also be part of the fence. That way I load it from the outside. Also want to concrete where they would stand eating from it. Mud here is a huge problem.

I like that! Ill come help if you feed me....

 

[coalburner]

I built about 20 out of 1" pipe. They just hold 1 roll up off the ground. Seems to work a little better than a hay ring, or maybe just easier to sit a roll on it with FEL. Cows seem to waste a little cause I put out 7 rolls at a time. I tried hay rings made out of sucker rod & was constantly re-welding them!!

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

I have a haysaver feeder I got from a guy in Vermont. They are Amish made. I also have a basic hayring for comparison. NO CONTEST.

The haysaver feeder was almost 1000 bucks. Well work it. YOU WILL SAVE HAY ...

Rugged too. Can yank it out of six inches of ice and it doesn't even bend.

Concrete is a must around here too.

 

[fnfarms1]

I have picks of my finished hay conserved with cradle. But can't upload them. I can email if anyone wants them