Which hay ring?

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Vetrock

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Do you use a hay ring? If so, which do you prefer? Are the heavy duty plastic rings that cost a hundred bucks more than the metal ones worth it?
 
I have some of the black poly rings that are 8 years old. All stainless bolts etc.. the bull tried but cant destroy them
 
There is research that claims the hay rings that have the basket to keep the hay off the ground save the most hay.
They can be expensive though.
 
Vetrock":3fu5kll0 said:
Do you use a hay ring? If so, which do you prefer? Are the heavy duty plastic rings that cost a hundred bucks more than the metal ones worth it?
I have researched this a lot. The poly rings will last a whole lot longer than the traditional metal rings. Some of them come in a cone design and are just like the metal ones.

The chain rings have the least waste. But they are pretty expensive. I am leaning toward my next purchase being the poly non-cone rings. (they are extremely light too!)
 
I am forced to use rings because I can't tend my cattle everyday. When I am available, I only roll out hay.

I wish I could roll out every roll I fed. I know some folks don't have this option because of mud issues but if possible for you, consider the option.
 
I unroll most of our hay, but am forced to use rings under some circumstances. I bought a half dozen of the Century brand poly rings last year, and plan to replace all of my rings with them over the next few years. I'll never buy another steel hay ring.
 
The plastic ones are so light I have always been afraid that the cows would just take there head and raise them up over the roll of hay. Also how do they hold up if you use a loader to pick them up and move them
 
pricefarm":23popc2j said:
The plastic ones are so light I have always been afraid that the cows would just take there head and raise them up over the roll of hay. Also how do they hold up if you use a loader to pick them up and move them
Sometimes it happens. They hold up fine with a loader, we generally use the front bale spear on the tractor - or I just roll 'em.
 
TCRanch":18za2u5n said:
Love the Century poly rings! Bull & weather proof. Just make sure to check & tighten (if necessary) the bolts a couple times per season.

I put Loctite on the bolts when I assembled them at the house, those things are a royal pain the butt to put together.
 
cfpinz":1qo5r3n1 said:
TCRanch":1qo5r3n1 said:
Love the Century poly rings! Bull & weather proof. Just make sure to check & tighten (if necessary) the bolts a couple times per season.

I put Loctite on the bolts when I assembled them at the house, those things are a royal pain the butt to put together.
Good idea. You know my better half was cussin' up a storm when we assembled the first 2! Fortunately the last 4 were already assembled at the CoOp.
 
I use a lot of the poly feeders. I tack weld the nut on, and you never have to worry about that. My only complaint is feeding with deweze beds, sometimes it will flip the ring up when you drop the bale.
 
TCRanch":24su7tot said:
cfpinz":24su7tot said:
TCRanch":24su7tot said:
Love the Century poly rings! Bull & weather proof. Just make sure to check & tighten (if necessary) the bolts a couple times per season.

I put Loctite on the bolts when I assembled them at the house, those things are a royal pain the butt to put together.
Good idea. You know my better half was cussin' up a storm when we assembled the first 2! Fortunately the last 4 were already assembled at the CoOp.

The old guys at the Co-Op here cringe every time I mention those poly rings, so I just started taking them home and putting them together myself. Plus it's a lot easier to move a half dozen of them when they're still flat and strapped to a pallet.
 
All but 1 of mine purchased over the years were 4 ring square, metal tube kits. They have worked reasonably well and are of the correct height for feeding bovines. Only dislike was the cows habits of getting a mouth full of hay and turning to the side to eat it, dropping half on the ground to waste....unless I forced them to clean it up which I wasn't prone to do.

On one occasion I bought a sectional ring, 3, 120 degree pieces that was about a foot too short. Wound up putting legs on it.

I thought about how the rings with the angled vertical posts in the upper part did at keeping the cows head in the ring and not as mine did but never pursued.

Oh, the other thing is I realized why rings are round......Wink!
 

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