Hay rings

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Anonymous

I'm in SE Texas --- Do any of you know of a commercial source for good, sturdy hay feeder rings? I'm tempted to contract with a good individual welder to make some for me, but I fear that pipe and/or rebar bending capabilities might be a problem. I've been using the rings sold at TSC and they are just cheaply made pieces of junk (piss-poor welds, tubing walls are much too thin, etc.). I'd willingly pay a good bit more for some substantial rings that could be used for a number of seasons.
 
Get some drill stem and a welder, it will cost you $400 per ring but they will last forever. Hay rings don't have to be round, they can be hexagonal or octagonal or even square.

Jason

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i totally agree with you.. those store bought ones (or the ones if find at the stores i go to) are too cheaply built..

this may not be the best idea, but it is something i just did and time will tell how they hold up...

i bought some 3/4" sch 40 pipe and bent it every 38" at about 45 degrees with some conduit benders. this pipe comes in 21' lengths, so you will have to make some welds to complete the ring. it took some adjusting to get each bend right, or close enough. i got one like i wanted it and used it for a pattern for the rest..

i then welded some 1" X 1/4" flat bar as spacers to connect the top, middle and bottom ring. i put about 16 of them at about 18-20 inches apart. you can divide it out to get the distance based on how many you put.. but i recommend at least 15-16 of them. i only put 8 to begin with and the hay was falling out everywhere too easy.

just my 2 cents, good luck

gene

> I'm in SE Texas --- Do any of you
> know of a commercial source for
> good, sturdy hay feeder rings? I'm
> tempted to contract with a good
> individual welder to make some for
> me, but I fear that pipe and/or
> rebar bending capabilities might
> be a problem. I've been using the
> rings sold at TSC and they are
> just cheaply made pieces of junk
> (piss-poor welds, tubing walls are
> much too thin, etc.). I'd
> willingly pay a good bit more for
> some substantial rings that could
> be used for a number of seasons.

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I live near Bryan-College Station and have seen a ring with a warranty for 7 years. They were made with a type of PVC pipe. They looked real sturdy but I haven't tried them and don't know anyone who has. If I remember right they ran around $130 a ring. A little too much for me. Our local feed store sells a two piece ring that bolts together I have had them for three years now and all of the welds are still together and the have yet to bend. they cost alittle more than TSC but you get what you pay for.

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> I'm in SE Texas --- Do any of you
> know of a commercial source for
> good, sturdy hay feeder rings? I'm
> tempted to contract with a good
> individual welder to make some for
> me, but I fear that pipe and/or
> rebar bending capabilities might
> be a problem. I've been using the
> rings sold at TSC and they are
> just cheaply made pieces of junk
> (piss-poor welds, tubing walls are
> much too thin, etc.). I'd
> willingly pay a good bit more for
> some substantial rings that could
> be used for a number of seasons.

This may be totally unfeasable for you, but there is a place in Emory, TX called Hooten's. He makes hay rings by the hundreds. I have bought several of them for $57.00 each and they have served me for four years and do not show any wear at all. I even caught one in my rear tractor tire last year and rolled it about thirty minutes trying to get it out. Long story, but it looks and works just fine, a little bent, but it didn't come unwelded. You might call them at 903-473-8788. I don't think you would be disappointed with the quality. I am in no way associated with them, but they do have quality stuff he makes.

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Arnold, Preifert is selling hex rings for $159 in Stephenville. I agree with others about questionable quality. I am looking at the poly rings used at sale barns. They are light enough to handle when moving from bale to bale, sturdy enough to survive years of bull sales and of course do not rot. Look at the Jordan Cattle Auction web site for hay rings. I think a picture is available. These cost alittle more but they have good characteristics.

> I'm in SE Texas --- Do any of you
> know of a commercial source for
> good, sturdy hay feeder rings? I'm
> tempted to contract with a good
> individual welder to make some for
> me, but I fear that pipe and/or
> rebar bending capabilities might
> be a problem. I've been using the
> rings sold at TSC and they are
> just cheaply made pieces of junk
> (piss-poor welds, tubing walls are
> much too thin, etc.). I'd
> willingly pay a good bit more for
> some substantial rings that could
> be used for a number of seasons.

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You can also do without hay rings altogether. We just unroll our hay, no ring needed. An uroller by Worksaver cost me $600 last year.

