Winter feeding area ideas

[kentuckyguy]

Anyone tried this style of winter feeding?


https://youtu.be/RSIMy96mCDY

I'm looking for ideas to change how we feed hay in the winter. Last year the wet weather caused us to tear up a lot of pasture putting out hay and around our hay rings.

 

[Bright Raven]

Anyone tried this style of winter feeding?


https://youtu.be/RSIMy96mCDY

I'm looking for ideas to change how we feed hay in the winter. Last year the wet weather caused us to tear up a lot of pasture putting out hay and around our hay rings.

Yes sir. I observed them this winter at Maple Leaf Farms in Morehead, KY. They are called "Fenceline feeders". The fenceline feeders are made by the Amish Metal Works in Mayslick. You never go into the pasture. I am going to install two before fall. I will post pictures.

 

[hurleyjd]

And look at all the added work cleaning the manure from the concrete pads. I feed all over the pasture and drag the manure and left over hay around with a harrow.

 

[Bright Raven]

The fenceline round bale feeder I am putting in is not that expensive. Eden Shale Farms is a unique example.

 

[sstterry]

The fenceline round bale feeder I am putting in is not that expensive. Eden Shale Farms is a unique example.

I thought you fed all of your cattle with a spoon Ron :banana:

 

[Bright Raven]

The fenceline round bale feeder I am putting in is not that expensive. Eden Shale Farms is a unique example.

I thought you fed all of your cattle with a spoon Ron :banana:

They got it pretty good. Here at the Hillbilly Bovine Hacienda.

 

[melking]

I think it is a good system, especially if your location is prone to be muddy. I guess it might make a difference if you collect manure for other uses like spraying on soybeans or corn fields.

 

[Dave]

I had a similar set up over on the coast for years. That area got 45-60 inches of rain Nov to March. It was quick and easy to feed. Scraping off the manure was a quick twice a week job. It did take a while to haul the manure off and spread but the advantage is that I could put manure of fields that I would never feed on in the winter. Set up right it really works.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Hay cradles built from junked trampoline frames only cost about $20 to build. They keep hay up off of the ground and cut waste. I have 13 of them I have built and a couple of more trampoline frames people have given me.

 

[Bright Raven]

Hay cradles built from junked trampoline frames only cost about $20 to build. They keep hay up off of the ground and cut waste. I have 13 of them I have built and a couple of more trampoline frames people have given me.

Those Eden Shale setups are on the fancy end of business.

The Amish setup is only the cost of welding up the size fenceline feeder you order. All made to your needs.

The concept of the fenceline feeder is different than a hay cradle. The objective is to feed without opening a gate, entering your feed area or dealing with a bunch of cows around your bale.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Hay cradles built from junked trampoline frames only cost about $20 to build. They keep hay up off of the ground and cut waste. I have 13 of them I have built and a couple of more trampoline frames people have given me.

Those Eden Shale setups are on the fancy end of business.

The Amish setup is only the cost of welding up the size fenceline feeder you order. All made to your needs.

The concept of the fenceline feeder is different than a hay cradle. The objective is to feed without opening a gate, entering your feed area or dealing with a bunch of cows around your bale.

You can do that if you tie the cradle to the fence. Just set the bale in the cradle over the fence. If you don't tie the cradle, they will move it when it is emptied. My fences are only 54 inches tall or so. I spear the bale about 1/3 of the way to the top. I don't remove the wrap until I am about to set it over.

I have the cost of welding too, plus I lay 1/3 of a cow panel in the bottom of the cradle and stitch weld it in. It helps hold the fines in the cradle. They have 10 gussets that can be built with scrap short iron. People scrap trampoline frames all the time. Saw one last week in Cleburne from a facebook post and a few people tagged me. I've got all I need.

 

[backhoeboogie]

https://ranchers.net/photopost/showphot ... hoto/10191

You can see the gussets. You can see the height of the cradle. You can tell it is scrap. Bedframe angle, short iron etc.

Caustic put me on to this idea and I gave it a try. It cut my hay losses about 30% of rings.

At the farm I would put out a dozen bales at a time. It was great with no waste. I didn't start setting them in cradles over the fence until the farm was sold and I had cows at the house.

Just another idea if it suits anyone. It sure as heck beats hay rings.

 

[Bright Raven]

Hay cradles built from junked trampoline frames only cost about $20 to build. They keep hay up off of the ground and cut waste. I have 13 of them I have built and a couple of more trampoline frames people have given me.

Those Eden Shale setups are on the fancy end of business.

The Amish setup is only the cost of welding up the size fenceline feeder you order. All made to your needs.

The concept of the fenceline feeder is different than a hay cradle. The objective is to feed without opening a gate, entering your feed area or dealing with a bunch of cows around your bale.

You can do that if you tie the cradle to the fence. Just set the bale in the cradle over the fence. If you don't tie the cradle, they will move it when it is emptied. My fences are only 54 inches tall or so. I spear the bale about 1/3 of the way to the top. I don't remove the wrap until I am about to set it over.

