permanant hay feeder

[trappersteve]

Was thinking of building a permanent hay feeder. Basically a 8 x 12 shed with slats to get their head in I want it wide enough to drive my truck through it.
Do any of you have a similar setup that you could post a few pictures and any tips that might help. I do plan on roofing about 8 feet out to keep it from being such a muddy mess.

 

[Bigfoot]

I have a feeding barn. If the muddy mess is what you are trying to avoid, you end up with a muddy mess around the barn. You gravel that, and the mess grows on out further. I know that doesn't help you, but its been my experience. You do save some hay. Not from the rain, just from feeding in a dry place. Then you have the drudgery of cleaning it out in the spring.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Was thinking of building a permanent hay feeder. Basically a 8 x 12 shed with slats to get their head in I want it wide enough to drive my truck through it.
Do any of you have a similar setup that you could post a few pictures and any tips that might help. I do plan on roofing about 8 feet out to keep it from being such a muddy mess.

I use hay racks to feed round bales in built on skids.
Be easy enough to build a shed over.

 

[dun]

Your locacl NRCS office may have plans for one. I looked into it a couple of years ago and our office had plans at that time.

 

[Bigfoot]

Caustic,

I have been invisioning my self building something similar to that for a while now. I would actually like to be able to slip my standard hay ring over the top of it, with a roll of hay sitting on it. I have some 96 inch diameter circles made from 1 and a half inch "thin wall" square tubing. I think that I could get 3 u shaped pieces from each one. I question if they are strong enough to hold a 1000 pound bale. What is the dimensions of the metal in your cradle? Do you think there would be any benefit to being able to slip a standard hay ring over what you all ready have?

 

[Caustic Burno]

Caustic,

I have been invisioning my self building something similar to that for a while now. I would actually like to be able to slip my standard hay ring over the top of it, with a roll of hay sitting on it. I have some 96 inch diameter circles made from 1 and a half inch "thin wall" square tubing. I think that I could get 3 u shaped pieces from each one. I question if they are strong enough to hold a 1000 pound bale. What is the dimensions of the metal in your cradle? Do you think there would be any benefit to being able to slip a standard hay ring over what you all ready have?

That is standard hay ring that I cut in half and welded to a frame.
It will hold two 4 x 5's. the frame is made out of 3 X 3 heavy wall square tubing the braces angle iron.
The skids are made out of 4 x 4 angle iron. My skids were my mistake should have welded ears on and carriage bolted treated lumber as the skid. That is my project this spring. The environment the hay rack sits in isn't the friendliest for metal skids.
That wasn't my idea I seen one somewhere around here 10 or 12 years ago for horses and decided I liked it.
So one designed for cows appeared saves a ton of hay one of the smartest things I lucked into.
Some hay does fall through and under the rack they can't walk, pee or crap on it, so they eat it as well.
Boogie has built them for his place and has seen the same hay savings.

As far as just welding a whole ring on a stand I don't know how you would get your hay to pull off the spear everytime.
You can see on mine the quarter ring welded on the ends so when you drop the bale in the rack it can't slide out on the spear.

 

[Bigfoot]

Thanks. I never would have dreamt that was made from a standard hay ring. It must have been a heavy duty one to start with. What I buy locally would not stand up to that application. Hay waste is a big issue for me.