Unrolling allows timid cows and calves to get their fair share of hay. Stops producing those trampled and often muddy areas around the rings and thankfully, no more of moving the rings around.
 
> You can also do without hay rings
> altogether. We just unroll our
> hay, no ring needed. An uroller by
> Worksaver cost me $600 last year.

> Unrolling allows timid cows and
> calves to get their fair share of
> hay. Stops producing those
> trampled and often muddy areas
> around the rings and thankfully,
> no more of moving the rings
> around.

When you unroll the hay don't the cows poop on it and cause a lot of it to be wasted?

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Don't unroll more than the cows need for the day, don't unroll it into a muddy or dirty area.

A shredder is the best option, it will leave a windrow of chopped hay that the cows will clean up better. It also blows out much of the dust and can reduce the amount of hay needed per cow as they get more nutrition from less hay.

In small operations, a shredder isn't practical as the cost is higher than the wasted hay. I do know one operation with 25 cows that said it paid for itself in the first year.

Jason Trowbridge Southern Angus Farms Alberta Canada

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I like Jason's reply about only enough hay is put out for one day - I often have trouble with that estimate, but am getting better...... Yes the cows poop on the hay, they also love to lie in it too. I would imagine that the same would be true of the gizmo Jason mentioned, which I have been thinking about. I think grinding round bales can also direct the chopped material into troughs, no? That would solve the above mentioned problems to some extent. There will always be loss, I fear.
 
One problem with chopping hay is leaving the fiber long enough that it still fills the requirements for proper rumen processing and the concern of if it's to short causing a DA.

dun

> I like Jason's reply about only
> enough hay is put out for one day
> - I often have trouble with that
> estimate, but am getting
> better...... Yes the cows poop on
> the hay, they also love to lie in
> it too. I would imagine that the
> same would be true of the gizmo
> Jason mentioned, which I have been
> thinking about. I think grinding
> round bales can also direct the
> chopped material into troughs, no?
> That would solve the above
> mentioned problems to some extent.
> There will always be loss, I fear.
 
Jason, what does a new schredder cost? Dun raises a point about length of the shredded material and its effect on the animal, has this been a problem?

Thanks , Bill
 
> One problem with chopping hay is
> leaving the fiber long enough that
> it still fills the requirements
> for proper rumen processing and
> the concern of if it's to short
> causing a DA.

> dun

Dun, educate me - what is DA?

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Displaced Abomasum, fairly common in dairy cows on TMR (Totally Mixed Ration) because of the short fiber length.

dun

> Dun, educate me - what is DA?
 
I feed TMR to all my bulls and heifers, short cut length and have no problem.

A shredder will cut longer sizes, 4-10 inches. A new shredder is about 10-14 grand CDN, 8 grand US. Used units can be picked up for 3-6.

Cows won't lay in chopped hay unless they are fed more than they will eat in a day.

Currently I am feeding silaged greenfeed, some cows get it rolled out on the ground. They are eating 98% of it.

Jason

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> Displaced Abomasum, fairly common
> in dairy cows on TMR (Totally
> Mixed Ration) because of the short
> fiber length.

> dun

Thanks Dun, I don't do dairy cows, have enough problems with beef, but it is still fun!

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Look at the hay rings at the McCoy's stores. They bolt together. Last a lot longer than welded rings. Run about $ 60 - $70.
 
> Get some drill stem and a welder,
> it will cost you $400 per ring but
> they will last forever. Hay rings
> don't have to be round, they can
> be hexagonal or octagonal or even
> square.

> Jason

we call them round bale feeders

we use square tubing 1 1/4" for the rings 1" for the deviders and sheet metal 1/8" to cover the bottom two rings (this stops hay loss)

they last for years I can weld one up in about four hrs Art

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> I'm in SE Texas --- Do any of you
> know of a commercial source for
> good, sturdy hay feeder rings? I'm
> tempted to contract with a good
> individual welder to make some for
> me, but I fear that pipe and/or
> rebar bending capabilities might
> be a problem. I've been using the
> rings sold at TSC and they are
> just cheaply made pieces of junk
> (piss-poor welds, tubing walls are
> much too thin, etc.). I'd
> willingly pay a good bit more for
> some substantial rings that could
> be used for a number of seasons.

You may have gotten this already, but here goes again, we build them here in Longview, all square tubing, jig built, welded at all points, 4 rings not just 3. Very strong, heavy wall. Still easy to move. Pictures available if you reply. Thanks, Bob

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