round bale feeder

[forrest]

I have read through several threads here on round bale feeders. Seems to get discussed a lot. I even read the research study someone posted on ring vs skirted ring, vs cone vs cradle and it looked like the cone came out on top.In doing a google search I came across one that I have not seen discussed on here but seems to be pretty slick. It is called the Hay hopper.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbLbutmNE7s[/youtube] Looks like a cone feeder but uses chains instead. What are your thoughts on this unit? We are feeding lots of hay using a basic old ring and quite a bit gets wasted. Seems like if something really did save a lot of waste it would be worth the cost?

 

[forrest]

I tried to post a you tube link to it but it did not work. You can search on you tube for hay hopper and find it.

 

[LRTX1]

This one?

[youtube]ZoKpeESXmUM[/youtube]

 

[forrest]

Yes that is it. What do you think? Looks like it would do the job?

 

[novatech]

Economicly speaking, no matter what size the herd, the best is feeding out only what they will consume in one feeding. If they eat it they cannot soil it or use it for beding.
The best investment is a bale unroller. They also tend to last a lot longer. jmo

 

[Isomade]

Economicly speaking, no matter what size the herd, the best is feeding out only what they will consume in one feeding. If they eat it they cannot soil it or use it for beding.
The best investment is a bale unroller. They also tend to last a lot longer. jmo

I agree. I have tried several different methods but unrolling is what I prefer. It's better for the soil too.

 

[tsmaxx47]

while on the subject of feeders, i've been interested in looking into those that are made out of oilfield grade pvc pipe. i've seen posts about them on CF but don't remember where to look for them......any help?

 

[whitecow]

while on the subject of feeders, i've been interested in looking into those that are made out of oilfield grade pvc pipe. i've seen posts about them on CF but don't remember where to look for them......any help?

http://www.centurylivestockfeeders.com/

 

[shaz]

Economicly speaking, no matter what size the herd, the best is feeding out only what they will consume in one feeding. If they eat it they cannot soil it or use it for beding.
The best investment is a bale unroller. They also tend to last a lot longer. jmo

I agree.
Also, you don't have that torn up area from crowding around a feeder. Manure tends to go right where you unroll so you can aim for weaker parts of the pasture.

There's an article on mobgraze.com - The Judy Farms article makes a really compelling case for unrolling. If you can't feed every day then unrolling is not the way to go.

 

[Lucky_P]

Unrolled hay for a short time one winter - low-tech: unwrapped the bale at the top of the hill and rolled it downhill, unraveling as it went. Sorry, my experience was: unacceptable wastage, as they trampled, defecated, and urinated on more than they ate.
Sure, the waste was spread around a bit more, and the soil/grass right there benefitted, but I won't do that again.

The black plastic feeders(linked earlier in this thread) are great - light enough that my wife can flip 'em up and roll 'em to the next spot, they don't freeze to the ground, they don't rust, they're bull-tough. I've got some that have been in service for over 5 years - and know folks who've had 'em for 10+ years, and they're as good as the day they arrived. Never had a steel bale ring that lasted more than a couple of years before it was broken/rusted out.
If I were buying 'em today, I'd probably go with the 'basket' type.

 

[shaz]

Unrolled hay for a short time one winter - low-tech: unwrapped the bale at the top of the hill and rolled it downhill, unraveling as it went. Sorry, my experience was: unacceptable wastage, as they trampled, defecated, and urinated on more than they ate.
Sure, the waste was spread around a bit more, and the soil/grass right there benefitted, but I won't do that again.

The black plastic feeders(linked earlier in this thread) are great - light enough that my wife can flip 'em up and roll 'em to the next spot, they don't freeze to the ground, they don't rust, they're bull-tough. I've got some that have been in service for over 5 years - and know folks who've had 'em for 10+ years, and they're as good as the day they arrived. Never had a steel bale ring that lasted more than a couple of years before it was broken/rusted out.
If I were buying 'em today, I'd probably go with the 'basket' type.

I unroll in the dead of winter when I can be fairly sure how much they'll eat. My main reason for unrolling is not managing waste. I'm trying to contribute whatever organic matter I can to a topsoil problem. Too many places where I have 1" of dirt over chirt or limestone.

 

[JSCATTLE]

I use hay cradles made out of drill stem . they are 30 ft long and I lined them with cattle panel. Works pretty good . I also like the un rolling method the best but I don't get to see my cows everyday .

 

[Isomade]

Unrolled hay for a short time one winter - low-tech: unwrapped the bale at the top of the hill and rolled it downhill, unraveling as it went. Sorry, my experience was: unacceptable wastage, as they trampled, defecated, and urinated on more than they ate.
Sure, the waste was spread around a bit more, and the soil/grass right there benefitted, but I won't do that again.

The black plastic feeders(linked earlier in this thread) are great - light enough that my wife can flip 'em up and roll 'em to the next spot, they don't freeze to the ground, they don't rust, they're bull-tough. I've got some that have been in service for over 5 years - and know folks who've had 'em for 10+ years, and they're as good as the day they arrived. Never had a steel bale ring that lasted more than a couple of years before it was broken/rusted out.
If I were buying 'em today, I'd probably go with the 'basket' type.

The only time I see waste like that is when too much is unrolled at once. I never roll out more than they will eat in a single feeding. Otherwise it becomes a bedroom and bathroom for them. Last year I started unrolling a half a bale and the other bales in cradles. They always clean up the unrolled portion first and I at least feel that the more timid cows get some. Of course the unrolled portion depends on the size of the herd being fed.