feeding square bales

[jimg]

Is anyone here feeding cattle w/ small square bales? If so how are you doing it - dumping it on the ground, using a feeder/manger of some sort or ??? Around here it gets thrown on the ground and of course theres a fair amt of waste. My idea is feeding out off the ground would result in considerably less waste. Im looking for some ideas/guidance on this. I was thinking about trying to weld up some sort of manger on skids but I dont really have a model to go by. Dont think a round bale feeder would work well either. Ideally Id like to feed out only enough hay for a day.

 

[DennisArrow]

I don't know how many head of cattle you are feeding; but they surely are not as destructive as goats. Try:

[url=http://www.goatworld.com//////then search for hay feeder..........I tried to copy and paste but the url is protected.............

We have used this style with some changes for a few years now and they have taken the damage that the biggest 400lb billy can dish out. We have another design for the trough style with the overhead V rack that if the above doesnt work perhaps I can figure out how to get that design to you.

One the ground is perhaps 75% waste, a trough 50%, this design 25% and the trough V rack down to perhaps 10%.........Good luck........Dennis

 

[deereguy]

A product like this might work.
Cashmans Equipment - Hay Baskets

You didn't mention if the cows have horns or not, assuming they don't.

A friend built a round bale feeder with a feeder (similiar to a WER7x7) out of 4x4's and 2x6's and seemed like it help up pretty well. His design didn't use the cross pieces where they stick their heads in.
Handi-Klasp manufactures and sells the Weldy Round Bale Hay Saver

Good Luck.

 

[jimg]

Dennis, the link you give didnt lead me to any feeder...just a 911 form.

Deereguy, thanx for the links.

 

[DanD78]

I have feeders built in to my barn (a real barn not a pole building some people call barns) and outside as well. I feel the key to feeding hay with out waste is to give them enough so they clean up what you gave them before giving more. This keeps hay off the ground and reduces waste. I want to finish cattle so I keep corn/feed avaiable all the time and hay twice a day. I always feed outside unless it's raining or real windy so the mess stays out there.

 

[DennisArrow]

Hey Bud.......I advised in the post that the exact thread would not open and to go there and search for "hay feeder".............Guess it wasnt obvious enough; but try this:

Welcome To GoatWorld.Com

Then go down to the white box in the middle of the page and plug in....."Hay feeder"

The first article in the list there is pretty explanatory. I made 3 of these things; but changed the height a bit. Used pressure treated glued and screwed with deck screws.

+1 of what Dan says about limiting the new hay/feed until the old is pretty much gone. Cuts down a lot on waste.

Sorry about any confusion, just tryin to be helpful........Dennis

 

[tallyho8]

I have feeders built in to my barn (a real barn not a pole building some people call barns).

Morning Dan,
That's a real nice barn that you have. Unfortunately, some of us can't afford such a nice barn and have to use pole buildings. Just don't call it a pole building in front of my horses. They think they were raised in a barn.

 

[jimg]

Dennis, thanx I found it.

DanD, yes Im sure it true that if you feed just enough there will be minimal waste. Then again Id like to feed w/o hanging around to see if they need more. Was hoping to add flakes to a feeder and let them eat as they wanted -- doing this a couple times a day. Also keeping it off the ground does preclude them stomping on it.

 

[chh]

Back before round bales I used to help my dad feed square bales in bunks. Treated lumber(creosote then) on old telephone poles for posts. I wet years it would get knee deep in mud around the bunks. I wouldn't ever feed hay out on the ground myself. I use rings for round bales now and have used skirted round bale rings to feed square bales once in a year that I ran out of hay and squares were all that I could find to buy. it worked suprisingly well. I was putting about 3 or 4 bales per ring per day if I remember correctly.

 

[DanD78]

Morning Dan,
That's a real nice barn that you have. Unfortunately, some of us can't afford such a nice barn and have to use pole buildings. Just don't call it a pole building in front of my horses. They think they were raised in a barn.

I do love my barn but it is a money pit. Keeping shingles and paint is an on going process. There are only a hand full left in my area and I like to keep it looking half way nice. A nice pole building would be more cost effective in the long run.

 

[deereguy]

I agree feeding hay on the ground is a waste. We are feeding several different species within the same field- everyone HAS to get along! We tried different feeders/mangers and what the sheep like the horses push around, the steers will eat what the goats don't, etc. So we do feed on the ground and keep the hay spread out over a few acres, carrying several small squares out every morning. The theory is they won't eat it all and it will provide protection for the seedlings as they emerge in the spring. I know it isn't the best but it works for us for the time being.

 

[vsteel]

On my parents ranch we have fed the bales on the ground for decades and have never had much waste. The cows clean things up pretty well. The amount that we feed them changes based on the time of the year and how cold it is.

We just put the bales in the back of a pickup, go to the pasture with the cows, put the pickup in low and let it idle along and take the strings off of the bale and start pushing the bales out. We make sure to spread them out so we don't push a bale out all at once, just some slices at a time. I would guess that one bale would cover about 10 to 20 feet. That way it minimizes fights because the cows can all get food. You are making several little piles of hay.

We don't keep going over the same place day after day, we try and pick an new place to feed. So if we put down feed on day one, we might lay a second path down 20 to 30 feet away running parallel.

We never cared for the feeders because the cows tear up the ground pretty bad around them and you can get a lot of fights because they eat in their pecking order.

 

[zzvyb6]

I made V shaped bunk feeders from pipe gates and 18" "plastic" water pipe. Slit the pipe into 2 pieces and use each half for a tray to keep the chaff off the ground. I added skids on the base so I could move it around to avoid the mud/trampling problems. My neighbor down the road now has them and uses 'em for her horses. Horses seem to waste more hay than cows...

 

[jimg]

zz...I cant exactly envision what your setup looks like but I think its very similar to what I THOUGHT I might want. Do you have any pics or drawings?

 

[tractorsanmore]

maybe something like these Livestock Feeders from Klene Pipe for round bale feeder, horse feeder, square bale hay feeders, hay saver feeder, and more

 

[jimg]

Yes, thats what I was thinking of. Thanx

 

[weldingisfun]

Hey Jimg, before you go spending your $$. Here is a square bale feeder you can easily build. The tin roof is to protect it from the rain, huh? What is that? I have forgotten.
Feeding cattle, you would probably have to use heavier steel. This one is built with 1 inch square tubing. You can't see them but it is bolted to landscape timbers so it can be skidded around.
Take a look.

 

[jimg]

Thanx for the pics! Was planning to build rather than buy. I like your setup w/ the roof. Would modify it a bit so the cattle would have to put their head into the feeder to get hay. That way they dont pull it out and onto the ground. Thanx again!

 

[Willl]

Looks like those goats would rather have it on the ground.

 

[weldingisfun]

Looks like those goats would rather have it on the ground.

You are right, Willl. They would rather have it on the ground for bedding and a soft landing area for their solid and liquid bodily wastes.

It stays in the feeder.