Round bale Feeder w/ pics

[KennethBrown]

Could you guys pardon my ignorance and tell me what goats are raised for? QUOTE]


The goats in the pictures are Boer/Boer cross. These are used for meat production. There are quite a few other breeds used for meat such as Kiko and the Spanish. There are milk goats too such as the Alpines. Finally there is a line of goats that are raised for there hair. We have Boer and Kiko crosses although we have sold everything off but a 75% Boer buck and a 1/2 and 1/2 Boer/Kiko.

 

[weldingisfun]

Scott VT-Thanks for the compliment and the info on the bale weight. The bale in the pic is Coastal and is pretty tight. So it may be a little on the heavy side. I do know one thing, I had to use the tractor to lift it. that is one bale I won't be tossing around by hand.

N80- Thankyou as well. KennethBrown is correct. The goats in my pic are Boer and Boer/Spanish cross. Believe it or not the little one in the pic was only 8 weeks old and weighed nearly 60 pounds. He is going to be a big one.

 

[jinman]

Lee, I noticed that the bale in your picture was still wrapped. Do you leave the wrapping on the bales you feed to your goats? Just curious.

 

[weldingisfun]

Lee, I noticed that the bale in your picture was still wrapped. Do you leave the wrapping on the bales you feed to your goats? Just curious.

Jinman, it does look like it is still wrapped but it is not. It was tied with poly twine. We removed that after setting the bale on the platform and took the pic a few minutes later so the bale is still tight. That is probably why it looks like it is wrapped.

 

[firefighter9208]

Thanks Firefighter9208, we try to produce good stock.
I am curious about your concern of pinkeye. We have only had one case in eight years and that was with a goat I bought.
As you can see in the third picture, we have a square bale feeder with a top over it for the same reason you put one on. I thought about putting on a top but couldn't figure out how to do it and still be able to put a bale on the feeder with my FEL. Any ideas you would be willing to share?
I like your Website. That is something else I do, build Websites that is. I just don't use the name Websitesarefun. In fact, they can be a lot of work.
Visit ours if you have some time. Walking H Boer Goats

Weldingisfun,

Guess I forgot to subscribe to this thread when I posted. I just found your reply.

I haven't had a problem with pinkeye, but had heard (you know how that goes) that eating from a suspended feeder would cause problems.

I'll try to post a picture of my round bale feeder for you in the near future.

Thanks for the compliment on the website. I built it myself, but don't spend near enough time maintaining it. I have checked out your website in the past. Quite nice!!

Oh yeah, I have the same problem as you with the rocks. We are overrun with field stones "moss rocks" I have even sold a bunch. There is an area next to our creek that had so many rocks that I couldn't drive through it on the golf cart. I loaded and hauled about 20 tons from this area. After several months of rain the rocks are back. I'm talking about an area about 100'x50'.

Chris

 

[weldingisfun]

Firefighter9208, I'l look forward to seeing your feeder.
Have not heard that pinkeye from suspended feeding theory before. My goats stand on their hind legs and eat leaves from trees all the time. Oh well, maybe it is just another way to explain why goats get sick.

 

[firefighter9208]

Firefighter9208, I'l look forward to seeing your feeder.
Have not heard that pinkeye from suspended feeding theory before. My goats stand on their hind legs and eat leaves from trees all the time. Oh well, maybe it is just another way to explain why goats get sick.

weldingisfun,

Here is a link Pinkeye in Goats to an article about pinkeye. Everything that I have read says that it can be caused by a bacteria or dry dusty conditions, such as eating dry hay. The article say that it can also be caused by eating tall grasses that have gone to seed. The seed heads get into the eye and cause irritation, bringing on Pinkeye.

I don't think there would be any problems from eating leaves off of trees, because they are generally still green or not dry and dusty. My goats also love to eat everything within reach.

Here is a link to Maryland's small ruminant page: Maryland Small Ruminant Page - Bacterial diseases of sheep and goats It has some really good info on sheep and goat diseases. There is a good PDF from a Dr. here in Alabama under pinkeye, but I didn't know how to link a PDF.

Chris

 

[weldingisfun]

Thanks for the information, Chris. It has been added to my ever growing library of goat references.

 

[Kendrick]

The easest way I could see to deal with the roof thing is to put a latch on the front that would be deactivated by the bale as it nears the roof. placed a panel at a 45 deg angle tilted away from the structure and about a foot or so distance with a pair of runner pipes back to the beam supporting the roof the bale would just push the roof up as it came in sliding over the top of the bale on the runners and then drop back in place after the bale is inside. the rear poles would have a hinge on them to allow the roof to tip back while the bale is loaded