How do you feed your hay rolls?

[spidersmouse]

I've sent over a photo of our feed bunk, I'm new at loading photos so fingers crossed. We havent cleaned off the cement and area for a week, we've got terrible ice right now, leaving the poop for footing. Can't wait for spring. We're feeding wheatlege bales right now, alternate with hay/fodder. No waste. They have to eat or go hungry.

 

[Bigfoot]

Shaddyhollow,

Do you just get under that with your spear? Do you have forks? I could probably tip it by hand. My son probably could not. I kinda want to build one of those. It's a shame lag bolts are so expensive. If I build one, I will use popular rough sawed lumber. It seems it would be demolished, be fore it would rot, but still last longer than a cheapo hay ring.

 

[shadyhollownj]

I have a skid steer and tractor w/loader. I use the spear or forks whatever is on to get under it and drag it to the side then push it back where I want it. I only clean the stuff from the bottom every two weeks or so. Its pretty heavy to tip by hand. I dont think it would be possible at least with heavy pressure treated. Spider I like that also as you can put in a new bale without messing with cows or gates.

 

[Beefy]

i put out six rolls a day and have to unroll them all so everybody gets a chance to eat.

 

[Banjo]

I use homemade feeders on a base of crushed concrete. Its wet and muddy here so I am able to scrap manure and hay up and pile directly off pad for use in spring. They probably have 300 in materials and take about 3 hours to make. I have one thats 3 years old and going strong unlike the metal ones that last a month. They wouldnt work as well for moving it all the time although I did move it every two weeks last year before I had the crushed concrete base down.

What exactly is crushed concrete?

 

[tater74]

Crushed concrete is recycled concrete. It gets busted up and sold as a base material. works great.

 

[Banjo]

Crushed concrete is recycled concrete. It gets busted up and sold as a base material. works great.

Don't guess we have that around here.....only the real thing. I've often wondered though about buying a load of dense grade and mixing a few bags of portland cement with it.....how that would work out.

 

[shadyhollownj]

Check with any local concrete or asphalt yards. They will have it. It pretty much has to be recycled and crushed by epa guidelines nowadays. It works great and ranges from 8-12 bucks a ton. By dense grade I would assume that is modified as we would call it. Pretty much stone thats not screened and has all different sizes and fines. I think you would have more a mess on your hands.

 

[Bigfoot]

I've got it down in my feeding barn. It doesn't seem to rise through the manure like limestone does.

 

[hayrack]

Unroll

I unroll too and would quit if I had to go back to feeding in rings. Never for cows again. Calves I am feeding still eat out of a ring.