Hay in hay ring

[Calman]

I'm just curious about how ya'll put out your round bale in your hay ring.
I have always layed it on it's side thinking it would take longer for the moisture to soak through the bale before the cattle finish eating it.
What is your idea and how do you lay it in the hay ring on end or laying on the side?

Cal

 

[1982vett]

I do it both ways. But then, I don't put out more than the cows eat in a day.

I also unroll when the weather permits.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I've gone to the cradles Cal. But it has always been placed the same way it was picked up from the row aisle.

I don't feed daily. The main group of cows are 23 miles away. I put ten bales in the cradles and keep a check on them until it is all gone.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I've gone to the cradles Cal. But it has always been placed the same way it was picked up from the row aisle.

I don't feed daily. The main group of cows are 23 miles away. I put ten bales in the cradles and keep a check on them until it is all gone.

Hay cradles are the only way to go the saving in hay is tremendous. I quit rings nothing but a way to waste good hay.

 

[redcowsrule33]

We use hayrings out of necessity, no skidsteer or front-end loader. Lay 'em on their side (unless the cows tip it up before the ring got over).

There was a good article on comparing hay wastage in various feeding systems done by MI state in the Late Fall 2009 SimTalk mag. Worth a look. http://simmgene.ipaperus.com/OnlinePubl ... mTalk2009/

 

[moloss]

I read the thread and decided to google "hay rack" and this is what I got......I was speechless.
http://www.vagavalley.co.uk/bunnysupplies/hayracks.htm

 

[backhoeboogie]

I read the thread and decided to google "hay rack" and this is what I got......I was speechless.
http://www.vagavalley.co.uk/bunnysupplies/hayracks.htm

That is funny. Don't think those would hold up long in the pasture.

My cradles are built out of old trampoline frames. I took a look at Caustic's and started playing with junk I had around. Each frame will yield two cradles. Hay loss is now next to nothing. Something around a $240 a week savings over the rings I was using.

 

[Hoppy72450]

I read the thread and decided to google "hay rack" and this is what I got......I was speechless.
http://www.vagavalley.co.uk/bunnysupplies/hayracks.htm

Thats a "Hay Rack" not a "Hay Cradle"
http://www.advantagefeeders.com.au/crad ... eders.html

 

[backhoeboogie]

Here's a link to one of the first ones I built. Everything was scrap including the trampoline frame except for the cow panel piece welded into the bottom. I am now building them a little beefier on the gussets with store bought tube steel. Out of the 12 I have built, one has required a repair. Gussets is what give them strength. There are ten gussets on each one. Two are each corner and two from the bottom back to the leg frame (Caustic's advice). Basically I just took a look at his pic and reverse engineered my own.

http://ranchers.net/photopost/showphoto ... puser/2144

 

[AudieWyoming]

I read the thread and decided to google "hay rack" and this is what I got......I was speechless.
http://www.vagavalley.co.uk/bunnysupplies/hayracks.htm

You got me I went to the link, half expecting a porn site LOL :banana: :banana:

 

[SRBeef]

I have three different styles of hay feeders, single cradle, double cradle, standard ring and a "Bextra" ring.

Of all of them the Bextra wastes the least hay but they each have their benefits and drawbacks.

Where ever I have calves I use the cradles since they can get the hay out right down to the end of the bale.

The Bextra has benefits but big bales don't fit in it real well and there is always a point at which you have to do something (move the feeder spear over the top to shift the bale, etc.) to allow access to the center of the bale. The round bale feeders do have more losses but over all few problems.

The cradles overall are probably the best all around feeders. The bales are up off of the ground. What does fall thru is generally not trampled and they will retrieve it when they get to the end.

As mentioned above, I think it is a good idea not to put out more hay until they finish whats there otherwise why work at the getting the last stuff if that guy with the tractor is bringing fresh?

In the round feeders I drop 5x6's in from top, on end, with my loader spear on top of whatever is left. The cradles are naturally horizontal.

Jim

 

[Topknot]

Backhoeboogie: Great job on the hay cradle.

I will check into them. I've only used hay rings since we started with cattle in 2007. We don't have a front end loader yet, so I take the bale out and drop it next to the empty ring with my 3 pt spear.

I then get down and lift each ring and place it over the fresh bale. Pretty labor intensive, and darn hard to accomplish when the rings get frozen in (like today). I bump them with the tractor, but all that accomplishes is to dent them all up.

Must come up with a better solution before next winter...

 

[backhoeboogie]

Backhoeboogie: Great job on the hay cradle.

Thanks but credit should all go to Caustic Burno. He was the one who originally put me on to them. Those old trampoloine frames are laying around. I have managed to come up with 5 and then Dusty Britches put me on to another one. I almost bought a used trampoline for $50 a few months back but someone bought it before I called.

 

[jedstivers]

CONTACT US
Allen Gate & Panel, Inc.
29 Grant 441
Prattsville, AR 72129
Phone: (870)-699-4406
Fax: (870)-699-4891
[email protected]
Map & directions >
this place has good cradles, I tried to copy an paste pics and the web site but couldn't get it to work

 

[Tod Dague]

CONTACT US
Allen Gate & Panel, Inc.
29 Grant 441
Prattsville, AR 72129
Phone: (870)-699-4406
Fax: (870)-699-4891
[email protected]
Map & directions >
this place has good cradles, I tried to copy an paste pics and the web site but couldn't get it to work

Here you are.

http://www.allengateandpanel.com/products/feeders

 

[Tin Man]

Here is the one we use and it works great. J and L Haysavers

 

[SRBeef]

I am not much of a welder nor do I have a good source of used trampolines so I bought a single and a double of these and have been very pleased with them:

http://www.balefeeder.com/

Jim

 

[backhoeboogie]

I am not much of a welder nor do I have a good source of used trampolines so I bought a single and a double of these and have been very pleased with them:

http://www.balefeeder.com/

Jim

Those look robust.

As said, cradles save me about $240 a week in hay loss, with current head numbers. A business case analysis to buy the store bought versions would be easy to put together.

 

[SRBeef]

I am not much of a welder nor do I have a good source of used trampolines so I bought a single and a double of these and have been very pleased with them:

http://www.balefeeder.com/

Jim

Those look robust.

As said, cradles save me about $240 a week in hay loss, with current head numbers. A business case analysis to buy the store bought versions would be easy to put together.

They are very robust. I move both of them around with my bale spear with no problems.

One of the main advantages I see to the cradle type over the regular ring, etc, is that calves can get to every bit of hay in them. Several of the other types seem to leave 1/3 of a bale or so that the weaned calves can't reach unless I go out and mess with it somehow. Jim

 

[Cowdirt]

I'm just curious about how ya'll put out your round bale in your hay ring.
I have always layed it on it's side thinking it would take longer for the moisture to soak through the bale before the cattle finish eating it.
What is your idea and how do you lay it in the hay ring on end or laying on the side?

Cal

Calman, if you're committed to using hay rings, here's my opinion. If hay will be consumed quickly, say within a week, I'd place it on it's end. The reason being that placed the other way, my cows eat thru from each end and meet in the middle letting the bale collapse and generally makes for a little mess. If the bale will be there for a long time before it's consumed, I'd place it with the bale centerline parallel to the ground. That being said, I've found that if you don't put out fresh hay too quickly, they'll clean it up pretty well regardless of how the place it.