I have the cost of welding too, plus I lay 1/3 of a cow panel in the bottom of the cradle and stitch weld it in. It helps hold the fines in the cradle. They have 10 gussets that can be built with scrap short iron. People scrap trampoline frames all the time. Saw one last week in Cleburne from a facebook post and a few people tagged me. I've got all I need.

I tried the tying the hay ring to the fence. That sure don't work. Creates as much work as it resolves.

Basically, the fenceline concept is getting something that can withstand the feeding activities of cows and still provide them access. The Amish setup is basically "three gates" that open to the outside of the feed area. You drop the roll and push it forward. That moves the remaining hay forward. The guy at Morehead said it does not waste any hay and is self cleaning. I am going to try it.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Those Eden Shale setups are on the fancy end of business.

The Amish setup is only the cost of welding up the size fenceline feeder you order. All made to your needs.

The concept of the fenceline feeder is different than a hay cradle. The objective is to feed without opening a gate, entering your feed area or dealing with a bunch of cows around your bale.

You can do that if you tie the cradle to the fence. Just set the bale in the cradle over the fence. If you don't tie the cradle, they will move it when it is emptied. My fences are only 54 inches tall or so. I spear the bale about 1/3 of the way to the top. I don't remove the wrap until I am about to set it over.

I have the cost of welding too, plus I lay 1/3 of a cow panel in the bottom of the cradle and stitch weld it in. It helps hold the fines in the cradle. They have 10 gussets that can be built with scrap short iron. People scrap trampoline frames all the time. Saw one last week in Cleburne from a facebook post and a few people tagged me. I've got all I need.

I tried the tying the hay ring to the fence. That sure don't work. Creates as much work as it resolves.

Basically, the fenceline concept is getting something that can withstand the feeding activities of cows and still provide them access. The Amish setup is basically "three gates" that open to the outside of the feed area. You drop the roll and push it forward. That moves the remaining hay forward. The guy at Morehead said it does not waste any hay and is self cleaning. I am going to try it.

I like the idea.

 

[backhoeboogie]

It is worth a try.

I like elevated bales. No pooping, pee or laying in the hay when the bale starts getting small.

The video shows a roofline over the hay. You just can't beat that with my methodology. The roofline takes out the element of rain damage to partially eaten bales.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Who da thunk a fenceline feeder would be new age tech.

 

[Dave]

Who da thunk a fenceline feeder would be new age tech.

I must have been way ahead of my time and didn't know it. I think I built mine 18-19 years ago.

 

[kentuckyguy]

Those Eden Shale setups are on the fancy end of business.

The Amish setup is only the cost of welding up the size fenceline feeder you order. All made to your needs.

The concept of the fenceline feeder is different than a hay cradle. The objective is to feed without opening a gate, entering your feed area or dealing with a bunch of cows around your bale.

You can do that if you tie the cradle to the fence. Just set the bale in the cradle over the fence. If you don't tie the cradle, they will move it when it is emptied. My fences are only 54 inches tall or so. I spear the bale about 1/3 of the way to the top. I don't remove the wrap until I am about to set it over.

I have the cost of welding too, plus I lay 1/3 of a cow panel in the bottom of the cradle and stitch weld it in. It helps hold the fines in the cradle. They have 10 gussets that can be built with scrap short iron. People scrap trampoline frames all the time. Saw one last week in Cleburne from a facebook post and a few people tagged me. I've got all I need.

I tried the tying the hay ring to the fence. That sure don't work. Creates as much work as it resolves.

Basically, the fenceline concept is getting something that can withstand the feeding activities of cows and still provide them access. The Amish setup is basically "three gates" that open to the outside of the feed area. You drop the roll and push it forward. That moves the remaining hay forward. The guy at Morehead said it does not waste any hay and is self cleaning. I am going to try it.

Bright Raven do you have pics or video of the Amish setup your referring too?

 

[Bright Raven]

You can do that if you tie the cradle to the fence. Just set the bale in the cradle over the fence. If you don't tie the cradle, they will move it when it is emptied. My fences are only 54 inches tall or so. I spear the bale about 1/3 of the way to the top. I don't remove the wrap until I am about to set it over.

I have the cost of welding too, plus I lay 1/3 of a cow panel in the bottom of the cradle and stitch weld it in. It helps hold the fines in the cradle. They have 10 gussets that can be built with scrap short iron. People scrap trampoline frames all the time. Saw one last week in Cleburne from a facebook post and a few people tagged me. I've got all I need.

I tried the tying the hay ring to the fence. That sure don't work. Creates as much work as it resolves.

Basically, the fenceline concept is getting something that can withstand the feeding activities of cows and still provide them access. The Amish setup is basically "three gates" that open to the outside of the feed area. You drop the roll and push it forward. That moves the remaining hay forward. The guy at Morehead said it does not waste any hay and is self cleaning. I am going to try it.

Bright Raven do you have pics or video of the Amish setup your referring too?

No. I observed it at Maple Leaf Farms back in March. Too bad I didn't take some pictures. These were not covered.

 

[kentuckyguy]

If you build one post some pics. I'm going to build a fence line feeder similar to Eden shale this fall. I'll also post pics and let everyone know how it works out.