Round bale feeder

[TnAndy]

Years back, I got tired of replacing those thin wall pipe feeders....seems between me moving them with the tractor and the cows shoving on them, they would last me a few years, then end up in the scrap metal pile. So I set out to build "The Last Dang Round Bale Feeder". Worked good for 10 years now. My guess, it will outlast me.

The bottom skids I used 6x6 treated posts, mortised 6x6 oak posts into the skids for upright corners, then used 2x oak for the rest. Front (hinged) and back (fixed) slanted feed 'bars' are 2"x 1/4" square tubing. I insert a 4x5 round bale as needed. Keeps the hay fairly dry (I store my bales in shed) and they don't waste near as much of it.

To move it, I just lift with pallet forks and move to a new location when they tear the ground up too much around current location.

 

[sea2summit]

Nice!

In the process of finding material for a feeder build myself.

 

[Peter 315]

I have 2 of these Farmco hay feeders for awhile now any feeder that saves your hay saves you money and time cleaning up the wasted hay....Pasture Hay Feeders for Horses | 56H Series | Farmco Manufacturing

 

[EddieWalker]

I've been thinking of a cover for my round bails. They seem to do a good job of protecting the hay, and a good wall around it would cut down on the amount of waste.

How do you deal with the build up of old hay at the bottom? About every other month, I have to pick up my feeder with my hay forks and flip it over, then pick it up again and put it in another location because of how tore up it gets around the feeder. My horses never eat the bottom layer of my hay, and it becomes pretty thick over time.

I'm using a round bail cradle for my bails so they are off of the ground. I really like that a lot better then a hay ring.

If I put a roof over it, I would want to be able to put the bail in there without getting off of my tractor. I think the roof would have to be about 12 feet off of the ground.

 

[Hay Dude]

I like the Hay Hut.
$900
No rot, rust, rain, snow or ice issues.
No plastic touching the bale causing mold. No sharp openings.
Can feed several at once. Easy to load.

 

[gsganzer]

I'm looking at building a round bale feeder with a roof.

I found a couple different ideas on craigslist that I might build with some modifications. This one with the roof looks pretty simple, but I'd probably beef it up some and add skids.

The other one is beefier, and I could extend the four posts up to support a roof. Still designing it in my head. I might even get it galvanized after I fab it.

 

[Hay Dude]

I've been thinking of a cover for my round bails. They seem to do a good job of protecting the hay, and a good wall around it would cut down on the amount of waste.

How do you deal with the build up of old hay at the bottom? About every other month, I have to pick up my feeder with my hay forks and flip it over, then pick it up again and put it in another location because of how tore up it gets around the feeder. My horses never eat the bottom layer of my hay, and it becomes pretty thick over time.

I'm using a round bail cradle for my bails so they are off of the ground. I really like that a lot better then a hay ring.

If I put a roof over it, I would want to be able to put the bail in there without getting off of my tractor. I think the roof would have to be about 12 feet off of the ground.

I put plastic pallets under the bales-usually 2 of them. Keeps air under the bottom and the bales from rotting. Horses tend to poop around the feeder, so the waste hay and horse cr@p gets tilled in the garden

 

[TnAndy]

I've been thinking of a cover for my round bails. They seem to do a good job of protecting the hay, and a good wall around it would cut down on the amount of waste.

How do you deal with the build up of old hay at the bottom? About every other month, I have to pick up my feeder with my hay forks and flip it over, then pick it up again and put it in another location because of how tore up it gets around the feeder. My horses never eat the bottom layer of my hay, and it becomes pretty thick over time.

I'm using a round bail cradle for my bails so they are off of the ground. I really like that a lot better then a hay ring.

If I put a roof over it, I would want to be able to put the bail in there without getting off of my tractor. I think the roof would have to be about 12 feet off of the ground.

I do have to get off the tractor to unlatch the gate on mine to swing it open to load a new one, then back on to load, then back off to shut the gate again. Suppose I could have built it taller and sorta dropped the bail in, but seems like wind might be more of an issue when it got close to empty. So far, wind has been no issue because the weight of the lumber involved makes it pretty stable.

I do also have to occasionally rake out the remains.....l leave a hand claw tine type hoe stuck in the rafters to rake out the leftovers, or usually just set the bale off and use the spear point to drag it out if a lot, and that works good.

 

[weldingisfun]

We have been using these for ten+ years. Goats and donkeys, nothing bigger. Tarps are tied off to t-posts on the four corners.

 

[bmaverick]

We have been using these for ten+ years. Goats and donkeys, nothing bigger. Tarps are tied off to t-posts on the four corners.
View attachment 679690View attachment 679693

Hey, I like that trap roof method.

I took an IBC tote frame and made a goat and cow feeder.

I'll have to try your tarp roof trick.