Hay Feeder Wagons: Pros and Cons

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I'm tired of seeing so much hay on the ground in and around our round bale feeders. Do any of you use feeders like the ones featured below? We feed on a deeply scored concrete pad but even so there seems to be too much waste.

http://bandbequipment.com/apache/hayfeeders.html

http://www.hsmfgco.com/fwagonsmain.cfm

 

[Isomade]

I would love to have a couple of em but if I'm paying for it with hay waste it would take a long time to pay for its self. Last I checked the long ones are $6000? Is that what your seeing?

 

[turklilley]

The feeders with the extra bars inside (cone feeders) do save some hay, the cows don't pull their heads out so often. I like the
J & L Haysavers. One of mine has the Grader tire on the bottom, so the bottom won't rot out even if it is in manure all year long.
They are not cheap, but I think they are worth the extra money because they last.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Yes Iso, they are pricey. Our cattle seem to have a great knack for demolishing hay rings so I reckon you have to factor that in as well. I have yet to find a used one for sale.

 

[Farmerjon]

I hope to find out either this winter late or next winter. I have a running gear that a front spindle broke off of. So cut the other spindle off and plan on putting a stand on each front corner with a ring in the middle front. Leaving the back tires and wheels on, figure I can snatch it up with a chain and three point and move it when needed. Otherwise putting a bed much like a feed bunk on it with angled hay bunk made of pipe so the bales can be loaded and what falls out will fall into the bunk for them to eat. At the back I am going to put a box for salt and mineral blocks. That is my plan and will gladly let you know when I know how it compares to my hay rings.

 

[greatgerts]

We have 2 of the H&S feeders and love them. Before we bought them last year, we were going through 10 bales a week for our herd. Now, we are going through 5 a week (with a little left over). I'd love to have a couple more for our younger calves, but that will have to wait a year or 2.
I'd say the cost of the feeders is well worth it, saving that much hay.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

That's the kind of endorsement I was hoping to hear greatgerts.

Farmerjon, please post a picture of your rig if you don't mind sir.

 

[shaz]

There are other options. This is what I'm using though a different brand.

http://www.everythingattachments.com/pr ... ou-hbu.htm

The real question is how often you plan to feed and do you need to haul it from farm to farm.

 

[footballjdtractor]

We have an H and S feeder wagon that we feed silage in. We have had it for probably 15 years. The first 5 years it was used every day in a backgrounding lot.We now just use it to feed our cows in the winter. It has been a very good well made feeder we have never done any work to it other than a few flat tires. We try to clean it completely out at least once a year.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Thanks for your input footballjdtractor.

 

[Farmerjon]

Farmerjon, please post a picture of your rig if you don't mind sir.

Tennessee, I only have the broken spindled running gear sitting in the shop as of now. Will post some pictures as I get to this project yet this winter.

 

[ddg1263]

I like my apache. My cattle don't waste near the hay they use to. My place gets really muddy so it adds to my problem. I bet if you had a sandy hill to feed on it would help a ton with hay rings. The best way to combat hay waste though is to plant winter grazing.

All in all I am happy I bought an apache hay wagon. I have some pictures in my phone of the difference it makes. I fed 8 bales in one area just before I purchased the wagon, and I have another picture of what my cattle did to 8 bales eating out of the apache. It made me very proud I spent the money. However, do know I was in a jack this year and did not have any hay to waste. So I was forced to be proactive in finding a ay to make it though the winter. Winter grazing is the answer though......

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Where's your place and what do you plant ddg?

 

[ddg1263]

I live in Alabama, and I planted some ryegrass back in oct. It has turned out really good for me this year. I turned my cows out on my pastures this week and It has been really nice not having to feed any hay at all. I am trying to train them to come off the rye grass but you can get them to budge off those lush green pastures. I hope in another week I will have them trained.... Hay feeders are expensive, and I don't recommend that you buy one unless you really need it. As I said my place gets really muddy and most of a bale that sits on the ground will be wasted. I bet I was loosing about a quarter a bale a hay every bale I put out. Now I loose maybe a quarter a bale every eight bales I put out.

I know I have seen some used wagons for sale from time to time. If you can wait a few seasons one will show up at a reduced price. I was just in a horrible bind this year and it was either sale cows or be proactive in hay savings. One field where I normally get 100 bales a cutting off it only yielded 18 bales all year.....I did graze it some when I would not normally, but all in all. It has
been a dry year here for sure.

If money is tight I would not jump out there and buy a wagon just yet. A deal will come along on one. I had a little extra this year and I used the purchase as a tax write off so I was ok. However, this winter grazing has been outstanding for me. It has been a mild winter with decent rain so the lord is blessing me for sure. Another thing I noticed today is how my cows bags are much fatter than when I was feeding hay and corn gluten/soy hulls. There is no comparison in how much more milk they are producing. So after today, I am sold on winter ryegrass planting. Even if I had to wait a little longer before opening the pastures up to my cows it beats feeding hay.

 

[shaz]

ddg1263,
Looks like your waste is under 10% and that's about as good as it gets.
I planted rye too. For me the real reason to graze year-round was cow body condition. My hay quality shouldn't be a back breaker.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

I passed a trailer similar to this -- not exactly the same -- for sale in E. OR this weekend. Parked along the freeway, too fast to get a number or anything off of it. I think that's overkill for us, but sure looks handy.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I would love to have a couple of em but if I'm paying for it with hay waste it would take a long time to pay for its self. Last I checked the long ones are $6000?

Had a used S&H and re sold it for $2800. Nice for silage (with plywood bolted on) but not real effective for hay. Suited more for a dairy dry lot than the pasture bale feeding I usually do. Studies show more waste than with round bale feeders and manure is more concentrated. Save your money.